Housing on fast track for full occupancy
Senior units expected to be filled by year’s end
The senior housing development on Hospital Road that Massdevelopment rolled out project plans for a couple of years ago is now fully functional, partially occupied and filling up fast.
Construction that began in May, 2019 was completed earlier this year.
The new community — aptly named Shirley Meadows — is housed in a single, three-story structure, set back at an an angle from the road and with throughway access to the heart of Devens as well as downtown Shirley. It is a handsome addition to the rural streetscape, surrounded by open space, with paved walking paths around the building and ample parking in back.
Situated on about 4 acres that was once the so-called Shirley housing section of the former Fort Devens, the site is within the town’s original borders and the municipal complex — police station, town offices, public library – is within walking distance, on the opposite side of the road.
At the Hospital Road/front Street intersection, a sidewalk – currently undergoing a major, grant-funded makeover — extends in both directions as far as the Ayer town line. At the intown end, the sidewalk leads to Main Street, the train station and the Shirley village business district.
According to Connie Donahue, executive director of the Chelmsford Housing Authority, which manages the property, the locale is a key part of the package. The area is “service rich” as well as conveniently situated, she said, making it ideal for residents — seniors 62 and over — to “age in place.”