Historic renovation is about as far a departure from new homebuilding as Drew Mansion in Springfield is from Michael Bourré’s suburban home in Fleming Island.

So why is the custom homebuilder taking on the $800,000 Drew Mansion project and launching a new historic renovation business line?

There’s a plan for profit, yes.

The 106-year-old castle known as the Drew Mansion in the Springfield historic district was purchased Wednesday by a local contractor who plans to restore the home to its original glory.

Michael Bourre, owner of Bourre Construction Group and former president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, paid $40,000 for the dilapidated home on 245 W. Third St., which has been rotting away for years after its previous owner abandoned it in 2006.

Northeast Florida builder Michael Bourré, president of Bourré Construction Group, was recently elected chairman of the Florida Home Builders Association’s Local Presidents Council. Bourré is currently serving as the 2011 president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, the state’s largest local builder association.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA — Construction companies in the region that have survived the recession are running better businesses than they were five years ago, said Michael Bourre, incoming president of the Northeast Florida Builders Association.

“We’re down to the bare bones of the business,” Bourre said. “By basically getting leaner, we’re able to operate a lot more efficiently. We’re not burning dollars on man-hours or overhead expenses that were otherwise being wasted.”