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‘Housing for shipbuilders’ breaks ground for Bath Iron Works employees

A drawing shows a lawn and two buildings. Rendering / Courtesy Aceto Landscape Architecture + Urban Design Billed as “housing for shipbuilders,” the development at 150 Congress Ave. in Bath is about a 20-minute walk to the shipbuilder’s main yard on Washington Street.
By Laurie Schreiber

Bath Iron Works and housing officials broke ground Tuesday on what's being called “housing for shipbuilders,” a project designed to ease the housing shortage for workers at the Bath shipyard. 

The development, at 150 Congress Ave., will include three buildings with 84 apartments. The site is a 20-minute walk to both the shipbuilder’s main yard on Washington Street and to downtown Bath.

With funding support from the U.S. Navy and BIW's parent company, General Dynamics, BIW contracted with Developers Collaborative in Portland to develop and manage the complex. Apartments are expected to be available in mid-2027.

People pose in a line with shovels and an excvatator behind them.
Photo / Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
Representatives from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, BIW labor unions, Developers Collaborative, the city of Bath and Bath Housing ceremonially break ground on the 84-unit housing development at 150 Congress Ave. in Bath.

“Supporting our shipbuilders and making it easier for people to become shipbuilders is important to the long-term strength of our company and to our national defense,” said Charles F. Krugh, BIW’s president. “Helping make housing more attainable will help us retain and attract a world-class team and benefit the community of Bath as well.”

First priority

BIW employees will have first priority for leasing the apartments, which include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Any unused capacity will be available to Navy personnel and then to the community. 

A view of a development is seen from above.
Image / Courtesy Aceto Landscape Architecture + Urban Design
The layout includes three buildings with 84 apartments.

The expectation is that the apartments will be most helpful to new shipbuilders and those commuting more than an hour each way to work.

The market-rate rents are expected to be attainable for people who work at the shipyard. Rate information for 2027 is not yet available.

A person stands at a lectern.
Photo / Courtesy General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
Charles Krugh

BIW previously identified construction of affordable housing for its workforce as key to maintaining and expanding on its role as a major economic driver for the state.

Economic activity generated by Bath Iron Works, part of Reston, Va.-based General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD), was $2.5 billion in 2023, with a workforce of 6,700 and payroll of $447 million.

$34M in investments

The development was one of a number of initiatives supported by U.S. Navy funding of more than $34 million awarded in 2024, which was advocated for by Maine’s congressional delegation.

A drawing shows a lawn and buliding.
Rendering / Courtesy Aceto Landscape Architecture + Urban Design
Developers Collaborative will develop and manage the complex of three buildings with 84 apartments.

That included a partnership between BIW and the Bath Area YMCA to open a child care facility in Brunswick last month, and to previously expand the Y’s existing Bath program.

BIW is looking to cut the job training timeline from five years to three and is working with the city of Bath to have the local city bus connect shipbuilders with the main yard.

In September, the Navy christened the latest ship to be built at BIW, a guided missile destroyer called the USS Louis Wilson (DDG 126).

Under construction are the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) and Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) as well as the Flight III destroyers William Charette (DDG 130), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136) and J. William Middendorf (DDG 138).

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