BETHEL — The Northern Forest Center, the nonprofit organization redeveloping the historic Gehring House on Broad Street in Bethel, is accepting rental applications for the new apartments.

Leases are expected to begin in May. Application guidelines and form available at on this website: https://northernforest.org/now-leasing-apartments-in-bethel-maine/

The building includes nine apartments on three levels. Each has been entirely rebuilt with new heating, plumbing, wiring, and interior construction while maintaining the historic integrity of the building, built in 1896 by Dr. John Gehring.

The apartments include one studio, six one-bedroom, and two two-bedroom units. Each has one full bathroom. One unit spans two floors with a half-bath, kitchen, living and dining space on its first floor, and a bedroom and full bathroom on its second floor.

After researching local wages, the Center has set rental rates at $825 to $2075 a month, which is below 30% of earnings for the Bethel-area workforce. The project is one of several housing development initiatives by the Center.

The Northern Forest Center is an innovation and investment partner serving the Northern Forest of northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In 2017, the Center expanded its programming to include redeveloping underused properties to enable young professionals and families to find homes and contribute to rural communities.