A preliminary rendering of a 144-unit apartment complex proposed near the entrance of Brunswick Landing by Priority One Capital Partners, LLC. According to CEO and President Jim Howard, Priority One intends to make the houses varying colors as opposed to what is depicted here. Courtesy of Priority One Capital Partners, LLC

Brunswick’s planning board gave unanimous preliminary approval to a proposed 144-unit apartment complex at the corner of Admiral Fitch Avenue and Landing Road on Thursday.

The complex would consist of nine, four-story buildings with 16 units each for a total of 45 one-bedroom and 99 two-bedroom apartments. It includes plans for 289 parking spaces, a dog park, gazebo, mail kiosk and playground.

It would be built on an 11-acre parcel behind the Cooks Corner shopping mall, near the entrance to the former Naval air station. Of that 11 acres, 9.75 of the acres would be developed.

Priority One Capital Partners, LLC is the applicant and the landowner. According to the CEO and President Jim Howard, rent for the apartments would be priced at market rate and target customers would be employees from neighboring businesses.

“We need housing, and we need all kinds of housing – we need subsidized housing, we need market rate housing, we need apartments, we need single family homes,” Howard said, adding “what I think is that putting this housing up is going to allow businesses in the community to be able to grow.”

Market rate for neighboring units at the former base owned by Apartments at Brunswick Landing LLC are priced at $1,925 a month for two bedrooms and $1,705 a month for one bedroom.

A rendering of one of the proposed apartment buildings. Courtesy of Priority One Capital Partners, LLC

Data from the Maine State Housing Authority states that, in 2020, the median two-bedroom rent with utilities in Cumberland County stood $1,888 per month, a rate unaffordable for over 68% of households. In order to afford $1,888, according to the Housing Authority, an individual would have to make about $75,517 per year.

In 2020, the median income of a rental household in Cumberland County was $49,553 a year. According to the Housing Authority, based on that income, an apartment priced at $1,238 would be affordable.

In a statement, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority said that having an ample supply of housing for workers helps attracts businesses to the landing, and that based on how previous housing units have filled up, there is clearly a demand for more at the former base.

“If they know their employees will be able to find housing nearby, hiring and keeping talent might be less of a challenge for a company,” the statement read. “It’s something prospective companies will ask about when selecting a site. It’s another strength we can point to when making a case for why a company, especially from out of state, should locate to Brunswick Landing.”

The apartment complex is proposed for the same site where the static P-2 Neptune — a retired maritime surveillance plane — is displayed through an easement with the Navy. There are discussions about relocating the aircraft to another location on the base, according to Siteline, PA Engineer Joe Marden.

In July 2019, the same proposal was given preliminary approval by the planning board, although due to pandemic-related challenges, it was put on hold. Priority One hopes to receive final approval from the town on April 14, then to break ground within 30 to 60 days and have the project completed 18 months later.

The project has received permitting from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Department of Transportation, according to Marden. The complex would be connected to the Central Maine Power grid.

If approved, the development will be the latest of several housing developments to come to the Brunswick Landing area.

In September 2021, a proposal for a 40-home development in Brunswick Landing sparked pushback from neighbors, and in 2020 a now-approved 36-home development in the landing also drew criticism.