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Developer pitches modular 'Fox House' workforce housing to Milford council
Summary
A developer told Milford City Council he can build 50–100 modular rental units near the hospital to house incoming data‑center and mine workers, but said the project needs city development help — including possible RDA assistance — to reach financial viability.
Logan Hill, a partner with Millstream, presented a modular workforce‑housing proposal to the Milford City Council on June 16, offering a quick‑build option the company calls the “Fox House” model intended to house employees for nearby employers.
Hill told the council Millstream would generally buy the land, install horizontal infrastructure and deliver finished, furnished modular units that can be rented nightly, weekly or monthly. He said the firm’s typical build footprint for this market is 50 to 100 units on a site of about 10–21 acres, and that units are durable — “20, 25 years easy,” he said.
Why it matters: Milford is preparing for major local industrial investment and council members said workforce housing could ease pressure on local rental markets. Hill said the project does not currently pencil without municipal assistance; his preliminary estimate for horizontal site work (sewer easements, roads, utility tie‑ins) is roughly $300,000, and Millstream’s financial model would require rents in the neighborhood of $1,500 per month to cover costs without public subsidy.
Council members pressed on key issues including long‑term occupancy risk, infrastructure requirements and alternatives. Several members warned against installing short‑term or temporary units that could be abandoned when a construction phase ends. “We’re only gonna get one chance at this,” one council member said, urging the group to plan for long‑term, family‑appropriate housing as well as short‑term workforce options.
Hill said Millstream has discussed corporate leases with some local employers and with FERBO specifically; Hill said FERBO indicated it does not need housing at this time. He also noted Millstream’s interest in opportunity‑zone financing and suggested the city consider forming a redevelopment agency (RDA) to provide tax‑increment or tax‑deferral tools that would lower upfront development costs.
The council and staff recommended planning‑and‑zoning review, state‑property appraisal follow‑up and more outreach to potential private partners. Staff also identified a state‑owned parcel cluster on the south end of town (about 19–20 lots) as an alternate site that already has much of the basic infrastructure in place but would require appraisal and possible cleanup or upgrades.
Next steps: Council asked staff to engage planning and zoning, obtain appraisals on the state lots and continue discussions with Hill so the city can evaluate whether an RDA or other incentives would make a modular workforce project feasible.
