LITTLETON, Mass. — Nauset Construction has broken ground on Hager Homestead, a five-building, 24-unit, age-restricted cohousing development in Littleton, approximately 30 miles northwest of Boston.
Located on a 15-acre site, the new community will be built in two phases near Littleton Center, the Town Hall and public library, and a short drive to the commuter rail station. Hager Homestead will be the first cohousing development for seniors in New England, according to Nauset.
“Many seniors are looking for a downsized, community-oriented, environmentally friendly lifestyle, and that’s what Hager Homestead will provide,” says Matthew Blackham of Massachusetts Cohousing LLC, which is developing the project in conjunction with the residents of the community.
Cohousing consists of privately owned homes clustered around shared open space and a common house with shared amenities.
Sheldon Pennoyer Architects designed the property, which centers around a historic, three-story, 2,500-square-foot farmhouse built in 1795. Nauset will raze an adjacent single-story building (formerly home to a dental office) to make way for a three-story, 15-unit building. Three additional cottages will be constructed from the ground up, two with two units and a third with three units. Nauset will also renovate a single-family home located on the property into two housing units to create the fourth cottage in the second phase. Eight of the units will be designated as affordable or workforce housing.