Demolition of several buildings at the former Robinson Manufacturing Co. woolen mill in Oxford began this week to start redevelopment for 77 affordable apartments for seniors on the shore of Thompson Lake.

On Wednesday, EnviroVantage, a New England–based contractor specializing in hazardous materials removal and site abatement, took down the first structure. 

EnviroVantage secured construction fencing around the 5-acre property at 283 King St. late last year but was hindered from starting work due to frigid temperatures and poor weather.

Marianne McDermott, spokesperson for developer The Caleb Group of Lynn, Massachusetts, told the Advertiser Democrat that more buildings will be razed but the timing will be determined by the weather.

Suzanne Decavèle, director of acquisitions for The Caleb Group, said EnviroVantage is handling both the abatement and demolition work, meaning the work will be done concurrently. She expects this phase of the project to be completed by spring.

Demolition and site restoration is being paid through a Community Development Block Grant and Environmental Protection Agency and Maine state Brownfields funding programs, at a cost of $1.38 million.

The mission is to address western Maine’s housing crisis by restoring and converting the 1865 and 1898 brick buildings, remove an old warehouse, and add a new brick building with up to 30 units. The buildings will be three and four stories, according to architectural drawings.

The first construction phase is to build a complex with 33 one-bedroom units. Decavèle said the timeline will be determined by Maine Housing Authority’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. It could take up to 18 months to get funding through the grant process.

During Phase 2, the mill’s original brick warehouse and boiler house will be restored and converted to 44 more apartments. Those historically relevant buildings are being added to the National Register of Historic Places and will be eligible for historic tax credits and funding.

The developers are working closely with the Oxford Historical Society to preserve the mill’s history and its impact on Oxford’s economy.

The Caleb Group is not the first investor to attempt converting the 19th-century mill to residences. Chuck Starbird bought the property from the town in 2013 for $32,000, four years after the town foreclosed on it for nonpayment of $244,920 in property taxes accrued over three years.

Under the proposal The Caleb Group shared with Oxford officials two years ago, eligible Maine residents over the age of 62 and earning 60% of Oxford County’s median income will qualify for rent at $853 a month. At that time, the entire project was estimated to cost $32 million.