The completion of the 986 Prospect Ave. development has added 18 units of affordable housing to Rumford — part of a broader plan to entice more people to live and work in town.

The opening of the new development by Dooryard, LLC was celebrated with a ribbon cutting June 16 with the River Valley Chamber of Commerce. The project involves a pair of eight-unit buildings and one duplex, designed to fit into the scale and character of the surrounding Virginia neighborhood.

Melissa McHugh, chief operating officer for Dooryard, said 13 of the 986 Prospect Ave. units are still available for rent. Rent is set annually by MaineHousing, and these start at $1,275 per month, including electricity, heat, hot water and trash.

The project was constructed on a previously developed site acquired by the town through tax foreclosure. A former motel had burned down in 2015, leaving the site vacant for a decade.

McHugh said the project was made possible by MaineHousing through the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, with support from the town of Rumford.

“There’s a lot of ways that Rumford is putting itself on the map, and this is one of them, which is being part of a solution to a really big problem,” said state Rep. Rachel Henderson, R-Rumford, who represents House District 78.

Henderson said the project demonstrates that the town is capable of having new development while also maintaining the town’s character. “Those two things are not exclusive,” she said.

Town Manager George O’Keefe said that growth in Rumford is just as important as anywhere else in the state.

“We can still have and build beautiful homes that, quite honestly, look like they’ve been here for decades,” O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe stressed that it’s important the community provide even more housing.

Part of the town’s plan is to get people who already work in Rumford to also live there. To do that, the town has needed more housing.

“I see hope because we’re adding affordable housing in this area,” Select Board Chairman Chris Brennick said. “The biggest problem that we need to solve in Rumford is (to) figure out a way to get the people who work at ND Paper, its engineers and others, to lay their head here at night. Because those people are our chamber members, our Rotarians and our Little League coaches.”

The buildings feature modular, off-site construction by KBS Builders of South Paris, with on-site general contracting by Dooryard, LLC, a Maine-based company. Units are energy-efficient, equipped with electric heat pumps, rooftop solar, and Maine-made TimberHP insulation.