65 affordable housing units proposed in Devens land sale

A Newton nonprofit plans to purchase a 6.6-acre parcel at Adams Circle in Devens to build 65 apartments for low- and moderate-income households. MassDevelopment, a quasi-public economic development and finance authority for the state, has signed a letter of intent to sell the property to Metro West Collaborative Development. The proposed development is among the first housing projects to move forward after the Mass Leads Act eliminated Devens’ longstanding 282-unit housing cap in November 2024. The change allowed MassDevelopment to solicit development proposals for residentially zoned sites at the former military base. The project would include six multifamily buildings, with apartments available to households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income, MassDevelopment said in an announcement. Metro West Collaborative Development is working with Boston architecture and urban-design firm Utile Inc. on the site plan. Construction is estimated to take place from 2029 through 2031. The intended sale price for the parcel was not disclosed.  MassDevelopment issued a request for proposals in December 2025 for housing sites on Adams Circle and Grant Road totaling about 69 acres. An internal committee recommended MWCD’s proposal for the Adams Circle property. Proposals for the Grant Road site remain under review. The agency and developer will negotiate final sale terms as the project proceeds through design and permitting. Projects in Devens are subject to a consolidated permitting process through the Devens Enterprise Commission. The consolidated permitting process speeds up review and approval for qualifying projects. MWCD, established in 1991, has built 205 affordable housing units and is developing 43 apartments at the former West Newton Armory, according to the announcement.  The proposal would add to a growing pipeline of housing projects in Devens.  In February, MassDevelopment announced the sale of about 2 acres at 25 Adams Circle to Andover-based Reframe Systems Inc., which is developing 12 for-sale townhomes in six duplexes. In August, the agency announced the sale of land at 77 Grant Road and a $4 million loan to an affiliate of Westborough-based Elite Home Builders for a 46-unit mixed-income apartment development. Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.