On Oct. 28, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) broke ground on a new workforce housing project aimed at helping shipbuilders live closer to the yard and easing regional housing pressures.
The development will include 84 apartments, comprised of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, which is expected to be available by mid-2027. The project is being built in partnership with Developers Collaborative, Portland, Maine, with funding support from the U.S. Navy and General Dynamics. The total cost of the new facility was not disclosed.
The apartments will be located within walking or biking distance to the main shipyard on Washington Street. BIW is also coordinating with the City of Bath to extend the local bus route to connect the housing development with the yard, a move intended to reduce traffic congestion in surrounding neighborhoods.
BIW said the housing initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen the defense industrial base workforce. Funding for the project was championed by Maine’s congressional delegation and follows the Navy’s earlier investment that allowed BIW to partner with the Bath Area YMCA to expand childcare access. That program created 150 new childcare slots across Bath and Brunswick, with BIW employees receiving first priority.
Similarly, BIW workers will have first priority for leasing apartments in the new complex, with remaining units available to personnel from the Navy’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding office and the public. The company expects the housing to benefit new hires and workers who currently commute more than an hour each way.
Capt. Jay Young, program manager for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program, said the Navy views the project as an investment in the community that supports one of its most critical shipbuilding programs.
“The city of Bath is deeply important to the United States Navy,” Young said. “Our investments in the ‘City of Ships’ reflect our commitment to this community and recognize its dedication to our nation’s security. Access to affordable housing will empower the next generation of shipbuilders to make Bath their home.”
“Supporting our shipbuilders and making it easier for people to become shipbuilders is important to the long-term strength of our company and to our national defense,” said BIW President Charles F. Krugh. “Helping make housing more attainable will help us retain and attract a world-class team and benefit the community of Bath as well.”
In addition to its workforce initiatives, Bath Iron Works is constructing multiple Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including the Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), William Charette (DDG 130), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136), and J. William Middendorf (DDG 138).
