LEWISTON — It might have been a dusty room in an unfinished corner of Bates Mills’ fifth floor, but Dana Armstrong had found his spot.

It was the corner two-bedroom in The Lofts at Bates Mill, Room 511 — a large living room full of windows looking out toward Simard-Payne Memorial Park on one side and Chestnut Street on the other.

“I want this apartment, and I want this room,” Armstrong, 21, told friend Colby Marks, 20. “I’ll even pay more. I’ll pay, like, $75 per month more.”

They were among the many who came to the mill to see the model units showing what the finished apartments would like like. Property manager Dirigo Management will host open houses at The Lofts from 4 to 5 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday.

The management company hosted a special open house Thursday afternoon to showcase two finished units but left the doors on some of the unfinished units open for browsers.

Developers have been advertising units for rent at The Lofts at Bates Mill apartments for three weeks, and the development has already confirmed seven tenants.

“We have many more applications we are going through, as well,” said Amy Cullen, development and asset management officer for the Szanton Company, which specializes in developing mixed-income rental housing in or near downtowns, according to its website. “We’ve only been advertising for a few weeks, so having seven spoken for is a good rate.”

Cullen said she expects the applications to come in even more quickly now that the model units are open. “Right now, these are the only times we have open because this is still a construction zone.”

The project should be finished in the fall, she said, in time to let the first tenants move in Nov. 1.

“There is not another product like this in Lewiston: brand-new mill apartments with great amenities,” she said.

The model units are finished but unfurnished. Cullen said they look just like the finished rooms will look when the tenants move in.

“Hopefully, we can get some new prospective tenants in, and we’ll be having leasing agents there to take applications,” she said.

Many people were there just to look. Lou and Joanne Giard of Turner said they came to see what kind of job developers had done. Joanne said she worked in the building, for TD Bank, until recently. Lou said his grandmother used to work in the Bates Mill complex when it was a working mill.

“We’re not ready for a place like this just yet,” Lou said. “Maybe someday.”

They liked it.

“I like the high ceilings,” Joanne said. “So many places they build today, the ceilings are so low.”

The development includes 48 new mixed-income units on several floors of Bates Mill No. 2. When it’s finished, 33 units will be available for subsidized rents and 15 will rent for the going market rate.

Rents will include heat, hot water, Wi-Fi, off-street parking and access to a fitness center, computer room, home theater room, on site laundry and bike and locker storage.

The project is supported in part by a Maine Housing loan of $5.2 million in low-income housing tax credits, as well as private financing.

staylor@sunjournal.com