Developers have partnered with the Lesher Foundation and a philanthropist couple who lives in Knox County to bring 24 new apartment units to 7 Cross St. in Rockport, creating a neighborhood to serve the “missing middle.”
“Our teachers and our nurses make too much money on paper to qualify for these subsidies,” said Mary Jane Young of the Lesher Family Foundation. “And they are people we need here. People should be able to live where they work.”
Developers Caleb Lincoln and Ed Libby of Lake City Holdings have broken ground on the $8 million project comprising two 12-unit multifamily residential buildings to serve that very sector.
The buildings will be located next to the former Anchor Church at the corner with Route 90. The church itself will soon be home to the Children’s House Montessori School. The site is very close to Camden Rockport Elementary School.
The developers expect the project to take about a year for construction and to have new tenants moving in by October 2027.
Lincoln got his start working on downtown revitalization projects in Rockland and learned how funding for housing projects works. When it comes to applying for funding through Maine Housing, having outside private funding can be very helpful in competing for points to become a priority project.
The developers partnered with the Lesher Foundation and Hope residents Ann and Rick Bresnahan previously on an 18-unit family apartment complex at 7 Madelyn Lane in Rockport and the Leshers have also supported Habitat for Humanity’s Compass Point project. In recent years the foundation has helped bring 52 units of housing to Rockport.
Those involved explain that the housing crisis in the area calls for an “all hands on deck” approach.
“It’s not just going to be government subsidies, although that’s an important piece of the puzzle,” Lincoln said.
The Bresnahans also contributed to the Cross Street project.
In addition, this has become a partnership of young local professionals. Lincoln, Libby, Young, Landscape Designer Asa Peats and Lajoie Brothers Construction Project Manager Nick Kava are all Camden Hills graduates.
Young and Lincoln noted in an interview that they love this local community where they are from, and that was part of what made this project exciting.
The construction was approved by the Planning Board in June.
“I work in many communities across Maine, and Rockport stands out as one that ‘walks the walk’ on tackling the housing crisis head on with updated zoning to accommodate more housing in the right places,” Libby said. “Rockport’s staff and volunteer boards have a ‘can do’ attitude which is critical to having these complex projects come to fruition.”
The apartments for the most part will be one- and two-bedroom units. There will be two three-story buildings with pitched roofs and architectural structures designed to match the surrounding area, including exposed timbers to mirror the church building. The colors are likely to be darker blues and greens to blend into the tree line.
The neighborhood may soon be more walkable with plans in place for a multi-use pedestrian/bicycle path along Route 90.
“Children’s House Montessori is thrilled to be a partner in this emerging neighborhood,” said Rachel Nixon of the school. “The development will create additional spots for affordable, high-quality childcare in the midcoast, increase the affordable housing stock for young families who can walk their children to the Montessori School, and offer nature and gardening ‘out the back door.’ This is a win-win-win for our area!”
She said Children’s House will close on the 3 Cross St. property in January 2027, and the renovation is scheduled to begin in early February.
“Lajoie Brothers will be leading the project, which notably will add one more infant/toddler classroom,” Nixon said. “Asa Peats, a Montessori alum, is our landscape designer, working alongside teachers to envision and create a nature-playscape; each classroom has a door directly to the outside. We plan to welcome students and families to the school for the 2027-2028 school year.”
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.