Salem, MA — NEI General Contracting has completed the conversion of two former Salem school buildings into affordable housing and community space. The developer is North Shore CDC, which leases the buildings and land from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, and the architect is ICON Architecture, Inc.
Both buildings had been vacant for years. NEI’s team worked through deteriorated structural components, water infiltration, and inadequate utilities, and preserved original details where it could, from windows to chalkboards to hardwood floors and ornamental trim. The team recreated features that could not be saved, such as some classroom doors, and integrated elevator service without distorting the historic character of the buildings.
Hawthorne Lofts features seven studios, 18 one-bedroom units, and four two-bedroom units, with community art space and an artist preference for residents. The Residences at St. James features 11 studios, 19 one-bedroom units, and two two-bedroom units, all restricted to households with at least one member aged 62 or older. Units across both buildings are restricted to households earning up to 30, 60, or 80 percent of the Area Median Income, with support from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program and the federal Section 8 program.
Community space was a priority for North Shore CDC. Hawthorne Lofts includes a 5,000-square-foot auditorium with ten studio pods for local artists, and the former boiler room at the Residences at St. James became a community room with a kitchen for programming such as coffee hours for senior residents.
“We, along with the new residents, are grateful for the beautiful job that NEI has done,” said Jennifer Kolodziej, senior project manager at North Shore CDC. “They went above and beyond to get the project to the finish line, especially working very closely with the City of Salem so that we could move households into their new homes as soon as possible.”
