EXCAVATION HAS BEGUN on 133 Commercial St. in Bath where a five-building condominium complex will be built in the coming months.
Residents may have noticed the mounds of dirt and rock along 133 Commercial St. as excavation has begun for the Bath RiverWalk Residences project.
Back in June, the Bath Planning Board approved a project proposed by JHR Development in Massachusetts to construct a five-building condominium complex on the downtown property by the Kennebec River.
In the past, the company has been involved in projects like Brunswick Station and Brunswick Hotel and Tavern. They also built the Mid Coast Medical Group building at 108 Centre St., which
A SHOWROOM OF THE KITCHEN and bathroom concept for the condominiums is open for viewing at 143 Front. St. in Bath.
• AMENITIES FOR THE Bath project include waterfront views, one-floor living and two-car heated garage parking with elevator access, and even a small area to clean off dogs. was unveiled last summer.
“Everything is on schedule and going well,” president J. Hilary Rockett said in an email on Thursday. “By early spring, we will have most of the site work done and the first building will be going up.”
While excavation and site preparation is currently underway, depending on weather, construction is slated for March and occupancy is expected in late fall or early winter of 2016.
Amenities include waterfront views, one-floor living and two-car heated garage parking with elevator access, and even a small area to clean off dogs.
The condominiums are currently listed under Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty and prices for the condos will range from $485,000 to $655,000 for larger units. Broker Kim Latour said the five buildings will be constructed in phases, with the third and second building built first.
“A lot of attention to detail has gone into making sure the units are very livable, and the quality of the materials and the exterior is meant to last a long time,” she said.
A showroom of the kitchen and bathroom concept is also open for viewing at 143 Front St., which is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and by appointment.
“There’s a need in the Midcoast for this option. People want to be on the water or on the water view.” Latour said. “The key about this is a way to simplify your life.
“It fits a variety of age ranges,” she added. “Many think it’s for (ages) 55 plus and it’s not. I can’t say who’s buying, but it’s geared toward anyone who wants more time to do more things and not be tied to maintenance and have a beautiful view.”
Not everyone in the community will agree, especially as some residents are unwilling to give up the open view.
The view
At a June planning board meeting, neighboring residents voiced their concerns with the project, and how it would block the current view of the Kennebec River.
Bath resident Connie Burt of Front Street had suggested at the time that the fourth and fifth condo buildings be redesigned, as it blocked the view for more residential homes across the street.
“Once this view is eliminated, it can never be restored. And I think that would be a sad legacy for current and future generations,” she said.
However, others are eager to see how the condominium complex will complement the community of Bath.
Gayle Hunt, Main Street Bath president and owner of Ornaments Home and Garden on Front Street, expressed her support for the project on Thursday.
“I am very excited about the possibility, which is now a probability, of having that many more people living and walking in our downtown area,” she said. “It is something that we need in terms of additional downtown housing for people who may want to move out of a larger house they’ve been in for a long time, and still stay in Bath. We’re very excited to have a river walk and a condominium in our downtown footprint.”
“We appreciate all the support we’ve received from the community and very happy with the great amount of buyer interest,” Rockett said. “There is clearly a demand for this type of residence — one-floor living with an elevator from a heated garage and incredible views of the Kennebec.”
More information on the project can be found at bathriverwalk.com.
dkim@timesrecord.com
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