AUBURN — What started out as a plan to locate a daycare facility in an area of the city that was determined to be a “daycare desert” has morphed into two housing projects that will provide 12 market-rate apartments, five townhouses, and a mini park and playground.

The former Lake Street School at 80 Lake St. was for many years the site of a city special education program. When Auburn school officials decided to move the program to Edward Little High School in 2022, the city looked to sell the property.

The following year, local developer Jim Wu bought the school and two adjacent lots on Fern Street for $100,000, with the stipulation that reuse of the property would retain a community benefit.

Wu and his development team struggled to find a daycare facility operator, and neighbors firmly opposed the daycare, which was supposed to be located on the Fern Street properties, citing concerns the facility would bring unwanted noise and traffic.

Wu shifted course and replaced the daycare idea with condominiums. That too drew opposition from neighbors and the plan was shifted again to townhouses. Meanwhile, the former school building was slated to house 12 market-rate apartments.

On Nov. 10, 2025, the Auburn Planning Board approved the plans, hearing only one public comment from Lincey Viel of 10 Fern St., who expressed concern about the townhouses not being compatible with the neighborhood, changing the appearance of the street, their impact on property values, increased traffic, loss of privacy, illumination into neighboring property, and increased noise.

Foundations for the townhouses have been poured and the project is described as a two-story building with the five units side-by-side.

Each will have a one-car garage, two bedrooms, one-and-a-half bathrooms, an open kitchen and living area. Each unit will have a back patio area with privacy walls and landscaping.

In an interview earlier this month, Wu explained the decision to build townhouses.

“We found that the neighborhood was not very accepting of the traffic that was going to come with the daycare, so we decided to build what seems to be suitable for that area, which is five townhouses,” he said.

Wu puts his costs for the townhouses at around $1 million, with completion expected in 2027. He said he expects the 12 apartments going into the former Lake Street School building to be ready this year.

“The centerpiece of that development is about three-quarters of an acre of the centerpiece playground set that we’re gonna construct and then donate to the city of Auburn.”

Wu said he felt the existing playground structure at the site, which was installed when the building was still an elementary school, was aging and had become an eyesore.

“The city and I had a conversation about what can we do to really enhance this neighborhood,” which he said has seen younger families moving into the area. A (new) playground really made sense to be what ties that neighborhood together,” he said.

Wu added that once the heavy construction is completed, the playground will be finished and open to the public.