The Downs in Scarborough: New Housing Options, Walkable Living & What's Next in 2026

The Downs is a 525-acre mixed-use development on the site of the former Scarborough Downs racetrack, midway between downtown Scarborough and the Maine Turnpike at Exit 42. The master plan calls for roughly 2,800 housing units, more than 2 million square feet of commercial and innovation-district space, an Innovation District anchored by life-science and clean-tech tenants, dozens of acres of parks and trails, and a true walkable village center.

The development is led by the Crossroads Holdings partnership — the Michaud, Chamberlain, and Reali families — and has been moving fast. Streets are paved, neighborhoods are filling in, restaurants are open, and you can already see the shape of what the village center will become. If you've driven by in the last twelve months and not been in for a while, the change is genuinely striking.

From a buyer's perspective, The Downs is the rare Southern Maine option that lets you choose new construction at a meaningful scale — single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and active-adult product, all within a true neighborhood plan, on a single site with sidewalks and amenities. That combination has been almost impossible to find in this market until now.

The Downs has been built out in phases by a rotating cast of regional builders — Chinburg Properties, Great Falls Construction, Landry French / French Construction Group, and others — each handling different neighborhoods within the master plan. The result is a mix of architectural styles and price points that's broader than a typical single-builder community.

Single-family homes: most current and upcoming single-family inventory at The Downs runs from roughly the high $600Ks into the $1M+ range, depending on lot, plan, and finish level. Plans tend toward 3–4 bedrooms, 2.5–3 baths, two-car garages, and 2,000–3,200 finished square feet, with shingle-style and coastal New England exteriors that match the master plan's design guidelines.

Townhomes and duplex products: a substantial share of The Downs is townhome-style, typically 2–3 bedrooms with attached garages, smaller yards, and lower exterior maintenance. Pricing in 2026 generally lands in the high $400Ks to low $700Ks depending on size, neighborhood, and finish.

Condos and active-adult: there are dedicated active-adult/55+ neighborhoods within the plan with single-level living and additional shared amenities. These have been some of the fastest-moving inventory at The Downs, particularly for buyers downsizing from larger Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, or Cumberland homes.

Custom and semi-custom: a handful of premium lots are available for semi-custom builds with the approved builder roster. If you want a one-off design on a larger lot, this is where to start the conversation.

One important note: pricing, inventory, and available phases shift frequently. The numbers above are accurate at time of writing in 2026 but should not be treated as a current price list. If you're seriously considering The Downs, the right move is a side-by-side comparison of currently available plans with whatever resale inventory exists in Scarborough at the same price point — that's exactly the kind of comparison we do with our buyers.

What sets The Downs apart from a typical subdivision is the village center. The plan calls for a walkable downtown core at the heart of the property — restaurants, shops, services, and gathering spaces designed around streets and sidewalks rather than parking lots.

As of 2026, the village is meaningfully open. The Nonesuch River Brewing taproom and outdoor patio have become a regular gathering spot. The Run of the Mill–style brewpub and several restaurants are operating, with more in the pipeline. The Downs Sports Performance Center — a multi-rink complex — anchors the recreation side, hosting youth hockey, figure skating, and a steady event calendar. There are dedicated dog parks, pickleball courts, and a growing trail network that connects neighborhoods to the village.

Day-to-day, that means residents can walk or short-drive to a coffee, a beer, a workout, a hockey game, and a restaurant dinner — without leaving the property. That's a genuinely rare profile for a Southern Maine new-construction community, and it's a big part of why demand here has stayed strong even as broader new-construction sales have softened in some markets.

The non-residential half of The Downs is just as important as the housing. The Innovation District at The Downs is being positioned as a regional hub for life sciences, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing — an extension of what Portland has been quietly building along the waterfront and in the Roux Institute orbit.

Abbott Laboratories' rapid-diagnostic facility has been one of the headline tenants, with a major plant operating on-site and employing hundreds of Mainers. Additional life-science and R&D users have been announced or signed in subsequent phases, and the development team has been clear that this is a multi-decade build-out, not a short-term commercial play.

For homebuyers, this matters in two practical ways. First, employer concentration on-site reduces commute friction for people working at those companies. Second, sustained commercial investment underwrites the long-term value of the residential. Master-planned communities live or die on whether the commercial and amenity side actually materializes; at The Downs, it visibly is.

Scarborough Public Schools is one of the most consistently well-regarded districts in Southern Maine and a major driver of demand across the town — not just at The Downs. Wentworth School (K–2), Eight Corners (3–5), Scarborough Middle, and Scarborough High serve the community, with a comprehensive program and strong athletics.

Scarborough's 2025 property tax rate (mill rate) sits in the mid-teens range and is one of the more competitive rates in the region given the level of services. Buyers should always model the actual annual tax bill against the home's assessed value rather than relying on the mill rate alone, since assessed values at new construction tend to true up after the first full year.

Beyond The Downs itself, you're a 5-minute drive to Scarborough Beach State Park, Higgins Beach, and the saltmarsh trails at Scarborough Marsh; 12 minutes to Pine Point and the south end of Old Orchard Beach; 15 minutes to downtown Portland and the Old Port; and 20 minutes to the jetport. For a community billed as new construction in the suburbs, the access to beaches, Portland, and the jetport is genuinely excellent.

Three buyer profiles have dominated The Downs since it started selling:

Relocating professionals and families. People moving from out of state — often the Boston metro, New York, or the Mid-Atlantic — who want new construction, walkability, a strong school district, and proximity to Portland without committing to a downtown condo. The Downs is unusually well-suited to this profile.

Active-adult downsizers. Empty-nesters and retirees moving out of larger Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, or out-of-state homes, looking for single-level living, low exterior maintenance, and a real community feel. The 55+ neighborhoods have been some of the fastest-moving inventory.

Local move-up buyers. Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth families who want a new build with a tighter lot and more amenity than what's typical in the existing resale market.

Who shouldn't buy here: anyone whose top priority is a private wooded lot or genuine acreage. The Downs is, by design, a planned community with sidewalks, density, and shared amenity. If your dream is twenty acres at the end of a dirt road, you'll be happier looking at Buxton, Gorham, or Standish.

The Downs is roughly a third built out and on a 10–15 year horizon for full completion. Several phases of housing are in active sales as of 2026, with additional neighborhoods slated to open over the next several years. The village center will continue to expand — more restaurant and retail tenants, additional event programming, and the larger commercial buildings that anchor the walkable downtown plan.

Buyers who are paying attention have already noticed something important: early-phase homes are appreciating, the village center keeps getting more substantial, and the amenity package is adding value at a rate that's pulled some recent appraisals above original purchase prices. Whether that continues depends on a lot of variables — interest rates, the broader Maine market, the pace of commercial leasing — but the trajectory has been positive.

If you're considering The Downs, the right way to start is with an in-person walk-through of the village center, the open neighborhoods, and at least two model homes from different builders. Spend an hour in the Nonesuch River Brewing patio on a Friday afternoon. Drive the perimeter. Pay attention to who else is shopping — that tells you a lot.

Questions to ask before writing an offer: Which phase is this lot in, and what's the build timeline? Which builder, and what's their warranty? What does the HOA cover and what's the current monthly fee? What's the long-term commercial pipeline for the village center? Are there assessments expected for any planned amenities? What's the assessed-vs-purchase tax catch-up look like in year two?

Most of those answers are available — but you'll get cleaner, faster answers with an independent buyer's agent in the room with you, especially one who's been through other Downs transactions. That's specifically a service we provide for buyers across Scarborough and Southern Maine new construction.