Stevens Square at Baxter Woods

Independent Assessment

Stevens Square's age-restriction claim carries strong, converging support: the community's own site, the national aggregator 55places, and the developer (Developers Collaborative) all use identical, explicit '55 Plus' language, and the underlying HOPA structure -- at least one resident 55 or older in 80% of households, no permanent residents under 19 -- is the standard federal formulation, not a looser 'active adult' marketing label. Stevens Square is a flagship 55+ community in Portland, a city of roughly 68,000 people, in contrast to Scarborough's multiple smaller communities a few miles south. That pattern is not an evidentiary gap; it reflects a structural reality of infill development in an established urban core. A 155-home, five-building campus with a 50,000-square-foot amenity center requires a large, contiguous, already-assembled parcel close to downtown -- a combination that rarely exists on the open market inside city limits. Stevens Square became possible specifically because a single institutional owner, the Sisters of Mercy religious order, held a 19-acre former convent campus that could be redeveloped as a unit; the same campus also produced The Motherhouse (88 mixed-income apartments) and the Stevens Square Community Center, both distinct, non-age-restricted components of the broader redevelopment rather than part of the 155-unit 55-plus condominium itself. Suburban towns like Scarborough, by contrast, had multiple separate, smaller, privately assembled parcels available for standalone active-adult subdivisions, producing a broader but individually smaller cluster. Buyers should treat Stevens Square as a still-building-out, multi-phase community and confirm current construction status, available inventory, and HOA fees directly given the ongoing Building Three phase.

Who May Find This Community Appealing

Buyers age 55 or older who want an urban, walkable setting close to downtown Portland -- rather than a suburban or rural active-adult subdivision -- while still getting a large-scale, amenity-rich campus (indoor pool, theater, fitness center) are the clearest match for Stevens Square. Its direct trail access into Baxter Woods' 30-acre forest suits buyers who want daily nature access without leaving the city, and the community's condominium structure and assigned parking suit buyers downsizing from a larger single-family home who still want genuine urban access to Portland's restaurants, healthcare, and cultural institutions.

Homes, Builders & Development History

Stevens Square at Baxter Woods was developed by Developers Collaborative on the 19-acre former Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse campus in Portland's Deering Center neighborhood, with construction beginning in 2022. The plan calls for 155 condominium homes across five buildings, ranging from 1,204 to 1,659 square feet with two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and assigned indoor parking. As of the most recent review, Building Three -- adding 28 more condominiums -- had broken ground, targeting spring 2027 completion. The broader Motherhouse campus redevelopment also includes The Motherhouse (88 mixed-income apartments, not age-restricted) and the Stevens Square Community Center, a separate hub for wellness, arts, childcare, and other services; both are distinct from the 155-unit 55-plus condominium community itself.

Current Pricing & Market Positioning

Building Three's 28 condominium units were priced $600,000 to $900,000 at their 2026 groundbreaking, with 15 already under contract according to project coverage. Current pricing for units in the community's earlier, already-occupied buildings was not independently reconfirmed; buyers should request current listings and recent comparable sales directly from Developers Collaborative or a local Portland agent. At this price range, Stevens Square positions itself as an upscale, urban-infill product within Maine's 55-plus ownership market, reflecting both downtown Portland's elevated land costs and the scale of its shared amenity package.

New Construction vs. Resale Considerations

Stevens Square remains an actively building-out community: Building Three (28 units, $600,000-$900,000, 15 already under contract) was under construction as of the most recent review with a spring 2027 completion target. Buyers interested in new construction should contact Developers Collaborative directly for current availability in Building Three. Buyers preferring resale should work with a local Portland agent to identify any existing listings in the community's earlier, already-occupied buildings, since specific resale inventory and pricing were not independently confirmed.

Taxes, Insurance & Special Assessments

Homes at Stevens Square are subject to City of Portland, Cumberland County property tax administration; Portland's urban mill rate is generally higher than Maine's smaller towns, and buyers should confirm current figures directly with the Portland Assessor's Office. Maine's own Fair Housing Act (5 M.R.S. Section 4581) uses the modern, post-1999 HOPA formulation for its 55-plus exemption, consistent with the age-restriction language used by Stevens Square's own declaration -- a legal nuance discussed in more detail on this state's own overview page. Buyers should request current condo-fee, reserve-fund, and insurance figures directly from the HOA given the scale of the shared amenity center.

