Award Caps a Year of Recognition for Development and Property Management

BOSTON (Oct. 22, 2019) – The Boston Preservation Alliance, an independent, nonprofit organization advocating for historic preservation and the quality of Boston’s built environment, last night honored WinnDevelopment President and Managing Partner Larry Curtis and WinnCompanies with its 2019 President’s Award for Excellence.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker was among the sold-out crowd of 400 who paid tribute to Curtis for his national leadership in the development of historic adaptive reuse projects for housing during his 32 years with WinnCompanies. The event raised nearly $400,000 for the Alliance and honored key preservation projects in Boston and surrounding communities.

“I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into an old building that is in the process of being brought back to life by Larry and the folks at WinnCompanies,” Gov. Baker said. “On behalf of the Commonwealth, I want to say how much we appreciate the work that Larry and WinnCompanies have done to bring some of our greatest assets back to life”

Christopher Scoville, chairman of the Alliance’s Board of Directors, lauded Curtis’s leadership in protecting the federal historic tax credit during recent tax reforms efforts, adding: “WinnCompanies, though Larry’s leadership, has demonstrated that top-notch historic preservation and affordable housing can go hand in hand. Larry and Winn have set the standard locally, statewide and nationally in demonstrating the power of preservation for people and the economy.”

The Boston Preservation Alliance Award caps a strong year of industry recognition of WinnCompanies for innovative property development, environmental sustainability, and professionalism in resident services and property management practices. Here is a snapshot of additional honors the company received in 2019:

2019 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Award Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing - The Watson, Quincy, MA
Developed with a nonprofit partner, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, The Watson is a 140-unit apartment building that ULI said “represents a major urban place-making initiative developed on the site of a long-vacant office building adjacent to a largely dormant, ship-building complex facility. The development is a truly inclusive community that integrates low-, moderate- and higher-income renters under one roof.”

2019 Multifamily Executive Magazine (MFE) Award for Mixed Use - Sibley Square, Rochester, NY
“Not only did WinnCompanies’ revitalization of the circa 1926 Sibley Building pay tribute to the historic legacy, such as the restoration of the iconic clock tower, but it also brought it into the 21st century. The developer’s objective was to create a high-impact project that would generate economic value and restore the building’s greatness to attract and engage residents of the broader community,” MFE said.

2019 National Apartment Association Excel Return on Energy Award for Water Reduction - Parkway Heights, Everett, MA
The National Apartment Association, the leading advocate for the rental housing industry in the United States, recognized the WinnCompanies for implementing measures that reduced water consumption by nearly 22 percent year over year at Parkway Heights, a 74-unit mixed-income property located in Everett, MA originally constructed by WinnDevelopment in 2006.

2019 California Apartment Association (CAA) Mark of Distinction Awards
The state’s rental housing association honored Sierra Meadows, a 100-unit apartment community in Merced, CA, as an outstanding Senior Development managed by WinnResidential. The CAA also honored WinnResidential Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Ramirez, who is based in the company’s offices in Fresno and Maintenance Technician Joe Charboneau, who works at the 237-unit Oak View Apartments in Visalia.

2019 New England Affordable Housing Management Association Communities of Quality Award for Exemplary Development for the Elderly - The Alice G. Winn & Family Heritage House, Newburyport, MA
The Communities of Quality Awards honor the achievements of affordable housing providers who make an unprecedented contribution to developing outstanding properties for families of modest means. WinnResidential partnered with the Elder Services of Merrimack Valley to create a comprehensive, Enhanced Supportive Services Program for the elderly residents of this 101-unit community.

2019 Preservation Massachusetts Awards
Preservation Massachusetts, a statewide non-profit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage, recognized two WinnDevelopment adaptive reuse projects. Jackson Street Lofts, comprised of three separate mill buildings located in the Locks and Canals Historic District Lowell, MA, was honored with the organization’s Paul & Niki Tsongas Award. The three historic mills now provide 297 apartment homes. In addition, Yarn Works, a 114-year-old mill in Fitchburg, MA, transformed into 96 units of mixed-income housing, received the group’s Mayor Thomas M. Menino Award.