Barra Road – BIDDEFORD GAZETTE

[Contributed Story]

A new 40-unit affordable housing community at 37 Barra Road marks Westbrook Development’s first project in Biddeford and the first phase of a broader housing partnership with the city

Westbrook Development Corporation (WDC), in partnership with the city of Biddeford, is proud to announce the groundbreaking of Thatcher Brook Apartments, a new 40-unit affordable housing community located at 37 Barra Road in Biddeford. The development will provide much-needed homes for local households and marks WDC’s first project in Biddeford.

Thatcher Brook Apartments will offer a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments in a thoughtfully designed, energy-efficient building affordable to households earning between $37,000 and $75,000 a year. The development will also include community space, a playground, and an on-site property management office, creating a high-quality residential environment designed to support residents and families.

**A RENDERING** of a new housing project now being built on Barra Road in Biddeford. (*Courtesy Image)*

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The project is the first phase of a two-phase development on land donated by the City of Biddeford to WDC for the creation of affordable housing. It also represents an important example of how municipalities and mission-driven developers can work together to respond to Maine’s ongoing housing shortage.

Thatcher Brook Apartments emerged from a broader moment in Maine’s housing conversation. After a similar workforce housing proposal by WDC was rejected by Cumberland voters in 2024, the city of Biddeford reached out to reaffirm its commitment to being part of the solution to the state’s housing crisis. That outreach created the opportunity to adapt the original housing concept to the Barra Road site and move forward in a community prepared to support the development of much-needed affordable homes.

“With Thatcher Brook Apartments, Biddeford is demonstrating what local leadership looks like in the face of Maine’s housing crisis,” said Tyler Norod, WDC’s President. “This project will create quality, energy-efficient homes for households who need them, and it reflects the power of partnership, persistence, and a shared commitment to expanding housing opportunity. We are grateful to the City of Biddeford for its vision and collaboration, and proud to break ground on our first development in Biddeford.”

**CONSTRUCTION** is well under way on Barra Road in Biddeford *(Randy Seaver Photo*)

The project team includes Kaplan Thompson Architects as architect, Gorrill Palmer as civil engineer, and Allied Cook Construction of Scarborough as construction manager.

“Biddeford has made clear that addressing the housing shortage is essential to our city’s future,” said Mayor Liam LaFountain. “Thank you to WDC, the Biddeford City Council, Planning Board, City staff, and former Mayor Grohman for their work to make this project possible. Thatcher Brook Apartments adds well-designed, energy-efficient, and stable housing for Biddeford residents. We are proud to continue building momentum for additional housing at all income levels across Biddeford.”

Financing for Thatcher Brook Apartments reflects a strong public-private partnership and includes support from MaineHousing’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, donated land from the City of Biddeford, a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) contribution through the City of Biddeford, tax credit syndication through local non-profit Evernorth, and additional funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Affordable Housing Program (AHP) and Maine Community Bank.

With Thatcher Brook Apartments,
Biddeford is demonstrating what local
leadership looks like in the face
of Maine’s housing crisis.”
— Tyler Norod, president, WDC

“Affordable housing developments require creativity, trust, and strong partnerships at every level,” said Beth Boutin Vice President of Community Investments at Evernorth. “Thatcher Brook Apartments is the result of exactly that kind of collaboration, and it will have a meaningful impact for Biddeford residents for years to come.”

Thatcher Brook Apartments is especially significant as the first of four affordable housing developments now in WDC’s pipeline in Biddeford alone. The next of those projects, Quebec Commons, will bring 45 units of much-needed affordable senior housing to the former MERC industrial site in Biddeford’s historic mill district, with construction anticipated to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.

Together, these projects reflect a growing partnership between WDC and the City of Biddeford and a shared long-term commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing for families, seniors, and working households.

The groundbreaking ceremony will celebrate the collaboration of public officials, development partners, funding partners, and community stakeholders who have helped move the project from concept to construction.

ABOUT WESTBROOK DEVELOPMENT | Westbrook Development Corporation is a leading non-profit affordable housing developer that expands access to stable, high-quality homes and strengthens communities across Southern Maine. Thatcher Brook Apartments marks WDC’s first project in Biddeford and the beginning of a new four-building pipeline of affordable housing developments in the city. Once complete these develops will represent 166 much needed new affordable apartments for local residents.

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