Lawrence, MA—With so much emphasis today on the adaptive reuse of abandoned commercial buildings, the transformation of an historic mill into upscale condominiums would not be headline news. Yet in the case of Monarch-on-the-Merrimack, the project's developers are giving it a new twist: the structure will be redeveloped using green building principals.

The $200-million, 1.3-million-sf project will incorporate between 600 and 700 residential units and 100,000 sf of retail footage into the former Wood Mill, built here in 1905. One of the city's landmark structures and a visible reminder of its industrial past, the mill, which has nearly 30 acres under one roof and is a third of a mile long, was once considered "the eighth wonder of the world."

Work on the redevelopment project is being divided into three phases, and the property will be broken into two portions—the Monarch Lofts and the Shops at Monarch.Instead of using fossil fuels to heat the building, developer MassInnovation will utilize geothermal energy, says Robert Ansin, the company's founder, president and CEO. "We are not burning any fossil fuels during the winter, and during the summer, we're putting all the heat from inside the space into the ground as opposed to using cooling towers," he explains. "So when we show somebody a model unit of 1,200 feet, the heating and cooling for that space is projected to be about $700 a year."

In addition, eight acres of pavement along the Merrimack River will be converted into green space and there will be a rooftop garden. "And just the reuse of an existing mill building that's vacant is considered to be pretty environmentally friendly in terms of not cutting trees down," Ansin says.

This is not MassInnovation's first green project. In Fitchburg, MA, the company developed MassInnovation Center, said to be the largest solar installation in New England.Likewise, Monarch-on-the-Merrimack is being touted as New England's largest green residential development. Billed as a "city within a city," it will also feature a movie theater, a jazz club, bakery and café.

Ground has already been broken on the first phase that is expected to be completed in October. At that time, about 200 residences and the retail space will be ready for occupancy. Once that portion is substantially occupied and based upon demand, Ansin says, MassInnovation will begin the second phase. The units are expected to sell for between $200,000 and more than $1 million, with an average price of $220 a sf.J. Calnan & Associates is the project's construction manager. Finegold Alexander & Associates is the design architect, while Copley Wolff Design Group is the landscape architect.

In designing the project, the developers worked closely with the local historical society to ensure that the integrity of the exterior of the building was maintained, Ansin reports. He further reveals that his company has faced no opposition from local officials.In addition to the sheer size of the project, the developers had to combat the view of the city as a decaying mill town. "The biggest challenge for the project initially was communicating to the marketplace that Lawrence had really changed," Ansin says. "A lot of these old industrial cities have a perception that they are not moving. It took us a while to get the word out that something special was indeed happening."

Instant Insights /

Former New England Mill Gets "Green" Treatment

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