First phase of large affordable housing project gets underway in Portland’s North Deering neighborhood

RENDERING / COURTESY MAINE COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS When completed in 2027, six apartment buildings off Washington Avenue in Portland will provide 72 affordable units.

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By Tina Fischer

Construction has begun on the Lambert Woods North apartments at 2274 Washington Ave. Extension in Portland, the first phase of a large affordable housing development which will eventually include 162 apartments.

The 72 Lambert Woods North apartments will be spread over six buildings, and will offer both townhomes and three-story walkup apartments to tenants whose household income not exceeding 60% of the area median income.

Seven apartments will be reserved for referrals from the city’s homeless shelter.

The nearly 14-acre forested site for the project sits on the corner of 165 Lambert St. Developers plan to utilize just two acres for the combined projects and to conserve the remainder of the woodlands, eventually creating public trails.

The land was owned by the city of Portland, which put out a request for proposals in 2020 and chose Portland-based Maine Cooperative Development Partners to design and implement the project.

Preservation of Affordable Housing, a national non-profit affordable housing developer based in Boston, is the lead developer working with MCDP, and will be the long-term manager and primary owner of Lambert Woods North. This is the organization’s first development in Maine.

Funding for the $23 million project, targeted for completion in 2027, has been provided by MaineHousing, Portland’s Jill C. Duson Housing Trust and Indianapolis-based CREA LLC.

Falmouth-based Penobscot General Contractors is the builder, Portland-based Kaplan Thompson Architects is handling design and Acorn Engineering, also based in Portland, is the civil engineer.

The second phase of the outer Washington Ave. development will be Lambert Woods South, a 90-unit limited equity housing cooperative for middle-income households, slated to begin construction in 2026.