Maine sells 2 old courthouses to be turned into housing

Dec. 23—Maine’s plan to turn former courthouses in Biddeford and Sanford into apartment buildings is moving forward after the state closed on the sale of one of the properties earlier this month followed by a second one Monday.

State officials are in discussions to sell a third courthouse in the town of York, though its unclear what exactly the plans are for that location.

The sale of the three old courthouses was approved by the Mills administration and the Legislature last spring with an aim of addressing the state’s housing crisis by taking advantage of existing vacant space.

The Department of Administrative and Financial Services closed on a sale of the former Springvale District Court on Dec. 16, and closed Monday on the sale of the Biddeford District Court. In both cases, the buildings were purchased for $1 by housing authorities in both communities, which plan to convert the courthouses to apartment buildings with units to be rented at affordable rates.

The department has also been in discussion with the town of York and is expecting to close on a sale of the former York District Court in the spring, said department spokesperson Sharon Huntley. It’s not yet clear how the building would be reused.

“We are very excited to move forward with the renovations,” said Diane Small, executive director of the Sanford Housing Authority.

Sanford’s former courthouse is located at 447 Main St. in the city’s Springvale village, and the housing authority plans to convert it to 18 units of housing for adults age 55 and older.

Households earning a maximum of 80% of the area median income, which is $54,840 for a single adult, would be eligible for the units. Small has estimated construction costs at around $6 million and said the authority plans to apply for a grant through MaineHousing’s Rural Rental Affordable Housing Program to help with the funding. The grant application is due Jan. 23, and the authority is hoping it would find out within 60 to 90 days later if they get the funding.

Small said there will be some challenges when it comes to converting the building, including a need to address low levels of insulation and internal rooms with no windows. “But we are working with CWS Architects, who have a vast experience in adaptive reuse of buildings, and are confident we can meet the challenges,” she said.

The Biddeford District Court, the sale of which was finalized on Monday, is at 25 Adams St.

Biddeford Housing Authority Executive Director Guy Gagnon said the low cost of the sale from the state will give the housing authority a financial head start on the project. He said they are planning to utilize conventional financing, such as a local lender or community bank, since it provides more flexibility than state or MaineHousing funds, which often come with restrictions on who a property can be rented to.

The Biddeford project would include 10 to 12 units of townhouse or loft-style apartments. Gagnon said they would be available to households earning no more than 80% of the area median income, and possibly a lower threshold.

The cost of the project is estimated around $2 million, but Gagnon said it will depend on how much work needs to be done inside and how many units can fit.

“The goal is to use the building as much as possible without ripping things apart,” he said. “It will be a little tricky but I think we can make it work. They’re definitely not going to be conventional units. They’re going to be quirky, but that will probably be part of the appeal.”

The courthouse project comes as the Biddeford Housing Authority has begun construction on 39-units for families nearby at 69 Adams St.

“These two projects together should put a pretty decent dent in affordable housing downtown,” Gagnon said.

State officials also have had preliminary discussions with the town of York about a courthouse there and expect to close on a sale of the York District Court in the spring, Huntley said.

Town Manager Peter Joseph did not respond to phone messages left at his office seeking information about what plans the town has.

It’s not yet clear yet if the building would be repurposed for housing. The legislation approved in the spring stipulated that the courthouse properties should be offered to MaineHousing or local housing authorities for redevelopment as housing, but that if those agencies weren’t interested, the department could sell any of the properties to another purchaser.

Huntley did not respond to a follow-up email Monday asking if the York building would be required to be used for housing or if the state knows if the town has another use in mind.

York Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing provider, is not pursuing a purchase of the courthouse because of zoning limitations that restrict residential development, said Executive Director Fiona McQuaide.

She said the courthouse is located in a zone that only allows for single-family homes, duplexes and boarding houses, and that the development of a boarding house limited to serving 15 people is not feasible for York Housing.

The three courthouses closed when the state moved last year to open a new consolidated York Judicial Center. During a legislative hearing in March, a state official said all three buildings are in relatively good condition and MaineHousing has already determined they can be converted into housing.

In Sanford, Small said the housing authority is hoping the new site will be an opportunity for them to expand the types of people they are able to serve — specifically those who don’t qualify for housing subsidies and are working but still can’t afford rent.

“This will help us meet the needs of that demographic, which is really important,” she said. “We need workers, and we also need for them to be housed.”

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