The City of Rockland said Nov. 19 that the affordable workforce housing project at the former McLain School Property has been selected to receive funding from the Maine State Housing Authority.

The project includes 29 new affordable apartments. Developers Collaborative is the developer, and submitted plans last summer for its $11 million to $12 million project. Seventeen units are to be in the McLain Building, and 12 units in a new 2.5 story building to be erected at 82 Summer Street, which abuts the McLain site at 28 Lincoln Street.

Twenty-five bedrooms would be located in the McLain Building and another 25 would be placed in the new structure, according to application paperwork submitted to the city's planning office in July by the developers Kevin Bunker and DC McLain GP LLC, engineering firm Gorrill Palmer, and architect Ryan Senatore.

Bunker is a principal of the Portland-based Developers Collaborative, which recently finished building the 49-unit Peasley Park apartments on Maverick Street in Rockland

The McLain School development is to have a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes designed as multigenerational housing for families of varying sizes.

Throughout the spring and summer, the project team from Developers Collaborative met with neighbors, held a community meeting, and worked with the Planning Board to refine the design based on community feedback, the release said.

• The building design, scale, and site layout was refined to better fit the neighborhood
• Green buffers, traffic circulation, and pedestrian access were enhanced to improve privacy and safety
• Infrastructure and stormwater plans were updated to protect adjacent properties and city systems

“Developers Collaborative is committed to creating high-quality, affordable homes that meet Rockland’s needs and support local families and workers,” said Meg Robinson, project manager of Developers Collaborative, in the release. “We’ve listened carefully to community feedback throughout this process, and we’re proud to advance a project that will be a long-term asset and a good neighbor for years to come.”

Developers Collaborative expects to begin construction in late summer/fall 2026, with completion by the end of 2027.

“The McLain School project will provide 29 new apartments for families within walking distance of a wide range of jobs,” said Julie Hashem, Rockland’s Community Development Director., in the release. “It’s a big step toward City Council’s goal of 50 new housing units a year.”

McLain School is the fourth project in recent years to win Maine Housing financing, for a total of 99 new rental units in the pipeline or recently completed that workers, families and seniors can call home, the release said.