Development firm led by Harlan Crow buys site of proposed 220-apartment Worcester complex for $4.5M

A rendering of a large apartment complex

Image | Courtesy of Worcester Planning Board - Rendering by The Architectural Team, Inc. Proposed 220-unit development at 3 Oriol Drive, Worcester

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By Eric Casey

Maple Multi-Family Development LLC, a Dallas-based firm, has purchased the site of its proposed 220-unit apartment complex on Oriol Drive in Worcester for $4.5 million.

The transaction, finalized on Friday, saw Maple Multi-Family purchase 3 Oriol Drive from Holden-based Lincoln Heights Inc., according to Worcester District Registry of Deeds records.

The 13.33-acre parcel is located between Lincoln Street and Interstate 290. The property was given a tax assessment value of $175,500 in 2024, according to City of Worcester property records.

The planned development, dubbed Alexan Worcester, was announced in September 2022. The project was granted a two-year extension of approvals by the Worcester Planning Board in May 2023 after the developers requested more time to complete the project.

The proposed apartment complex is set to be composed of two five-story buildings. Plans call for the creation of approximately 344 parking spaces.

Maple Multi-Family Development LLC is registered to Michael Levy, CEO of Dallas real-estate giant Crow Holdings, and Ken Valach, CEO of Crow Holdings Development.

Crow Holdings’ board of directors is chaired by former company CEO Harlan Crow, the son of the company’s late founder, Trammell Crow. Crow is a major donor to the Republican Party and conservative causes and has received scrutiny for his close ties to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; in April 2023, ProPublica reported Crow had given lavish gifts and a number of expensive vacations to Thomas, who failed to disclose the gifts to federal authorities.

In February, Crow Holdings announced it had created a $3.1-billion fund to target multifamily and industrial assets, according to The Real Deal, a real estate news website.

Will Kelleher and Drew Higgins of Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates represented the seller in this transaction.