Please join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 986 Prospect Avenue in Rumford, Tuesday, June 16th, at 10:30 AM. We will be celebrating the completion of an 18-unit affordable housing project, made possible by the Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) through the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, with support from the Town of Rumford.
The 986 Prospect Avenue development brings 18 new one-bedroom affordable apartments to Rumford, constructed on a previously developed site acquired by the Town through tax foreclosure. A prior motel had burned down in 2015, leaving the site vacant for 10 years. The project consists of Maine-inspired multi-unit buildings, including two 8-unit buildings and one duplex, designed to complement the scale and character of the surrounding Virginia neighborhood.
The buildings feature modular, off-site construction by KBS Builders of South Paris, Maine, with on-site general contracting by Dooryard, LLC, a Maine-based full-service development company. Units are energy-efficient, equipped with electric heat pumps, rooftop solar, and Maine-made TimberHP insulation. The project was completed in 6 months from delivery of boxes through Certificate of Occupancy.
• 18 workforce / affordable one-bedroom apartments
• Rent: $1,275/month (utilities included)
• Restricted to residents earning 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or less
• Units remain affordable for 45 years
• Energy-efficient: electric heat pumps, rooftop solar, and TimberHP
• Financed by MaineHousing — Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program
“By building on a previously developed site, we are able to provide high-quality housing in the right place, near jobs, adjacent to an existing neighborhood, and as part of a really nice community of people here in Rumford.”
Kara Wilbur, Project Developer
“The community has been very impressed with the aesthetics and thoughtful design of this new housing which blends into the existing Prospect Avenue neighborhood. Dooryard has achieved a rare feat – in spite of regulatory challenges they managed to build new housing which appears as though it was built 90 years ago. The reaction from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and especially appreciative of the care that has been given to design. Kara’s intuitive understanding of how to build places and not just houses is a talent that reminds us of the great visionaries who built Rumford Falls and its many splendid homes in the early decades of the 20th century. Our doors will always be open to developers like Kara who can execute projects such as these at locations like the Linnell site, which have so much potential to return to meaningful reuse.”
George O’Keefe, Town Manager, Town of Rumford
KBS designs and manufactures modular structures with a commitment to residential housing, net-zero design, commercial, and mixed-use buildings. KBS works hand-in-hand with developers, general contractors, architects, and builders to customize and produce the exact type of modular structure they are seeking. The Company’s main office and factory are located in South Paris, Maine, while a second factory is located a short distance away in Oxford, Maine.