MassDevelopment Issues RFQ for Housing in Devens Grant Road Area

April 10, 2013

Contact:
Kelsey Abbruzzese, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2086 & 617-448-9077 (cell)
kabbruzzese@massdevelopment.com

MassDevelopment has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for residential development in Devens’s Grant Road neighborhood, a roughly 70-acre portion of the 4,400-acre community. Housing – including single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and multifamily buildings – is allowed under the area’s existing zoning. The Agency seeks a developer or multiple developers to build and market up to 120 residential units. MassDevelopment will sell the development sites to the designated developers.

Devens bylaws allow maximum residential development of 282 units, of which 140 have already been renovated or built. Over the past two years, developers have built and sold nearly all of the 20 zero-net-energy homes in Devens, part of a pilot project to provide replicable examples of current and innovative sustainable building that are reasonably priced and practical. Demand for nearby housing is likely to grow with 3,200 employees and counting working in Devens.

The Agency met with community members at the beginning of the process to discuss potential for the area. Responses to the RFQ are due on May 24. Those interested in the RFQ can contact Edmund Starzec, MassDevelopment Director of Land Entitlements, at estarzec@massdevelopment.com.

Located in north-central Massachusetts and managed by MassDevelopment, Devens is home to a varied mix of businesses, government organizations, and nonprofits employing more than 3,200 people. Created by statute in 1993 to support business growth and attract economic development opportunities in the region, the 4,400-acre site features fast-track permitting and other incentives for businesses. The former military installation is recognized today as a national model for military base redevelopment. Along with its business tenants, the Devens community also includes more than 2,100 acres of recreation and open space, private residences, schools, and a network of human and social services providers.