Industrial Sites Converted to Housing in Worcester

Housing is still the best bet for development in Worcester as former industrial sites become residential sites. A March 27,2022 article by Trea Lavery on MassLive (subscription required to access) detailed the latest large housing development projects in Worcester's Canal District, totaling 800 new residential units, only 10% of which will be deemed "affordable".The former Table Talk Pie factory in Kelly Square is being turned into a total of  474 apartments, 83 set aside for people earning up to 60% of the area median income, the rest at market rate.SOMA (South of Madison) will contain 228 apartments and is slated to also include a hotel and biotech lab and office space. With office and lab space across the state seeing high vacancy rates, that may change.The former Cove music hall will now house 171 market-rate apartments and some ground floor retail, including a candlepin bowling alley.And the former home of Fairway Beef on Temple Street will house 105 apartments.Table Talk, Fairway Beef and the Cove all employed people who could afford to live in the Worcester of old. While the new developments do include some affordable units, most are market-rate, meaning $1500 and up per month for rent.