An aerial photo of the limited housing developed to date in Devens. Photo courtesy of MassDevelopment
MassDevelopment is seeking developers for sites totaling over 69 acres at its 4,400-acre Devens business park.
The former military base’s 1990s reuse plan originally limited total housing to 282 units, reflecting local communities’ concerns about additional costs. The property is located in sections of the towns of Ayer, Harvard and Shirley.
The RFP issued Tuesday morning is a milestone for a property that was once a poster child for Massachusetts’ previous inability to turn state-owned land into homes amid a generational housing crisis.
In 2024, the state Legislature lifted the cap on maximum units that could be built on the sections of the property already zoned for housing.
Additionally, a state-appointed Devens Housing Working Group this year recommended rezoning additional areas for housing within the existing Innovation and Technology Center zoning district, which totals 90 acres near the center of the property.
In the meantime, MassDevelopment is seeking developers for a variety of housing types ranging from single-family homes to multifamily buildings.
The request for proposals includes nearly 63 acres on Grant Road and 6.6 acres at Adams Circle. Proposals are due Feb. 27.
The Grant Road property was used as a firing range by the U.S. Army before World War II, and was excavated in the 1990s to remove unexploded ordnance, but some explosives may remain, according to the RFP.
The Adams Circle property formerly contained 86 units of military housing in 12 buildings.
Amended zoning to permit the housing could be enacted either by a “super town meeting” of all three towns, or a special act of the state Legislature, according to MassDevelopment.
“Adams Circle and Grant Road represent a big opportunity to bring more housing and economic growth to Devens,” MassDevelopment President and CEO Navjeet Bal said in a statement. “MassDevelopment’s team of real estate professionals, engineers, utilities managers, and others have worked hard to prepare these sites for development, and the Mass Leads Act unlocked our ability to go to market. With strong demand for more housing facing Devens and the entire region, we look forward to working with interested developers to turn this opportunity into reality.”
