FARMINGTON — An affordable housing complex in Farmington is searching for alternative modular building manufacturers to complete planned renovations after manufacturer Keiser Homes closed recently.
The developers of 82 High Street, a nonprofit affordable housing complex, had planned on buying three modular apartment buildings from Oxford-based Keiser Homes, but with the company’s abrupt closing earlier this month, the complex’s board of directors will review proposals from three other companies in order to stay on track with the project.
The board of directors met Thursday with representatives from Cousineau Inc. of Wilton, the Keiser Home dealer and construction company that was overseeing the construction of the 82 High Street development.
While 82 High Street had already put a deposit down on the three modular buildings, Cousineau, which has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to get the deposit back, has promised to absorb the cost of the deposit if it’s not repaid, said Rachel Jackson Hodson, the manager of 82 High Street.
“We’re the ones taking the loss,” Randy Cousineau, president of Cousineau Inc., said Monday. “We’re going to honor the original contract.”
Jackson Hodson said the directors will meet again this Thursday with Cousineau representatives to review three proposals from other modular home companies.
Cousineau said that the 82 High Street project is the only project the company is working on that was interrupted by Keiser Homes closing.
The company announced May 6 it was closing its manufacturing plant in Oxford because parent company Innovative Systems, based in Pennsylvania, is bankrupt and is being forced to liquidate by creditors.
The Farmington complex is still waiting to hear back on whether it has received a $500,000 federal Community Block Development Grant that is needed for the $1.5 million project to be completed.
82 High Street has already secured a $500,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank and a $540,000 loan from Franklin Savings Bank for the project.
The complex consists of 18 mobile homes and three apartment buildings, each with four units. The apartment buildings on the property “are tired,” Jackson Hodson said. With foundation issues and some of the roofs leaking, she said it would cost more to repair the buildings than to replace them.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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