A nonprofit has bought land on which it plans to build a 29-unit housing development in Greenville.
The Northern Forest Center on Thursday announced it bought a 5-acre parcel off Spruce Street from the Moosehead Lake Regional Economic Development Corp.
It’s the Northern Forest Center’s sixth housing project, as well as the first built from the ground up. The center has previously developed housing in Millinocket and in New Hampshire, with other projects planned in Bethel, Maine; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; and Tupper Lake, New York.
In January 2023, the Northern Forest Center unveiled plans to develop what it called “middle income” housing in Greenville. The proposed development would include multi-family buildings, duplexes and single-family homes.
“Local businesses and residents that we talked to identified the need for both long-term rental properties and starter homes to enable young people and families to invest and build equity in the community,” said Mike Wilson, senior program director at the center. “Our goal is to develop an appealing neighborhood that fits into and contributes to the fabric of the Greenville community.”
That news was welcomed Thursday by community leaders, with Town Manager Michael Roy calling the development “very important” to Greenville’s “economic sustainability.”
“We found the perfect partner in the Northern Forest Center to develop the Spruce Street property and to provide mid-tier housing in Greenville,” said Margarita Contreni, president of the Moosehead Lake Regional Economic Development Corp. “The Center’s proven track record of partnering with communities with working forests across four states will now benefit Greenville’s people and its economy.”
Beyond providing much-needed housing, the development will showcase the use of mass timber construction, including the use of cross-laminated timber, to speed up construction time and to act as a “carbon storage vault,” according to the center.
The next steps include expanding public infrastructure to support the development and to present a completed site plan to the Greenville Planning Board to obtain necessary permits.
The project is expected to cost $11.5 million.