Community Layout & Lifestyle

Stevens Square is organized as a five-building master-planned campus around a central 50,000-square-foot amenity center, giving residents indoor recreation (pool, theater, fitness center) alongside outdoor gathering space (fire pits, community gardens, rooftop decks on each building). Its Deering Center location gives residents an unusually urban lifestyle for a large-scale 55-plus community: walkable streets, direct trail access into Baxter Woods, and a roughly two-mile proximity to downtown Portland's restaurants, waterfront, and cultural institutions, combined with condominium-style maintenance-free living and assigned indoor parking.

Shopping, Healthcare & Airport Access

Stevens Square at Baxter Woods sits at McAuley Way in Portland's Deering Center neighborhood, described by the community's own marketing as roughly two miles outside downtown Portland's core and within about five miles of it more broadly, with direct trail access to Baxter Woods' 30-acre protected forest immediately adjacent to the campus. Specific drive times to Maine Medical Center or other area hospitals could not be independently confirmed; buyers should confirm these directly with a local Portland agent or the community's own site.

Age Qualification & Material Ownership Restrictions

Stevens Square's own site, the national aggregator 55places, and its developer, Developers Collaborative, all consistently and explicitly describe the community as 'Portland, Maine's First 55 Plus Active Lifestyle Community.' The underlying restriction follows the standard federal Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) structure: at least one resident 55 or older in at least 80% of occupied households, with no permanent residents under 19. This is a legally flexible formulation -- it permits some younger co-residents within the 20% allowance -- but it is the same structure federal and state fair-housing law recognizes for 55-plus exemptions, not a looser, unverified marketing label. Presented here as legally age-restricted 55+ on the strength of this consistent, multi-source, explicit confirmation.

Tradeoffs & Limitations

Stevens Square is a multi-phase, still-building-out community rather than a single completed development; as of the most recent review, Building Three (28 units) remained under construction with a spring 2027 target, and buyers should confirm current completion status of earlier buildings, total occupied-unit count, and realistic timelines directly. A specific current HOA/condo fee was not confirmed; given the scale of the shared 50,000-square-foot amenity center (indoor pool, theater, fitness facilities), buyers should expect that fee to run higher than a no-amenity condominium and should request the exact current figure and its full coverage before committing. Building Three's confirmed $600,000-to-$900,000 pricing also places Stevens Square among the more expensive tracked 55-plus ownership options in this state's coverage; buyers should confirm whether comparable pricing applies to any resale inventory in the earlier buildings.

Comparison With Nearby Communities

Stevens Square at Baxter Woods is distinct from the broader, smaller-scale cluster of communities a few miles south in Scarborough (Crystal Spring Estates, The Cottages at Pine Meadow, and Hillcrest). That single-flagship pattern reflects Portland's urban land economics rather than a lack of demand: a 19-acre, already-assembled institutional campus (the former Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse) was a rare enabling condition inside city limits, while Scarborough's more suburban land pattern supported multiple separate, smaller developments. Buyers weighing Stevens Square's urban, amenity-rich condominium model against Scarborough's more suburban single-family and manufactured-home options should treat these as genuinely different lifestyle choices, not a simple price comparison.

Current Listings

Stevens Square's own site (stevenssquare.com), Developers Collaborative directly, or a connected local Portland agent can provide current available listings, Building Three pricing, and the current HOA fee structure.

Is Stevens Square at Baxter Woods age-restricted?

Yes. The community's own site, 55places, and its developer, Developers Collaborative, all describe it explicitly as 'Portland, Maine's First 55 Plus Active Lifestyle Community,' using the standard federal HOPA structure.

Is Stevens Square still under construction?

Partially. As of the most recent review, Building Three (28 additional condominiums, priced $600,000-$900,000) was under construction with a spring 2027 completion target, while earlier buildings appear to be complete and occupied.

What amenities does Stevens Square offer?

A shared 50,000-square-foot amenity center with an indoor saltwater pool, a 400-seat theater, and a fitness center, plus outdoor features including fire pits, community gardens, a dog park, kayak storage, and rooftop decks on each building, along with direct trail access to the adjacent 30-acre Baxter Woods forest.