LEE — Exposed wooden support beams, original masonry dating to 1808, and riverfront views set The Lofts at Eagle Mill apart from a typical apartment building. All 56 apartments in Lee's newest housing development, however, will be affordable under state guidelines.

After two years of construction, Hearthway and Rees-Larkin Development are nearing completion of the $28 million redevelopment at 73 W. Center St. The project will add 56 affordable apartments to Berkshire County's housing stock, with the first tenants expected to move in late August.

Housing advocates and developers say this will be the largest affordable housing complex built in the Berkshires in recent years.

"These units are beautiful and affordable and they speak to the commitment of our community to provide homes for all our neighbors," said Eileen Peltier, CEO of Hearthway.

The Lofts at Eagle Mill is the first building in a series of developments. The 56-unit complex will also house a fitness center, game room and community room in the lobby as shared amenities.

Berkshire County is short roughly 1,300 housing units, according to state data. The first phase of Eagle Mill would reduce that gap by about 4.3 percent, while both phases combined would bring the county 7.7 percent closer to meeting its housing need.

However, the path to completion was a long and winding one, made all the more difficult by the bones of the former paper mill. Some buildings on the property date to 1808. As the mill expanded over the decades, additions and renovations created a patchwork of structures that complicated the redevelopment, said Gideon Cyr, a field engineer for DEW Construction, the general contractor.

"The fact that every time you open up something, you're in a different area that was built at a different time and then refitted often multiple times, the structure of the building is just super unique everywhere," Cyr said.

Field Engineer Gideon Cyr stands in single story apartment located at The Lofts at Eagle Mill at 73 West Center St. in Lee, which is expected to be completed in August. Cyr said the wooden beams are original to the building.

It took a year of work to get the existing structure ready for the new development, he said. And once it was ready, almost everything in the mill had to be custom made in order to fit into the existing structure.

Although preserving the historic structure added time and complexity, it also produced apartments with distinctive layouts and original architectural details. Some units feature lofted bedrooms, others have exposed wooden beams or high ceilings, and some overlook the Housatonic River.

Because of the unique architecture of the former mill, the rooms had to be tailored to the structure, like this one that has a lofted bedroom with interior windows.

The development is split into two sides — the western half is the Union building and the eastern half is the Eagle — with the lobby and common area sitting in the middle. That space will house a fitness center, game room, community room overlooking the river and mailroom.

Eagle Mill is an "exciting" project for Hearthway, said Matt Kropke, director of real estate development for the organization.

For Hearthway, the last few months have been busy said, Matt Kropke, director of real estate development for Hearthway. This project is "exciting," he said, because of the mix of affordability levels and redeveloping a derelict building.

"It's exciting on two counts, because we're able to get different types of affordability in here," Kropke said. "As well as taking a site that was derelict and not being used and more of an eyesore to the town to something that's rehabilitated into a useful purpose and much better looking and also ignites what can come further on this site."

The project has a mix of units available at different income levels, at 80, 60 and 30 percent of the area median income. There are 20 units available at the 80 percent level, 28 at 60 percent and the remaining eight at the 30 percent level.

Those eight units have vouchers, meaning tenants renting those units will only pay 30 percent of their income toward rent.

The team redeveloping the mill reused many items originally removed during construction, including fire doors (like the one seen on the right wall), said Gideon Cyr, field engineer for the developer. Much of the original masonry and a chimney dated from the 19th-century were also saved.

The 24 one-bedroom units will rent between $1,277 to $1,738 per month; the 24 two-bedroom units will rent between $1,522 to $2,075 per month; and the eight three-bedroom units will rent between $1,748 to $2,387 per month.

People interested in living in the complex can inquire with Hearthway by visiting its website, emailing [email protected] or calling 413-499-1630, ext. 150.

Field Engineer Gideon Cyr said the brick walls of the mill help regulate heat. The building has some natural gas for water heating and laundry, Cyr said, but most of the heating and cooling are electrical, and solar panels on the roof help reduce energy costs.

Kropke said tenants should begin moving in late August, after the complex hosts an open house at 4 p.m. Aug. 4.

Phase 2 of the project already has some funding lined up and approval from the town, and construction should start in March 2027, he said.