The trail to reviving Lewiston’s Tree Streets neighborhood begins at a historic residence
The primary of two main redevelopment tasks deliberate in Lewiston broke floor on Monday in entrance of certainly one of Lewiston’s iconic buildings.
The 150-year-old Wedgewood Home on Pine Road is boarded up and surrounded by fencing. However it can quickly be certainly one of 9 buildings housing 82 flats due to assist from a $30 million federal housing grant.
The Alternative Neighborhoods program is targeted on the so-called Tree Streets neighborhood, the place a few of the metropolis’s poorest housing inventory is positioned. Monday’s ceremony was to focus on one of many key initiatives of a plan to repair up uncared for housing items and produce financial revitalization to the world.
Gov. Janet Mills, and U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King had been available for the ceremony, and all heralded the challenge as step one in a multi-year effort to revamp the world.
However Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline mentioned funding is already paying off.
“In truth, the ripple impact is already right here,” he mentioned. “The properties surrounding this improvement are being renovated and tenants and companies are transferring in earlier than we’ve constructed a single constructing.”
Officers mentioned 60 inexpensive items and 22 market price items might be added to the state’s housing stock. The entire challenge value is $50 million.
Resident Ashley Medina instructed the gang gathered within the shadow of the historic residence that she has struggled to search out high quality housing within the space. Medina mentioned landlords have failed to keep up the housing inventory, and hopes her neighbors get to see the advantage of the improved housing as soon as it’s completed.
“I hope that individuals determine to remain in, put money into their communities which might be already dwelling right here,” she mentioned. “I’d prefer to see them keep and have entry to homes, to jobs and issues like that.”
This text seems by way of a media partnership with Maine Public.
