By Eva Erlich, Vice President
At the core of all Trinity projects are the community, its residents, and a belief that having access to high-quality housing results in a stronger urban fabric. To see a clear example of this, one needs to look no further than East Boston’s Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights.
This summer, we marked an exciting milestone at the Orient Heights development. Joined with residents, the Local Tenant Organization and elected officials, we celebrated the completion of the first phase of redevelopment, which brought 120 units of newly constructed, modern, LEED Platinum Certifiable affordable rental housing to the East Boston community.
Orient Heights, a public housing development, was originally built in 1951 and has been owned and managed by the Boston Housing Authority. The dated property sorely needed improvements to provide residents with quality housing within a healthier, more vibrant living environment. We were selected, along with the East Boston CDC, to bring this transformation to life. To help determine what this transformation would consist of, we met with the residents and the broader neighborhood to understand the needs and desires of the community.
As we cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of this first phase, MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay reminded us all that, “We always remember what we do this for – at the end of the day it’s about the residents and we all know that and keep our eyes on the prize.” This is something we take to heart at Trinity, as we always work to develop communities that enhance the quality of life for residents and the surrounding neighborhood.
Like most of our projects, the Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights revitalization is a collaborative effort between both public and private partners, and we were proud to stand alongside many of them at the ribbon cutting. Phase Two of construction is now underway, and will consist of 88 rental units in a combination of townhouse and mid-rise buildings, as well as new and improved open spaces. We’re hoping for a smooth construction phase and are as eager as the residents to fulfill the vision of a renewed community in this Orient Heights neighborhood!
We recently had the opportunity to come together to celebrate the official opening of this building with Governor Charlie Baker, leaders from UMass Lowell, national manufacturing institutes and the Massachusetts advanced manufacturing community. As Lowell continues to be a hub for innovation, we know that 110 Canal Street will be an important part of this story. We look forward to seeing the entrepreneurial and creative spirit that has revitalized this former mill building and hope it will extend beyond the building itself and into the entire city.
On the morning of June 6th, we gathered in Lawrence with elected officials and our partners to break ground on our newest redevelopment: Van Brodie Mill. This adaptive reuse of a former mill that was originally built in 1919 is our first project in Lawrence, and will preserve an historic structure while remediating a brownfields site, ultimately bringing 102 units of mixed-income housing to the Arlington Mills Historic District.
Van Brodie Mill will be built on four adjacent land parcels within the city’s 34-acre Arlington Mills Smart Growth Overlay District, containing two interconnected mill buildings with 100 units; a small, former incinerator building with two units; a water pump house, and a parking lot. The completed project will contain eight studio apartments, 25 one-bedroom apartments, 56 two-bedroom apartments and 13 three-bedroom apartments.
While Van Brodie Mill may be Trinity’s first project in Lawrence, it is not our first foray into brownfield remediation, a process which we are also undertaking in the redevelopment of our