172-unit affordable housing development on the way in Windham
A rendering of the Windham Village apartment complex. (Courtesy of M&R Development)
M&R Development is set to open the first 36 units of the 172-unit Windham Village development by the end of the year.
Windham Village, located on Tandberg Trail, will consist of a combination of one- and two-bedroom apartments and condominiums available for sale and lease, as well as on-site amenities such as a gym, storage lockers and a communal gathering space, according to a news release from M&R Development. Units in the development will be priced from $315,000 to $348,000. The average price of a single-family home in Windham is $557,834.
The press release describes the “missing middle” in the state’s housing shortage, as well as the median home price increasing by 50% between 2020 and 2024, as having left large swaths of the workforce, including essential workers, young professionals and retirees unable to buy a home.
“First-time homebuyers, young professionals, and downsizers are being priced out of Cumberland County, and this project serves that market and creates new opportunity,” wrote Dan Bacon, director of development at M&R.
Windham Village is not the first affordable development M&R has built in Cumberland County. The company is constructing The Downs, a business and residential area in Scarborough with prices starting at $399,000, and recently announced it received approval for The Dash, a 51-unit development in Freeport due to open in 2027.
Stephen Puleo, planning director for Windham, said the housing complex was approved by the town’s planning board in April 2024 following a comprehensive review. Puleo praised the development for contributing to increased property values, bringing new residents to the North Windham business district, and playing an important role in supporting the new North Windham sewer system.
Rocco Risbara III is head of development for Risbara Brothers, one of two family-run development companies, the other being Michaud Properties, collaborating as part of M&R Development. Risbara said M&R has sought out towns such as Windham where zoning laws allow for multifamily development, and which also have significant need for affordable multifamily developments.
While M&R is still in the early stages of marketing Windham Village to potential homebuyers, Risbara expected the development to appeal to a wide variety of demographics due to the price range.
After the first 36 units of Windham Village open at the end of this year, the remaining 136 units will open sequentially throughout 2027, with the goal of having the entire development opening by the end of that year.
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Tagged: affordable housing
Rory, an experienced reporter from western Massachusetts, joined the Maine Trust for Local News in October 2024. He is a community reporter for Windham, Raymond, Casco, Bridgton, Naples, Standish, Gray,. More by Rory Sweeting
