By Adam Swift
The redevelopment of the Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea should see construction begin this September, according to the latest update to the city council.
The redevelopment is a public-private partnership between the state and developer Pennrose.
“Since the last update provided to the City Council, a number of activities have occurred,” said Karmen Cheung, the regional vice president for Pennrose. “Pennrose and the development team have advanced the architectural drawings in preparation for federal and state funding application submissions.”
The design process calls for 240 units over four phases, which Cheung said is generally consistent with the original plans submitted to the state and city calling for 241 units.
Pennrose representatives have stated that all 121 veterans currently living on site will be able to remain on the property during construction and will have a place in one of the newly updated units.
Veterans will have 100 percent preference for the affordable units at the redeveloped Veterans’ Home, Cheung has stated in the past.
There will be centralized social services provided onsite provided by Soldier On, a private nonprofit organization that provides veterans services at similar locations, according to Pennrose.
Pennrose is preserving all nine buildings that are on the current Soldiers’ Home site, with the only scheduled demolition set for the one-story incinerator building.
The new construction for the project includes 18 units of townhouses, a two-story cafe and community building, and a new building on the east parcel at the corner of Hillside and Crest Avenue.
“Based on feedback from the Commonwealth on the design and funding process, closing and construction commencement for Phase I is now anticipated to occur in September 2025,” stated Cheung. “As in previous years, the supply of tax-exempt bonds to fund multi-family housing developments in Massachusetts is constrained, which has been the primary cause for the delay of Phase I. The Commonwealth has reiterated to Pennrose and the development team that this project is a high priority for their office and that they are committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure a smooth and timely closing and construction process.”
Phase I is scheduled to include 69 units. The closing for the 81 units in Phase II is anticipated to occur in early 2026, with construction beginning then and completion of the phase scheduled for fall of 2027.
“Pennrose will continue to design and coordinate Phases III and IV while construction on Phases I and II is underway; however, we would like to reiterate that all current residents of the Soldiers’ Home will be moved into their new homes in Phases I and II before Phases III and IV begin,” Cheung stated.
Pennrose and Soldier On have also submitted an official services plan to the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services and are in the process of updating the plan to incorporate state feedback. “As a veteran, I would like to go on record that Pennrose reach out to the 600 homeless veterans in Massachusetts to fill this project,” City Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson said at last week’s council meeting. “I understand income could be an issue, but let’s go after as many subsidies as possible to house our veterans who represented us through all the wars that we have had to fight.”