M&R Development receives approval for 51-unit The Dash

Freeport, ME According to M&R Development, the multidisciplinary development company behind The Downs in Scarborough, its newest project, The Dash, has been approved. The 51-unit apartment building will sit on the corner of Depot and Mill St., which is one block from Main St., and currently being used as a parking lot. This location is identified by the town as a key parcel for housing development. The Dash has been designed to look and feel historic, matching the centuries old buildings that line town’s oldest neighborhood.

The town’s updated Comprehensive Plan (2025) and it’s Downtown Vision Report (2021) both note that downtown, once a thriving historic neighborhood, has experienced a steady decline in population. Both reports call for adding high-density zoning in that area, which would enable building multi-family housing to reintroduce a robust residential population once again. Historically, upwards of 1,500 people lived in the downtown area, and today there are fewer than 300 residents according to a town report.

“Freeport Village is a wonderful destination, and we deeply value our tourism economy. But we also want to ensure that our downtown remains reflective of and connected to Freeport’s character – a quaint, welcoming, and beautiful New England community. We believe that adding housing for current and future residents is the way to do that,” said Mary Davis, president, Freeport Economic Development Committee.

The three-story building will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, a large amenity space for gatherings, and 51 parking spaces. The name pays homage to a historic ship called ‘The Dash’ built in town in 1813 during the war of 1812. The schooner completed 15 successful voyages – many into international waters – until one day it sailed into a storm and was never seen again. The ship is now part of Maine folklore – each time a descendant of one of the original 60 lost crewman dies, it is said to appear off the coast of town. The development team selected the name to honor the region’s maritime history.

The Dash marks M&R Development’s 8^th housing development project since 2015. Over the last decade, the company has continually responded to Maine’s housing shortage, building hundreds of housing units of all types in Westbrook, South Portland, Scarborough and now Freeport. The company strives to help solve Maine’s housing crisis with future housing and mixed-use developments to build and reinforce communities in southern Maine.

Freeport’s Project Review Board approval greenlights the project to finalize building design and secure a building permit, with construction set for Spring 2026.

 The first residents will move in Spring of 2027.

“Elected officials, volunteer board members, and Town staff have worked hard over the last year to create predictable approval processes for great projects like The Dash, and it was very affirming to see residents stand up, one after the other, to voice their support for new housing in Freeport,” said Brett Richardson, development director, town of Freeport.

“When we were in the early stages of planning the Town Center in The Downs our team collaborated with Freeport’s town leadership and Downtown Vision Committee to share research and ideas,” said Dan Bacon, director of development, M&R Development. Under Bacon’s guidance, M&R has developed 577-acres in Scarborough, using a ‘live, work, play’ model. That project has become home to 50 businesses, 700 housing units, and Maine’s first new-construction Town Center. “We know downtowns need people to remain vibrant, and we are excited to deliver that to historic Freeport,” Bacon added.