Date set for opening of Residences at the Park in Athol

ATHOL – NewVue Communities has tentatively set Oct. 13 as the day for the official opening of Residences at the Park, the housing complex consisting of the former Riverbend and Bigelow schools.

On Friday, Sept. 4, Kelly Sims, regional property manager for affordable housing at Makor Management, led representatives from several local organizations on a tour of a portion of the complex.

Groups in attendance included Valuing Our Children, St. John’s Church, Athol Senior Center/Council on Aging, LaunchSpace, Athol Credit Union, North Quabbin Community Coalition and Athol YMCA.

“We invited all of these partners so that we have someone to reach out to if someone has an issue that needs to be addressed,” said Sims. “We want places where we can go to help people get assistance.”

Sims said Valuing Our Children will oversee the resident services program at the complex.

“They’re actually going to have an office 32 hours a week on-site,” she said. “They’ll be able to get folks assistance, whether it be fuel assistance, donations from a local church….They’ll also do resident events that can go anywhere from a pizza party or people needing to vaccinate their animals. It’s helping people connect with the community.”

Sims said that pets will be allowed at Residences at the Park. She noted, however, that, as is the case with most homeowners insurance, dogs with reputations for aggression – pitbulls, akitas, Dobermans, rottweilers and others – will not be allowed.

The 30,000-square-foot Riverbend building will house 20 units, while the Bigelow building, at just under 17,000 square feet, will have 13 units. Twenty units will also be available in the new structure that will connect both buildings.

Of the total of 53 units, there will be 20 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units and nine three-bedroom units. According to Sims, Makor has received some 400 applications for the units, with just over half coming from Athol and surrounding towns.

There are income requirements for families applying to live at Residences at the Park. Units are being set aside for those making 30%, 50% and 110% of the area’s median family income.

“Those two programs for 30 and 50%, those are guaranteed rental assistance,” Sims said. “RCAP Solutions out of Worcester is actually subsidizing those rents.”

Sims added there are nine units set aside for those making up to 110% of the median.

“Those are what we call ‘workforce housing,’ and those are designated to be geared toward folks who have great jobs like teachers, nurses, municipal workers; people who work in the area,” said Sims. “We don’t want them commuting to Boston or places like that, so we’re trying to create affordable housing in suburban areas so they don’t have to travel as much.”

Work on the project got underway in May 2025. Riverbend was constructed in 1907, followed by Bigelow in 1912.

Opening of Residences at the Park will be the culmination of a decade-long effort by the town of Athol to redevelop the former elementary schools. The town sent out a request for proposals (RFP) in 2016, but none were made. Town officials re-worked details of the RFP and again advertised for proposals in August 2019.

In November of that year, representatives of NewVue and Icon Architects of Boston presented the town’s Select Board with its proposal for a 53-unit complex of both affordable housing and market-rate units. At the time, it was estimated the project would cost about $20 million.

During Friday’s tour, Marc Dohan, senior director of real estate development at NewVue, said the actual cost of the development will be around $30 million. Funding for the project has come from a variety of sources, including a $1 million federal earmark secured by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, state and federal tax credits, grants and loans. In addition, the town of Athol invested $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds into the project.