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New housing development rises from a historic textile mill’s ashes

Multifamily Housing

New housing development rises from a historic textile mill’s ashes

Loft Five50 will add 137 housing units to Lawrence, Mass.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | September 20, 2017
A pool table, tables, and chairs in a communal space at Loft Five50
A pool table, tables, and chairs in a communal space at Loft Five50

After a fire recently swept through a historic textile factory originally known as Malden Mills, several of the site’s buildings, built between 1879 and 1925, were destroyed. From the destruction of these buildings, a new concept for a multifamily housing development was born.

Loft Five50 will be a LEED certified 137-unit housing development that will offer studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. As part of the redevelopment plan, The Architectural Team, the project’s architect, worked with the National Register of Historic Places and the Massachusetts Historic Commission to restore many of the mill’s historic features. Original, restored features include a clock tower, high wooden ceilings, oversized windows, exposed brick walls, and a vintage staircase.

Loft Five50’s amenities include a 15,000-sf community room, a communal kitchen with entertainment space, Wi-Fi lounges, a fitness/yoga facility, a movie theater, an outdoor patio, and an indoor children’s play area. The living units and communal spaces all feature Nora Lighting’s NT-300 Series Single Track Lighting Systems with energy efficient Step Cylinder LED fixtures.

Ideal Design was the interior designer for the project and Keith Construction was the general contractor. Winn Development owns the project.

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