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Lewiston Housing Authority reports progress on Martell, Wedgwood, DeWitt and other projects
Summary
The Lewiston Housing Authority told city council it expects to start construction on Martell phase 1 by year’s end, is completing Wedgwood phase, and is advancing DeWitt and other projects while preparing public-housing recapitalization applications.
Chris Kilmery, executive director of the Lewiston Housing Authority, updated the Lewiston City Council on multiple housing projects at the Sept. 16 meeting and outlined near-term timelines.
Martell School redevelopment: The authority said the application period and funding negotiations are complete and staff now expect to begin construction on phase 1 by the end of the year. Value-engineering changes were necessary after recent shifts in construction economics; authority staff said those adjustments produced a workable deal and that phase 1 will include 44 units with subsequent phases planned to reach a total of 144 units.
Wedgwood and DeWitt: The authority reported Wedgwood’s final building will be completed at month’s end and lease-up is ahead of schedule. Across the street, DeWitt has foundations and rising steel; the authority expects moving in to begin next year and anticipates roughly 104 mixed-income units and 10–15,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
B Street/medical access and Soleil projects: The authority said it is revising plans for a health-center-related site and expects to start pre-construction work by year’s end. Soleil phase 1 is funded and near the construction phase; phase 2 was being submitted to the 9% tax-credit round and will be competitive.
163 Bates Street: The authority plans to close on a nearby property to add 36 single-room-occupancy (SRO) units, including 25 units with project-based rental assistance and 8 units reserved for veterans with associated services.
Public-housing recapitalization: The authority said it will submit remaining public-housing properties into HUD’s section-22 disposition process so units can be recapitalized via project-based Section 8 financing and tax-credit structures. Staff said the shift is necessary to recapitalize aging properties and preserve long-term affordable housing in the city.
Kilmery told councilors the projects are at different stages, with several funding applications still competitive and subject to timelines of state and federal agencies. He said Martell and Wedgwood are on track and urged residents to sign up on waiting lists as lease-ups begin.
