Developer seeks $750,000 CDBG loan to renovate 66-unit Plymouth Apartments

Brian Webster, a representative of Elm Grove Companies, told the Select Board the firm is seeking the maximum Community Development Block Grant of $750,000 to renovate Plymouth Apartments, a 66-unit multifamily complex on Morgan Drive. Webster said the work would include interior upgrades — paint, new flooring, lighting, new kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances — plus repaving the driveway and a new community patio. "We're asking for 750,000, which is the max amount," Webster said.

Webster explained Elm Grove will work with Lakes Region Planning Commission as the grant's third‑party administrator and said the town would retain $30,000 from the award to pay Lakes Region for administrative services. "Thirty thousand is the max amount that any party can charge for the administrative phase," he said. He added Elm Grove would handle most compliance and Davis‑Bacon documentation and that Elm Grove is prepared to cover the developer portion of any audit costs.

Board members questioned ownership and timing. Highway and planning members confirmed the project parcels are 27 and 49 Morgan Drive; Webster said the company is in the process of purchasing the property and anticipates a closing in November or December. When asked if the town would carry liability on the loan, Aaron Ravenel, a colleague on the presentation team, said the town would not: "The town of Plymouth wouldn't have any liability there," Ravenel said, describing the CDBG structure in which the municipality is the applicant and the grant funds can be applied to purchase-related costs.

Members pressed planners on tenant displacement and relocation. Webster said Elm Grove plans to avoid involuntary displacement: "We're not intending to move anyone out," he said, adding that the developer will either delay renovation until natural vacancies occur or provide temporary housing (hotel stays) as needed. Ravenel noted CDFA requires a relocation plan as part of the application, and Webster confirmed Elm Grove will prepare the required anti‑displacement and relocation assistance documentation.

The Select Board agreed to move the application forward to the public hearing scheduled for July 13 and to support the steps necessary for the July 27 submission deadline. Chair (speaker 8) and other members voiced no objections to advancing the process, while asking staff and Elm Grove to ensure required documents (project narrative corrections, relocation plan, and Davis‑Bacon compliance information) are in order before the application is finalized.

Next steps: the Select Board will hold a public hearing on July 13 to consider formally voting to submit the CDBG application; staff and Elm Grove will complete the relocation plan and other submission materials ahead of the July 27 filing deadline.