Hyacinth Place is Developers Collaborative’s fourth historic tax credit project. DC again partnered with Avesta, this time to rehabilitate and repurpose a school and former convent building at St. Hyacinth’s church in Westbrook. The project created 37 new affordable apartments in the historic buildings and houses residents that make 50% to 60% of the area median income.

In predevelopment of the project, DC worked with Avesta, the Catholic church, the City, and the neighborhood to create a design that worked not only for the community and but also for the owner. The development is clustered around the existing buildings so as to preserve 3 acres of open space out of a total site of 4.5 acres, right in the heart of a densely populated neighborhood known as Frenchtown, adjacent to the Dana Warp Mill.

An interesting fact about the school building at Hyacinth Place is that Jefferson Coburn, the same architect who originally designed Healy Asylum (note their similar cupolas) designed it. It was built the following year, meaning Developers Collaborative followed Mr. Coburn’s footsteps across Maine 114 years after the fact, redeveloping his beautiful buildings. Another historical connection with what is now Healy Terrace is that Bishop Healy himself inspected the newly completed school back in 1894 soon after it was completed. DC is honored to make a contribution toward preservation of these historical threads that run throughout our state.