Owner of collapsed Worcester apartment building among investors who bought Upton Inn complex
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The Upton Inn Apartments in Upton
The Upton Inn Apartments at 135 Main St. in Upton was purchased for $1.7 million by a corporation registered to property manager SMG, Inc. President Raymond Safi and landlord Bechara Fren, the owner of the Mill Street apartment complex in Worcester being sued over a roof collapse in July.
The Upton Inn complex contains 34 affordable units, according to a 2012 Town of Upton affordable housing plan. Originally built by the Knowlton family in the early 1911 as The Lodge, it is across the street from the former Knowlton Hat Factory, which has been transformed into 89 subsidized apartments for seniors.
Franklin-based SMG, Inc. operates apartment complexes in the Lowell area, throughout Central and Southeastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, according to the company’s website.
Fren owns and operates apartment buildings throughout Massachusetts including the Parkview Apartments in Worcester.
In July 2022, a building Fren purchased weeks earlier at 267 Mill St. in Worcester suffered a collapse after building materials fell through the roof, displacing more than 100 residents. Ten days later, Fren took those displaced tenants to court to remove their belongings from the damaged building. The tenants countersued in November with a variety of complaints. At least two residents were injured while removing their belongings from the condemned building, according to MassLive.
In buying the Upton Inn, Fren and Safi are reviving their previous team up, where in 2021 they purchased the Maple Manor Apartments in Leominster. The purchasing entity of the Upton Inn Apartments is officially called 135 Main St. LLC.
The seller, Upton Inn Associates, LP has held the property since its formation in 1972, according to Town of Upton Assessment data. The complex has been managed by Wingate Cos. of Newton. The property is assessed by the Town at $2.2 million.
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