Two Bangor developers plan to build a 500-unit apartment complex on Stillwater Avenue.
Justin and Nicole Freeman are drawing up plans for an apartment complex with nine or ten two-story buildings, each with 40 to 60 units, plus an office and on-site laundry facility for residents. The complex would offer mostly one-bedroom apartments, but some two-bedroom apartments are also available.
The ground floor apartments could serve older people who do not want to climb stairs, while the second floor could accommodate young professionals, Justin Freeman said.
“The buildings will be substantial,” said Justin Freeman. “We’re talking 300 feet long and 50 feet wide.”
If approved, the project would be located off Stillwater Avenue between Chase Road and Longview Drive, next to BJ’s and Target. The couple plans to name it LuBen Village after their children, Justin Freeman said.
Although the project is still in the early planning stages, it is notable for its sheer size. If built, LuBen Village would be the largest apartment complex in Bangor and comes at a time when the region is in desperate need of more housing.
The family wants to keep the rent at about $1,100 a month, including heat and hot water, which would benefit people who can’t afford Bangor’s luxury apartments but earn too much to qualify for most housing subsidies.
“It will bring the cost down to a more reasonable level for the population here in Bangor,” said Justin Freeman. “If we introduce something more modest, it will open up opportunities for more people. And they can get a brand new unit instead of something that was built in 1882 and needs to be upgraded.”
Anne Krieg, Bangor’s director of economic development, has previously referred to households in this income bracket as “the missing middle.” This income bracket generally includes people earning 80 to 120 percent of the area median income, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determines annually.
According to HUD, a single-person household in Bangor with an annual income between $48,250 and $72,375 would be eligible.
While 500 units on one lot may seem like far too many, Justin Freeman says the high number is necessary to keep rents low for tenants while also allowing him to finance the project, as construction costs are expected to be between $35 million and $40 million.
“It only works because of quantity,” he said. “If you only build eight or 12 or 24 units, you have to charge $2,400 a month to cover mortgage payments, property taxes and utilities. But only a certain segment of the population can afford that.”
The buildings are being constructed one after the other so that people can move in as each building is completed.
Justin Freeman’s goal is to pour concrete for the first building in spring 2025 so people can move in that fall, but he recognized that there are several steps needed before that can happen.
The Freemans are working with Haley Ward to develop a site plan and plan to submit it to the Bangor Planning Board for approval in the fall.
“We’re urging the developers and engineers to get this approved as soon as possible because, frankly, it’s needed now,” he said. “It’s no secret that Bangor needs housing.”
