New Orchard Hill Estates

Worcester, MA

Located roughly eleven miles south of Worcester, New Orchard Hill Estates (NOHE) is a 215-unit apartment community in Oxford, Massachusetts, that was originally constructed in 1976 and that Trinity has owned since 1995. Perched on a hilltop in a peaceful, rural environment, the property consists of nineteen wood-clapboard, three-story buildings set on a 179-acre site.

After 50 years of use, the NOHE site has accumulated a significant amount of deferred maintenance that can no longer be addressed through incremental repairs. To address these capital needs, Trinity, in collaboration with the Town of Oxford, crafted a multi-phase master plan – NOHE 2 – that calls for the demolition and replacement of all 215 units in two separately financed Phase 1A and 1B projects, and the potential for 165 additional units in a Phase 2 project. Of the master plan's 380 total units, roughly 85% of will be rent-restricted at up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), while the balance will be a mix of units available at up to 80% of AMI and market-rate levels.

Organized around a ¾-acre central green, Phase 1A and 1B are programmed to include 80 one-bedroom units in a midrise building with ground-floor community space and a management office, and 135 two- and three-bedroom townhomes. Phase 2 is envisioned to have 60 one-bedroom units in a four-story apartment building at the entry to the site plus 105 two- and three-bedroom townhouses.

From a site perspective, NOHE 2 will be served by a reconfigured network of streets with sidewalks, high‐quality lighting, and landscaping that will create an inviting streetscape for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. The central green will be programmed for active and passive recreation for use by all residents, including a large patio designed for gatherings, age-specific playground equipment for children, an exercise area for older residents, and a community garden. The NOHE 2 project is designed to be Passive House certifiable.

NOHE 2 will also be supported by a new $9-million wastewater treatment facility housed in a modest, single-story structure that will replace the property's existing wastewater infrastructure.

At a Glance

No. of Units
Phase 1A: 114

Total Development Cost
Phase 1A: $89 million

Type
Mixed-Income

Projected Construction Start
Phase 1A: 2028 (Projected)