The Stone Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was built at the height of the Industrial Revolution to harness the Merrimack River for machinery manufacturing. Nearly 180 years later, after a two-year renovation effort by Boston-based developer WinnCompanies, the structure has reopened as Stone Mill Lofts, one of the first all-electric mixed-income multifamily properties in the state.
The $39.2 million fossil-fuel-free property is expected to use 46% less energy and emit 33% fewer greenhouse gases compared to a standard multifamily structure, according to the release. Its power system makes use of energy-efficient heat pumps and energy recovery systems that will save an estimated 177 metric tons of avoided greenhouse gases each year.
WinnCompanies and Chelsea, Massachusetts-based architect The Architectural Team worked together with historical and sustainability consultants to maintain the structure’s historical integrity during the renovation process. Energy-efficient upgrades include 4 inches of insulation and triple-pane historic replica windows.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources provided $2.8 million in project financing for Stone Mill Lofts from the Merrimack Valley Renewal Fund, established to support clean energy projects in the aftermath of the Columbia Gas explosion in 2018. The event, caused by over-pressurization of the utility’s residential gas distribution system, resulted in one death, two dozen injuries and damage to hundreds of homes in the Merrimack Valley area, according to WCBV 5.
Loft living
The project includes 17 market-rate units, 58 units reserved for households earning up to 60% of the area median income and 11 for households earning up to 30% of the AMI. The units range from one to three bedrooms in size — 50 one-bedrooms, 28 two-bedrooms and eight three-bedrooms. Each one incorporates large windows and historic design elements, including original wood beam ceilings.
Amenities include a resident lounge and kitchen, a billiards room, a fitness center, a children’s playroom, indoor bicycle parking, work-from-home pods, resident storage lockers, a package room, a patio, landscaped outdoor areas and an exhibit room showcasing the history of the mill.
The property is located within walking distance of the Lawrence commuter rail station, as well as a commercial building with over 70 local businesses, the Lawrence General Hospital healthcare center, retail, entertainment, schools and public parks.
“We believe Stone Mill Lofts is one of the most significant projects to result from our longstanding partnership with WinnDevelopment because it sets a new standard for how historic preservation and adaptive reuse can address the affordable housing crisis and climate change at the same time,” said TAT Project Manager Scott Maenpaa in the release.
Stone Mill Lofts is WinnCompanies’ third historic mill redevelopment in Lawrence. The company turned two buildings at the Malden Mills manufacturing site into the LoftFive50 development, a 137-unit affordable property, in 2015. The company has completed 45 adaptive reuse projects since 1981, creating more than 5,200 new units out of older structures.
