Description
Deering Village is a planned community of 130 rental homes at 410 Auburn Street in the North Deering neighborhood of Portland, Maine. The 4.2-acre site is next to North Deering Park. The homes will be in 13 three-story buildings of 10 homes each. As at Stroudwater Commons, the buildings will be all-electric and designed with efficiency in mind. GreenMars Real Estate Services is leading the project, which is in site plan review with the Portland Planning Department.
The homes will be a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and GreenMars expects them to be reasonably priced.
The site plan is built around the land. GreenMars has clustered the homes on the previously disturbed parts of the parcel, and about 80,000 square feet of wetland will be permanently preserved. A boardwalk will run through the wetland, and a footpath will connect the homes to the park entrance.
The project uses Portland’s LD 2003 density allowance. Maine enacted LD 2003 in April 2022, setting a statewide floor, and Portland adopted it in December 2023. The city applied the density increases citywide instead of limiting them to a few zones. Before LD 2003, the site would have held roughly 25 homes. The plan now calls for 130.
What makes Deering Village notable is that it puts added density and land conservation on the same parcel.
What successes and impact will this project have?
Deering Village adds 130 rental homes in North Deering, from studios to three bedrooms. Portland’s LD 2003 density tools support those homes on the buildable land, and the layout keeps the wetland in place for residents and park visitors to walk through.
What challenges did you overcome in this project?
The wetland shaped the plan. Rather than spread buildings across the full 4.2 acres, GreenMars clustered them on the buildable part of the parcel and worked around the existing wetland to preserve the site’s natural features. Access is another challenge: GreenMars is working with the City of Portland to build the property entrance through a sewer easement.
About GreenMars
GreenMars Real Estate Services Inc. is a fully integrated real estate company that delivers complex housing, mixed-use and commercial projects from concept through long-term operation. Its platform covers site selection and acquisition, underwriting and valuation, land-use approvals and permitting, design and engineering, construction, commercial brokerage, leasing and property management. Headquartered in Portland, Maine, GreenMars’ portfolio includes Nasson in the Pines, Stroudwater Commons, Wilbur’s Woods and Cape Commons — projects that reflect its mission to expand housing supply, return underused properties to productive use and build strong communities in Maine and beyond. Learn more at greenmars.com.