Brick Hill occupies the former site of the Maine Youth Center, a juvenile facility, in South Portland, Maine. When the Maine Youth Center relocated to a more modern facility nearby, they left behind a campus of striking historic brick structures and a pastoral, hilltop landscape that was within walking distance of thousands of jobs in the Maine Mall area and only a short drive to downtown Portland.

The planning process for the site revealed a strong need for affordable housing within walking distance of new and existing job opportunities. Neighbors also expressed a desire to preserve the campus’s historic brick buildings.

As a result, Developers Collaborative made affordable housing a focus of the redevelopment plan. Five historic brick “cottages” circling the central green of the campus were renovated into 43 multi-family apartments. The renovated cottages complement a nearby cluster of 66 newly-built townhouses.

All of this housing has easy access to expansive open spaces, including a small boat launch on Long Creek. The homes are also within walking distance to hundreds of jobs, including existing and planned commercial developments on the Brick Hill site.