South Portland Picks Developers Collaborative for Mahoney School Reuse

The South Portland City Council voted unanimously to partner with Developers Collaborative, a Portland firm, on the redevelopment of the former Mahoney Middle School, the Portland Press Herald reported Oct. 14.

The vote followed a unanimous recommendation from the Mahoney City Center Committee. Under the arrangement, the developer will spend six months working for the city at no charge to test whether the project is feasible, draft a plan, gather additional public comment and negotiate a legal agreement.

City officials turned to a private partner to bring down costs that residents and councilors had called too high. A developer can tap historic preservation tax credits at the state and federal level, which could offset roughly a third of the total cost, according to the newspaper.

An early concept for a civic hub was priced at $193.8 million in December 2025, about $120 million above preliminary figures. A scaled-back renovation was estimated at $70 million to $76 million but would have left 25% to 35% of the building empty. Councilors delayed a planned referendum.

The committee reviewed proposals from three developers beginning in July 2026, weighing experience with adaptive reuse, historic preservation and municipal work. Developers Collaborative has completed more than 20 Maine projects using historic tax credits, including Johnson Hall in Gardiner and the Stevens Square Campus in Portland, a conversion of a former convent that cost slightly more than $100 million.

This story was first reported by The Portland Press Herald.