Saco Island project progressing

SACO - On the other side of the Saco River, another long-awaited project is taking shape. Initial plans are to turn a vacant, 225,912-square-foot brick mill building on Saco Island into 150 market-rate apartments and retail space, according to Saco Mayor Don Pilon.

The 1841 building, referred to as the Saco Island West Building No. 4, has been empty for more than two decades, Pilon said. Its been eight years since plans were first discussed for the $100 million redevelopment of Saco Island. Several of its old buildings have since been renovated and rehabilitated, including Building No. 2, which houses the local Social Security Administration office and the popular Saco River Market.

Plans for the proposed apartment complex call for amenities such as an exercise room and a conference room, said Pilon, and a portion of it is being planned as commercial space for small, local entrepreneurs or local artisans to open up shops.

The building is under contract with Chinburg Properties Inc. of Newmarket, N.H., a development and construction firm that has more than 20 years of experience in New Hampshire and Maine, and specializes in single-family and multi-unit housing projects.

Eric Chinburg, the companys president, said Chinburg Properties has completed several mill renovations in New Hampshire communities and is now wrapping up a project in Amesbury, Mass.

There would not likely be a lot of retail (space), but there would be some on the east end near the main road, said Chinburg, of the Building No. 4 project. We would consider other uses for commercial in the lowest level, which could include artist space, and perhaps community space. The upper three floors would be 100 percent residential under our current vision.

According to Chinburg, the architecture of the mill itself and the general location near a river and downtown are the best amenities. We plan to do very nice apartments as weve done in other projects and take advantage of the high ceilings, beams and brick and large windows.

Chinburg said that Building No. 4 is a desirable piece of property because Saco and Biddeford seem to be growing and seem to be vital.

In addition, he has always had a passion for refurbishing old mill buildings.

You cannot recreate these structures today, Chinburg said. It would be cost prohibitive.

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Saco Island project progressing