The old Norfolk County Jail in Dedham is being converted into 20 luxury condominiums and four single-family homes.
The tenants who used to live at this Dedham property never held the keys to the front door.
But come next September, people who reside in the 19th century building that used to house thieves, murderers and other criminals – even the infamous Sacco and Vanzetti at one point – will be able to unlock their doors and come and go as they please.
That’s because the old Norfolk County Jail is being transformed into Stoneleigh, 20 luxury condominiums and four single-family homes. Construction began last week, after about a decade of planning and negotiating.
Brookline-based developer Parencorp purchased the property for $1 million in 1999 after the state sought bids for the empty jail. The jail was vacated when a larger prison was built along Route 128 in 1992.
Since that time, town and state leaders had been trying to determine what to do with the jail, which sits in the heart of a desirable neighborhood of antique homes.
Nine developers came forward with proposals, some suggesting the jail be demolished and replaced with single-family homes, and others recommending it be used for offices.
The state eventually went with the proposal of Parencorp, a firm that has more than two decades worth of experience preserving and converting historic buildings into housing and office space.
The company’s proposal was more attractive because it features a smaller-density project. Community leaders also liked the fact that the developers will preserve much of the building’s exterior, including part of a brick wall surrounding the building, and create a public park with some kind of marker explaining the jail’s history.
Merrill H. Diamond, who along with his late partner Gordon I. Hurwitz established Parencorp in 1978, said he has worked closely with town and community leaders to come up with a plan that is compatible with the historic homes in the neighborhood.
“We had a fairly intense and inclusive community process,” said Diamond. “Everything that we’re doing there is being closely watched.”
Empty Nesters
Jail cells will be removed but many of the large Gothic Revival-style windows will be preserved, which will flood the condominiums with natural light. The bars from the cell that held Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti some 80 years ago will also be saved. The two were executed for murder following one of the country’s most famous and controversial trials.
Each two- and three-bedroom condominium within the former jail will be between 1,600 and 2,600 square feet and prices will range from $599,500 to $899,500, according to listing agent Gretchen Colby of The DeWolfe Cos. in Westwood.
Many of the units will have private gardens, terraces and balconies, and residents will have access to an elevator, garage parking and exclusive fitness center.
The four single-family homes that will be built near the condominiums on the 2.5-acre property will be much larger and therefore will cost more. Colby said prices for the single-family homes have not yet been determined.
As of last week, nine people had signed purchase-and-sale agreements for the condominiums and another unit is under agreement, according to Colby, who along with Peter Cwieka is marketing Stoneleigh.
Buyers tend to fit the “empty nester” profile, mostly people in their 50s who want to downsize. People who have expressed interest are mostly from the Metrowest area surrounding Boston and vary from couples to widows and widowers, said Colby.
Younger couples may also be interested in Stoneleigh once they learn more about the project, she said.
“It’s been a very exciting project to be a part of,” said Colby, who pointed out that the jail’s thick granite walls and its central location in the heart Dedham were key features.
“When it’s done, it’s just going to be stunning,” she said.
CB Construction Co. of West Roxbury and the Boston-based architectural firm of DiMella Shaffer Assoc. are also working on the project.
Diamond said CB Construction has been involved in several other Parencorp projects, including the development of Kendall Crescent in Brookline.
That project, which is nearing completion, involved the preservation and adaptive reuse of the Sewall School into condominiums and the old town barn into retail and office space.
In the 1980s, Diamond’s firm also converted the old Brooks Hospital in Brookline, a smallpox medical facility, into 42 art deco-style condominiums.
“Since [we], myself and my later partner, started Parencorp about 20 years ago, 75 percent of our work has been historic preservation and adaptive reuse,” Diamond said.
The Norfolk County jail is not the only prison in the Bay State that’s being transformed into something else. The Charles Street jail in Boston is currently being redeveloped into a hotel. And the Essex County Correctional Institute, more commonly known as the old Salem Jail, is for sale.
Interested parties have suggested the Salem facility be turned into a performing arts theater, a bed and breakfast, condominiums and a hotel. Last week, the city hired a Beverly company to restore the roof of the jailer’s house, which is part of the jail complex and was damaged by a fire two years ago.
