Building a Town Center from Scratch in Maine: The Downs Development Story | Housing Matters

How do you actually get housing built in Maine—at scale—without losing the community along the way? In Episode 27 of Housing Matters, host Matt Pouliot (Pouliot Real Estate) sits down with Dan Bacon, Development Director at M&R Development / M&R Holdings, to break down what it takes to plan, permit, and deliver large-scale, mixed-use development in Southern Maine. Dan shares the behind-the-scenes story of The Downs in Scarborough—a 575-acre planned community designed to add thousands of homes, jobs, and amenities, including major anchors like Costco, Market Basket, and InterMed, plus new mixed-use buildings and a purpose-built town center. They also dig into why zoning and comprehensive plans matter so much, how to reduce entitlement risk, and what Maine can learn from faster-growing states. You’ll hear practical insights on: - The public planning → private development transition (and why it matters) - Smart growth zoning, administrative review vs. board review, and predictable approvals - Designing missing middle housing that works financially and politically - Why infrastructure (water/sewer/power) is the real make-or-break factor - Building a town center from scratch: anchors, housing density, and foot traffic - A new ice arena at The Downs, plus partnerships like the Maine Mariners housing + practice facility concept - A Freeport infill housing project shaped by community listening and new zoning 🎧 If you care about Maine housing, development, municipal planning, and what it takes to build places people truly want to live—this episode is for you. Guest: Dan Bacon — Development Director, M&R Development / M&R Holdings Host: Matt Pouliot — Pouliot Real Estate Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Listening, patience, and building community benefits 00:00 Welcome to Housing Matters + guest intro (Dan Bacon, M&R Development) 02:12 From municipal planning to private development: how it shaped Dan’s approach 03:08 Scarborough planning + smart growth zoning lessons 04:48 Why projects stall: the “math equation” + development realities 06:40 Entitlements: pitching projects + navigating planning boards 08:26 The Downs groundwork: comp plan, zoning, and Scarborough’s “town center” need 11:19 Casino proposals vs. a true mixed-use vision 13:15 Can a 575-acre, 2,000-unit project happen elsewhere in Maine? 15:08 Replicable ideas: mixed-housing neighborhoods + pre-permitted business lots 16:14 The biggest headwind: zoning that blocks smart density 17:52 M&R’s vertically integrated model: design, construction, property management 21:11 Maine vs. faster states: timelines, permitting, and scaling permits 24:18 What has to be true: zoning, infrastructure, and timing 26:54 Administrative review vs. board review + reducing risk for small developers 29:26 Biggest hurdles at The Downs: growth caps, optics, and school impact concerns 32:03 Traffic + offsite improvements + why Costco changed the game 33:14 How you activate a town center: housing first, then anchors 35:21 The Breakaway: 5-story mixed-use building + apartments over retail 40:19 More mixed-use coming: 300 units planned in the town center 41:09 Freeport infill project: approvals, design fit, and downtown housing 47:59 Ice arena at The Downs: Maine Mariners partnership + community benefits 58:43 Adding housing to retail sites: mall/parking-lot redevelopment potential 01:02:06 Attainable housing: missing middle, rates, and cutting entitlement costs 01:05:32 Wrap-up + how to tour The Downs / learn more