An approved building at the corner of Market Street and Haigis Parkway in The Downs’ town center will feature a mix of retail, restaurant and office space. Contributed / Prellwitz Chilinski Associates

Developers at The Downs downtown development in Scarborough could break ground on the town center portion of its project in August or September.

The Scarborough Planning Board Monday approved developers’ plans for a two-building, 96-unit, market-rate apartment complex; a three-story mixed-commercial building; and a four-story building with both residential and commercial space.

The three projects are among the first buildings for the town center at the 524-acre Downs development.

“This is kind of the exciting stuff,” Town Manager Tom Hall told The Forecaster. “We hope they’re going to strike the right balance.”

Hall said he sees the development as a “gathering spot” for residents from all over town, not just The Downs itself.

Dan Bacon, development director for M&R Holdings, a general contractor for The Downs, said the town center is designed to be “really a townwide amenity.”

“We’re excited that we worked through the approval process and super excited to get started with the town center phase,” Bacon said in an interview Tuesday.

Construction for the three projects will take at least 12 to 16 months, he said, with occupancy available in the fall of 2024 at the earliest.

Plans for a two-building, 96-unit apartment complex at the corner of Scarborough Downs Road and Cross Street were approved Monday. Contributed / Prellwitz Chilinski Associates

The 96-unit complex will have mostly one- and two-bedroom apartments and a few three-bedroom units.

“We’re planning on a rooftop deck, some outdoor space, some community gardens, recreation areas,” Bacon said.

The commercial building will have retail and restaurant space on the ground level and office space on the second and third floors.

“That’s out on the corner of Market Street and Haigis Parkway,” Bacon said. “Really the gateway into the town center.”

At the intersection of Scarborough Downs Road and Market Street, the 18,000-square-foot, mixed-use building will house 42 residential units on the second, third and fourth floors, with commercial space on the first.

At the corner of Market Street and Scarborough Downs Road will be a four-story building with commercial space on the first floor and 42 residential units making up the top three floors. Contributed / CUBE 3

“I’m looking forward to seeing this whole thing developed,” planning board member Roger Beeley said at Monday’s meeting. “It’s pretty impressive stuff.”

Developers have been waiting some time to get the town center portion of the project going, and getting the three buildings approved is a major step for them.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Bacon said. “I think we have the right set of projects to start with.”