LEWISTON – Freshly paved driveways still too soft for cars were black and pristine. Service men ran sprinklers along new lawn. Residents escaped Wednesday’s heat inside townhouses with new appliances, new carpets, new cupboards.

Nearly nine months and $9 million later, the facelift on the largest housing project in the city is nearly complete.

Tall Pines became River Valley Village and began its upgrade under the ownership of the nonprofit Caleb Foundation last fall. “The property had fallen into disrepair,” said Debra Nutter, the foundation’s executive director. Back then, the vacancy rate was about 30 percent. Now it’s 20.

All 296 units are being rehabbed, including seven that are handicapped accessible, with new windows, exterior doors and paint, plus floors, boilers and roofs as needed.

The undertaking is the single biggest affordable housing project ever financed by the Maine State Housing Association. Spokesman Dan Simpson said $9 million went toward acquisition and renovation.

“The improvements are fantastic, there’s no doubt they needed it,” said Mike Maheux, visiting his daughter and grandchildren who’ve lived in the village three years.

His daughter, Jessica, didn’t like the order of repairs – for instance, one window was replaced, then, three weeks later, another – but it looked nicer.

“Some of it was a big inconvenience, but what can you do?” he said.

Amy Cote moved in over the weekend. Her youngest son got lead poisoning in their old home. “My options weren’t many and I liked this the best,” she said. “It’s nice inside,” plus, “there’s no toxic chemicals around. It’s all new and renovated.”

Rent in the refurbished village is based on family income and size, from $513 a month on up. Units are spread among 42 buildings on the 40-acre site, according to property manager E.J. O’Donoghue.

Working out of a model apartment unit for now, newly hired service coordinator Christine Havenstein has started organizing events. On her plate: starting a community garden.

Not everyone will have to plant and weed, she said. “They could maybe bring lemonade to the site – just show interest.”

Havenstein, as well as a new computer center, laundry facilities and a meeting room, will soon move into the village’s new community center on the corner of Tall Pines Drive and Strawberry Avenue.

A resident committee is busy picking out playground equipment to replace the playground torn down to make way for the center, Nutter said.

Work will likely finish in July. A grand opening is tentatively planned for September.

The foundation has had a few bumps in the project. Last fall some residents were upset about storage issues and moving incentives. The hot button now: gas grills.

Nutter said it’s an insurance issue; the carrier doesn’t want grills stored inside over the winter, so they’re asking residents not to purchase new ones until managers sort out the dilemma.

“People seem to be settling down,” she said. “Three hundred units, you’re never going to be able to please them all.”

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