Court House renovations will add to Biddeford housing stock

The building that formerly housed Biddeford District Court on Adams Street is being renovated into workforce housing with an as-yet-undetermined number of townhouse or loft-style apartments.

The building was sold after the state consolidated services at the York Judicial Center at 515 Elm St. in Biddeford following the closure of district court buildings in Biddeford, York and Springvale last year.

According to Guy Gagnon, executive director of Biddeford Housing Authority, the units would be available to households earning no more than 80% of the area median income, and “possibly a lower threshold.”

The Housing Authority is now working with an architect from Oak Point Associates of Biddeford on the design after the city purchased the building for $1 from the state in late December.

“We always use local as much as possible,” said Gagnon, adding he hopes to engage a local contractor as well when the time comes.

“These opportunities don’t come along very often,” Gagnon said in an April 2024 article published in the Saco Bay News. “When you look at this proposal, the stars are all basically aligned.”

The former courthouse has “good bones,” would be relatively easy to convert into housing, and is located in the core of the downtown, just across from City Hall.

The rent will be the “low end of the scale” for those making 60-80% of the median income in the Biddeford-Saco area, defined as part of Northern York County.

“It depends on the family size,” Gagnon said. “We’re trying to fit a high-need category that isn’t being done.”

“Nothing we do is market rate. The goal is making it affordable.”

It is anticipated that 75% of the space will be used for apartments, with some office space on the lower level, but “there’s not anything solid on that,” Gagnon added.

Previous reports estimated the revamp will cost about $2 million. Gagnon said he’s unsure where that number originated, but agreed “It’s probably a good number.”

Gagnon said BHA may go with conventional financing with a local lender if the numbers work, which would streamline the approval process. He stressed that BHA is a quasi-municipal organization and not affiliated with the city, which would not assume any debt.

When asked if grant funding will be available, he said, “We’re not sure yet. It’s early stages and we’re trying to design the residential part leading to approval from the planning board. We’re not sure until we get our hands on what we can do as far as number of units.”

“It’s definitely going to take some creative design” due to the configuration of the court rooms and offices. 

A contracting firm will likely be hired in late winter or early spring, according to Gagnon. The targeted date of construction is also “totally up in the air right now.”

“We'd like to have some kind of a better idea as far as residential housing and are working on a sketch plan – something to present to the planning board.”

The units, which will be scaled on the smaller side because of the way the building is set up, are “more than likely to be rentals,” Gagnon said, depending on other pieces.

“First, we need to figure out how many units and work from there,” finalizing with the architect what is feasible.

Built in 1997, the 28-year-old building is not considered a historic landmark and would not be eligible for historic tax credits, although it’s located in Biddeford’s Historic District.

“We’re adding windows on the outside,” Gagnon said. “Other than that there’s not a lot of changes,” and “will not limit us because it was approved by planning board in 1997. We’re not doing anything major.”

“Courtrooms to bedrooms; it’s great,” said Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman. “I think it’s a good thing – urban infill right in the middle of town. We’re not knocking anything down. It’s a nice next phase.”

Gagnon said the rehab is complementary to the Adams Point project now underway, comprising 39 units of family rental workforce housing on the site of old St. Joseph's convent and funded by Maine State Housing.