WILLIAMSTOWN — There are 28 new affordable apartments in Williamstown, and the deadline to enter the lottery for one is June 22.

The River Lofts is a new housing development overlooking the Green River, and it will add a total of 54 new apartments to Williamstown within walking distance of downtown and Williams College. This is the third phase of the Cable Mills redevelopment, with the River Lofts costing $35 million and it is the only phase with rentable units.

The affordable apartments are income-limited and have reduced rent. There are 1- to 3-bedroom units, and every apartment has access to the amenities in the complex. Applications to enter the lottery for the affordable apartments are open now, with the lottery drawing happening June 29.

"We understand the need for affordable housing in town and want to promote that as what is possible," said Laura Christensen, communications director for Williamstown.

The project should finish up this fall, said Dave Traggorth, principal at Causeway Development. The $35 million project was started in early 2025.

Redevelopment began in 2008, with the third phase starting in early 2025, said Dave Traggorth, principal at Causeway Development, the project's developer. Construction on the final phase is projected to wrap up this fall, at which point tenants would move in.

Of the affordable units, 20 of them will be income restricted to people earning than 60 percent of the area median income, which is $55,020 for one person in Williamstown. The other eight units will be restricted at 30 percent of the area median income, which is $27,510 for one person.

The rents for units at the 60 percent area median income level range from $1,300 to $1,800, depending on the number of bedrooms, Traggorth said. The rents will be adjusted based on household income at the 30 percent level. Market rate rents range from $2,000 to $5,000.

The units will be affordable in perpetuity, Traggorth said.

"We really pride ourselves on the fact that this is just a combination of anybody in Williamstown that can live here," he said. "From those who really need housing and are having a really difficult time trying to find affordable housing in Berkshire County, which is just a huge issue to those that are looking for just market opportunities."

The project was partially funded by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Those allow investors to receive tax deductions in exchange for funding housing projects, which the state then allocates to housing developments. Williamstown also contributed about $2 million to the Cable Mills redevelopment, including $480,000 for this final phase.

The River Lofts sit in between the Taconic Golf Course and the Green River, providing views of nature all around.

The design of the building, using a mix of brick and clapboard siding, was intended to fit in with the historical mill located on the property, Traggorth said. "At the end of the day, it's going to really blend in nicely with the surroundings."

All units are energy-efficient, with open floor plans to make use of the light from the large windows. Select units have private balconies. Residents will also have access to a fitness center, private work pods and a resident lounge. It is also a pet-friendly building.

The units offer both a place for people new to the Berkshires to stay and a place for people looking to downsize to land, Traggorth said. "That frees up their older single-family home in the market."