For Immediate Release: 1/26/2023 1:28 pm
WORCESTER, Mass. – According to the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing, Courthouse Lofts is a recipient of the Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing award. Courthouse Lofts is one of three national award recipients.
The Jack Kemp Award was established in 2008 in memory of Jack Kemp, a former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a national advisory board member of the Terwilliger Center. The award recognizes developments that use innovative financing sources to provide attainable mixed-income housing, primarily focusing on households earning greater than 60% of area median income.
Courthouse Lofts is a prime example of a public/private partnership. The project transformed the historic Old Worcester County Courthouse into 118 units of housing for families at five different income levels, featuring unique and iconic architecture and amazing living and common spaces. The project also includes the Major Taylor Museum, which honors the life and legacy of Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African American world champion in professional cycling and one of the first African American champions of any sport.
Located at 2 Main St., the redevelopment of the Courthouse is part of a larger revitalization of the historic Lincoln Sq. district, which is north of downtown and the city center. The design team created new, character-rich apartments while preserving the building’s most impressive public spaces. These spaces include two of the grandest historic courtrooms that have been converted into amenity spaces, as well as the main entry hall of the building with its stunning marble columns and curving stone staircases.
“We are thrilled we had the opportunity to remake this iconic property in Worcester,” said Michael Lozano, vice president of development at Trinity Financial.
“Our Courthouse Lofts project is a perfect example of our commitment to community, as we worked collaboratively across the public and private sector to address an increasingly important challenge – addressing housing affordability while doing our part in the continuing revitalization of downtown Worcester. We look forward to supporting housing affordability at all income levels in Worcester and throughout Massachusetts.”
Courthouse Lofts celebrates Worcester’s rich heritage of innovation. The city was one of the leaders in manufacturing and education – fueling our nation’s industrial growth from the 1800s through mid-1900s– and today fosters innovation for biotech and other emerging growth sectors. It’s proud heritage of diversity and inclusivity shine through in the Courthouse Lofts’ experience—bringing together not only beautifully contrasting design details but people from all walks of life who contribute to this vibrant community.
“This creative, adaptive reuse of a historic anchor building in the heart of Worcester has created attractive, affordable homes for city residents,” said Executive Director of ULI Boston/New England, Michelle Landers. “Properties like Courthouse Lofts align with the importance of our work here at ULI, where our mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.”
In addition to earning the Jack Kemp Award from ULI, Trinity Financial and Courthouse Lofts have been recognized by Preservation Massachusetts with the prestigious Paul and Niki Tsongas Award for the highest level of commitment to historic preservation; and by the Worcester Chamber of Commerce for being a “game changer” by contributing to a more diverse workforce and creating opportunity for people of color on the project.
The Urban Land Institute honors properties like Courthouse Lofts to recognize the diversity of knowledge and innovation at play in the built environment industry. Trinity Financial also received recognition from ULI in 2022 for their Randolph Houses project in New York City, receiving the Terwilliger Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing. Other properties named recipients of the Jack Kemp Award were Orenda in Seattle, Washington, and The Cottages on Vaughan, in Clarkston, Georgia. To learn more about this year’s Terwilliger Center for Housing awards, please visit americas.uli.org/2022-kemp-and-terwilliger-innovation-awards-winners.
