One of Worcester’s oldest public housing developments officially entered a new era Friday as local and state leaders gathered to celebrate the completion of the first phase of a sweeping redevelopment project that will ultimately add more than 150 affordable housing units to the site.
The Worcester Housing Authority and Trinity Financial marked the opening of Phase 1 of the former Curtis Apartments redevelopment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the unveiling of the community’s new name: The Phoenix at Curtis.
The first phase replaced 90 aging apartments with 129 newly constructed affordable housing units, part of a larger transformation that will eventually create 527 apartments on the site — an increase of about 155 units over the original 372-unit complex.
The milestone comes as Worcester, like many other towns and cities, continues to grapple with a housing shortage that has driven up rents and intensified demand for affordable housing across the city.
Located in the Great Brook Valley neighborhood, Curtis Apartments was completed in 1952 and originally built to house families of veterans returning from World War II. Now, more than seven decades later, the site is being rebuilt in phases to provide modern housing while preserving long-term affordability.
Building 1A at 50 Great Brook Valley Ave. is already fully occupied, while leasing is underway at Building 1B, located at 40 Great Brook Valley Ave.
Officials said the new name reflects both the history of the development and its transformation.
“This project represents far more than new buildings,” Worcester Housing Authority CEO Alex Corrales said in the announcement. “It represents investment in families, in neighborhoods, and in the future of Worcester. The Phoenix at Curtis is helping replace aging housing with modern homes residents can be proud of while expanding affordable housing opportunities at a time they are desperately needed.”
The redevelopment is being carried out through a partnership between the Worcester Housing Authority and Trinity Financial, the Boston-based developer selected to lead the project.
“The Phoenix at Curtis reflects what can happen when strong partnerships come together around a shared vision,” Michael Lozano, vice president of Trinity Financial, said in the announcement. “This redevelopment has been years in the making. Trinity is proud to work with WHA, the City, and so many other partners to help create high-quality affordable housing for Worcester families.”
When completed, the project will include a mix of deeply affordable and workforce housing units while modernizing a property that had long outlived its original design. Previous plans for the redevelopment have also called for new green spaces, improved pedestrian access, community facilities and energy-efficient construction.
Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said the project addresses one of the city’s most pressing challenges.
“Worcester continues to face significant demand for affordable housing,” Petty said in the announcement. “Projects like this, along with other WHA redevelopment efforts underway across the city, are helping meet that need while strengthening neighborhoods and improving quality of life for residents.”
City Manager Eric Batista described the project as a major step in the city’s broader housing strategy.
“This is a transformational moment not only for the Curtis Apartments site, but for the City of Worcester and our ongoing efforts to address the affordable housing crisis,” Batista said in the announcement.
Former state Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Edward Augustus Jr., who helped secure support and funding for the project during his time in state government, said the redevelopment is ultimately about more than housing construction.
“This redevelopment is about far more than new buildings. It is about creating safe, modern, dignified housing and investing in people, neighborhoods, and opportunity,” Augustus said in the announcement.
For former Worcester Housing Authority Commissioner and Board Chairman Joseph Carlson, the project also carries a personal connection. Carlson, who once lived at Curtis Apartments, said he was pleased to see a new generation of families moving into the redeveloped community.
“My family once called Curtis Apartments home and I’m excited for the families who will call the new Phoenix at Curtis home,” Carlson said in the announcement.
The Phoenix at Curtis is expected to be completed in phases over the coming years as the Worcester Housing Authority continues one of the largest public housing redevelopment efforts in its history.
