Community Corner
Historic Worcester Downtown Building To Become Rental Housing
The project will reuse the building to create 48 rental homes, including 5 affordable units.
WORCESTER, MA — A historic downtown Worcester building is set to become new rental housing with help from a state tax credit award.
The Menkiti Group was awarded $3.6 million in Housing Development Incentive Program tax credits for the Clark Block Rehabilitation project, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced on Thursday. The project at 401 to 405 Main St. will reuse a historic downtown Worcester building to create 48 rental homes, including 5 affordable units.
The Worcester project was one of six HDIP awards announced by the state, totaling $18.6 million and supporting 662 new homes in Gateway Cities across Massachusetts. Other projects are planned in Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Pittsfield and Taunton.
Gov. Maura Healey said the awards are meant to help Gateway Cities move housing projects forward, strengthen downtowns and lower costs.
"Every community has different housing needs, and we need to give cities the tools that work best for them to build more homes and lower costs," Healey said in a statement.
The HDIP program, administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, provides tax credits for housing projects in Gateway Cities. The program is aimed at supporting market-rate rental and homeownership projects that reuse vacant or underutilized buildings, strengthen downtowns and expand local housing supply.
Since Jan. 1, 2023, the Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded HDIP tax credits to 52 projects supporting 3,404 new homes in 16 cities, according to the state. The program was expanded through a tax relief package Healey signed in October 2023, increasing the annual HDIP authorization from $10 million to $30 million and adding a one-time $57 million increase for Gateway City housing production.
