45 Dougherty Court
Update
04/22/24
Construction Begins on New Affordable Housing in Portland
The Szanton Company, a Portland-based housing developer, has broken ground on 63 affordable rental apartments on the site of the former West Elementary School Street, in Portland’s Libbytown Neighborhood. To be known as 45 Dougherty Court, the project is the first phase of a larger redevelopment of the site located off Douglass Street.
45 Dougherty will include 63 one, two, and three-bedroom units. Residents will enjoy a fitness center, community room, laundry room, secure indoor bike storage, and EV charging stations.
The site is located next to the Dougherty Fields Complex, which includes ball fields, a large skate park, a newly finished playground, basketball courts, the Kiwanis pool and a community garden.
“We’re excited to be bringing new affordable housing to Portland,” said Szanton Company President Nathan Szanton. “But we’re even more excited to be building it next to all the recreational opportunities of the Dougherty Complex. Those are amenities we can’t usually offer.”
“This site has been sitting empty for years since the West School was demolished,” noted Portland Mayor Mark Dion. “The City is thrilled that it will be turned into affordable housing for families with children. What a great place to grow up.”
The site was previously city-owned and was awarded through a competitive RFP process. The other portion of the site will be developed into 20 affordable condominiums and 42 affordable rental units by Maine Cooperative Development Partners (MCDP) of Portland.
45 Dougherty is made up entirely of affordable housing units reserved for households earning up to 60% of the area median income. Rents will range from approximately $1,130-$1,550. The building is being designed to LEED Silver standards and offers a highly energy-efficient design. Apartments will be heated and cooled by mini-split, air-source heat pumps.
The Szanton Company has built 13 apartment complexes throughout southern Maine and seacoast New Hampshire, including The Furman Block, which opened 51 units in 2021 in Portland’s West Bayside neighborhood. 45 Dougherty is expected to open in Fall of 2025.
