Courthouse Lofts

Worcester, MA

Courthouse Lofts is the award-winning historic rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of the approximately 214,000 square-foot Old Worcester County Courthouse, originally built in 1845, into a new multifamily mixed-income residence, with market-leading amenity space throughout. The revitalized building contains 118 residential units ranging in sizes from Studios to 3-bedrooms with units available to households with a range of incomes from 30% of Area Median Income to full market-rate. Located at 2 Main Street, the redevelopment of the Courthouse is part of a larger revitalization of the Historic Lincoln Square district, which sits just north of Downtown Worcester and the City center.

The primary design approach for Courthouse Lofts was to preserve the character and beauty of the existing building while creating an efficient layout and maximizing the residential square footage within. The design team has created floor plans that contain new comfortable, character-rich apartments while preserving the building's most impressive public spaces. These spaces include two of the most grand historic courtrooms that have been converted into amenity spaces, as well as the main entry hall of the building with its stunning marble columns and curving stone staircases.

The project includes a fitness center, clubhouse lounge, media and game lounge, and interior bicycle and resident storage. The site will also feature ample parking, landscaping restoration, and outdoor resident gathering spaces. The building also houses an approximately 2,000 square foot museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Marshall "Major" Taylor, a trailblazing world champion bicyclist and one of the first African-American champions of any sport.

View Courthouse Lofts Website

Type
Mixed Income, Market-Rate Housing

Total Development Cost
$71.5 Million

Units
118

Completed
2021

Awards

• Runner (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing recipient of the Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing award
• Retrofit Magazine's 2020 Metamorphosis Award
• 2022 Paul & Niki Tsongas Award from Preservation Massachusetts
• Runner Up In The 2022 Rethinking The Future Awards