WORCESTER, Mass. — WinnDevelopment and WNC & Associates (WNC) have begun construction on The Residences on Lincoln Square, an affordable seniors houising community, located in downtown Worcester.
The developers are preserving and converting the historic three-story Lincoln Square Boys Club building into 16 affordable housing units, while also constructing an adjacent five-story building with an additional 64 units.
A single-story glass enclosure will connect the buildings via the ground floor, allowing residents access between the two buildings. The 80-unit development for seniors age 55 and above is scheduled for completion in April 2026 at an anticipated total development cost of $70 million. WinnResidential will be the property manager.
The Lincoln Square Boys Club building, originally constructed between 1928 and 1930, has been vacant since 2006. It is situated on a nearly one-acre lot in the Worcester Institutional District, which contains some of the city’s most significant 19th and 20th century civic buildings and architecture.
Once completed, The Residences on Lincoln Square will offer 19 studios, 46 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom apartments (of those, 11 units will be designed to be accessible for residents with disabilities, becoming ADA compliant). Twelve of the units will be restricted to residents earning 30 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining 62 units will be for persons earning up to 60 pecent of AMI.
Extensive renovations to the historic building include rehabilitating the red brick, granite and limestone masonry; repointing areas of mortar deterioration; replacing the roof; and replacing the dated windows with vintage-inspired, simulated double-hung awning windows.
The in-unit amenities will feature a new refrigerator, microwave, luxury vinyl tile flooring, dishwasher, range, window blinds, garbage disposal, central air conditioning, and intercom. Project amenities include on-site management, kitchen, controlled access, laundry facilities, lounge, surveillance cameras, activity room, elevator, social services and resident activities.
Project financing for The Residences on Lincoln Square comes froms several sources including the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, Massachusetts LIHTC, federal historic credits, and Massachusuetts state historic tax credits.
The state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is the bond issuer, providing soft financing. Rockland Trust is providing construction financing, Massachusetts Housing Partnership is providing permanent financing, and the City of Worcester is providing additional soft financing.
Boston-based WinnDevelopment is a developer and owner with more than 50 years of expertise creating market-rate, mixed-income, workforce and affordable housing.
Founded in 1971, Irvine, Calif.-based WNC and its affiliated companies specialize in tax credit syndication, affordable housing development and preservation equity fund investments.
Combined, the WNC companies have acquired approximately $18.2 billion in assets across 48 states, including more than 1,800 affordable rental properties that house more than 1 million residents.