GO PATS!  CRUSH THE COLTS!  WE WANT TO GO TO THE SUPER BOWL.

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,280)

Peter Bass and Ethan Boxer-Macomber, d/b/a Adam’s Apple, LLC., joined forces and responded to a Request for Proposal to develop the empty lot at 65 Munjoy Street on Munjoy Hill. The “RFP” was issued late last year with a deadline of January 13, 2015 attached to it.  Adam’s Apple was the only developer to respond.  The City Council makes the final decision.

This undeveloped lot is part of the original Marada Adams Elementary School that was named for a legendary public educator on the Hill.  In 2006, the Adams School was closed upon the completion of the new East End Community School, 195 North Street. Avesta Housing had been awarded the contract to build a proposed 40-unit affordable housing condominium on the highly toxic site of the former School. Due to the recession in 2008, Avesta was unable to find enough financing to go forward with the full project.  It asked to divide the property into two parcels for later development and down-sized the development into the existing 16-units.  This parcel at 65 Munjoy Street is part of that second piece.

The current Adams’ proposal calls for a 8-unit residential condominium development. The project is comprised of two (2) 3-bedroom units, two (2) 2-bedroom  units and four (4) 1-bedroom unit in a single three-story walk up (no elevator) building totaling eight (8) housing units.  Six (6) on site covered parking spaces are provided in a concealed parking area underneath the building.  How much closet space will be in each unit?

“The developer proposes to make all of the units affordable to households of moderate incomes in the range of 100% – 120% of Area Median Income.  At present, this target would serve households earning between approximately $55,000 and $75,000 per year,” according to the Adam’s proposal.  The construction costs are expensive and that is in large part because the site is known to be “environmentally contaminated and constructurally unsuitable.” That requires extensive remediation work by the developer at an additional cost of about $200,000. “The projectd is proposed to offset this expense by the land being donated by the city,” the proposal adds.

Architect for the project is Evan Carroll, Bild Architecture, who designed Marquis Lofts on Lafayette Street on the Hill.  Another member of the development team is Barbara Vestal, Esq. , Chester & Vestal. (Vestal is  the leader in the SoulofPortland, an ad hoc coalition trying to stop the development of 58 Fore Street on the Portland waterfront.)