Following its closure eight years ago, the St. Croix Apartments building in Calais is being reinvigorated with new life. The rapid developments now taking place at the 26 unit complex have been prompted by an infusion of federal funds for the project, putting it on track for reopening within two years -- or possibly sooner.
      "We're scheduled for two years of construction; however, we plan to tackle it for six months and reevaluate the timeline in the hope it may come together faster than the HUD schedule," says Tom Michaud, executive director of Sunrise Opportunities, which is overseeing the building's renovation.
      The building was originally built as an apartment complex in the early 1900s. Over time, it was expanded into a single building comprised of four separate structures joined by hallways. In 1978, the building was redeveloped using Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds with low income senior housing in mind. In 2016, the building lost HUD funding when the previous owner failed to make necessary updates to ensure the building's safety and utility, resulting in 27 tenants having to find housing elsewhere.
      In 2018, the nonprofit entity that handles property development and ownership to fulfill the work of Sunrise Opportunities purchased the building for $400,000, "which at the time was an overpayment given the condition of the property," Michaud says. "As a mission based local agency we did so with a plan to return the building to affordable housing service, recognizing that had we not stepped in it would have gone to another use or deteriorated past a salvaging point."
      When it was purchased, "the building was not in good condition," Michaud says. While it had "good bones," there was significant mold damage as a result of water pipes that had burst over the winter, along with some damage from vandalism, including broken windows. "We moved fast to completely demo the ground floor -- including removing all drywall -- to stop the mold spread." Doing so helped preserve the rest of the building until further work could be done.
      Since then, Sunrise Opportunities has raised over $5 million for the project, including close to $3.2 million in 2021 from the HUD 202 program. Other funds include $647,000 from a Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Affordable Housing Program grant and $300,000 from Machias Savings Bank, which has been a partner since the beginning. Even with the funds, federal regulations prevented any further work beyond minor maintenance from taking place, however.
      That changed earlier this month when an additional $1.2 million in funds from the federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development program was announced by Senator Susan Collins' office. As soon as HUD gave the green light following that announcement, King Construction Services started a new round of demolition work on the property.
      "We are fully funded, thanks to the recent addition of congressional funds from Senator Collins," Michaud says, adding, "She's been a partner in this project from the beginning. Her commitment to seeing this housing return for Washington County has been apparent from day one."
      With all necessary funds secured and construction under way, it should be smooth sailing for the building, which will operate as a nonprofit with the name St. Croix Apartments Inc. Once finished, it will maintain a similar exterior shape, but almost everything else will be renovated. "We'll be redoing almost everything in the project," Michaud says. "It will have a whole different look and feel, designed primarily for elderly residents from top to bottom."
      With planners keeping elderly residents in mind, the building will incorporate zero barrier thresholds, a new entryway to make dropping off and picking up residents easier, new elevators and a new sprinkler system. Each unit will be redone individually, as will the common areas. "All the building systems will be upgraded and brought up to today's code," Michaud says. The building is being renovated with efficiency in mind, with solar panels being installed on the roof by Border Electric.
      "One of the major goals of the project is to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible through physical design, supportive services and project staff," says Michaud. To help accomplish that goal, Sunrise Opportunities will be starting a new adult day service program based in Calais in advance of the building's opening.
      Noting that he recognizes the need in the area for affordable housing for all -- not just seniors -- Michaud says that bringing 26 low income senior housing units back online is still a step toward solving that problem. "We hope that, by opening up these units for seniors to move in to, units with less restrictions may become available [for non seniors]. It feels like we're at a point where every unit of housing counts."