PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

July 1, 2025

Contact: emma@libertysquaregroup.com

Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes Celebrate Grand Opening of Beverly Village for Living & the Arts at the Site of Beverly’s Former Briscoe School

The former school building is now a mixed-use intergenerational community

Beverly, MA – Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes, together with their partners, celebrated the completion of 91 new housing units, including 85 affordable units, at Beverly Village for Living & the Arts, a largely affordable housing development located at the historic former home of the locally beloved Briscoe School in Beverly, MA. The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured a speaking program that included Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, Kim Driscoll; Dara Kovel, CEO, Beacon Communities; Andrew Leonard, Director of Real Estate Development, Harborlight Homes; Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill, MA Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Ed Augustus, State Senator Joan Lovely, State Representative Hannah L.Bowen, and Mark Teden, Vice President of Multifamily Housing, MassHousing

The adaptive reuse project transformed Briscoe School’s existing footprint into a multi-use, liveable space with high-quality wraparound services that support seniors aging in place. Former classrooms were converted into 85 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors and the former locker rooms are now six live/work studios with an artist occupancy preference. Residents enjoy features such as chalkboards and built-in cupboards in their apartments, original to the building. The former auditorium has been preserved and refreshed into a community performing arts space, maintaining one aspect of the building’s historic connection to its community. The former gymnasium now houses resident amenities including a community room, wellness and fitness spaces, library and reading room (featuring original library shelving), as well as a workshop. Outdoor amenity spaces include a terrace, patio, dog walking area, and victory gardens. Many current residents fondly recall going to school in the building which they now call home.

“We are thrilled to bring deeply affordable and amenity-rich housing focused on sustainability, historical preservation and resident engagement to the City of Beverly,” said Dara Kovel, CEO of Beacon Communities. “Beverly Village for Living & The Arts is a testament to the power of adaptive reuse in addressing the affordable housing crisis. We are grateful to Harborlight Homes and our partners for their dedication to preserving the Briscoe School’s history while sustainably transforming it into a vibrant community hub for seniors and the arts.”

“Beverly Village will be a vibrant, affordable home for dozens of seniors while also providing space for artists to work and contribute to our creative economy,” said Kim Driscoll, Lt. Governor of Massachusetts. “Our administration is proud to have supported this project through expanded tax credits and subsidies under the Affordable Homes Act. This is the type of project we want to be creating across the state to lower costs for everyone.”

Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill stated, “Ten years ago, after a robust public process, our community decided its priorities when selling the Briscoe Middle School were to preserve this amazing building, to save the playing field and green space on campus, and to provide long term affordable homes for Beverly residents, while renovating the historic auditorium for the public’s use and enjoyment. Thank you to the people of Beverly and all our partners who have brought this building back to life and made our community’s vision a reality.”

The existing three-story building, originally built in 1923, was completely rehabilitated while still preserving important historical features, including the windows and facade. It now touts numerous sustainable design features, including: solar panels to power all water heating and common area electricity, energy efficient lighting and heating/cooling systems, a new state of the art stormwater mitigation system, high-efficiency water and light fixtures, electric vehicle charging station, bike storage, and gardens with composting education.

“This project is a testament to the City of Beverly’s dedication to housing and honoring its history,” said Ed Augustus, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. “The Healey Driscoll Administration was proud to contribute over $9 million in support of this project.”

The adaptation of Beverly Village for Living and the Arts continues the legacies of Beacon and Harborlight Home of producing affordable homes with high-quality wraparound services which not only impacts the quality of life for all residents, but also supports seniors aging in place. The property is a short walk from the closest commuter rail station, and it’s accessible to the local bus system. It is also next door to the vibrant Beverly Council on Aging, and has walking paths to the city’s pedestrian network. The project will ensure the 100+ year-old building with its storied history remains a community asset not just through the creation of much-needed affordable housing, but also by bringing together community members of all ages through the arts.

“We are honored to usher the Briscoe School building into its next phase of service to the community,” stated Andrew DeFranza, executive director, Harborlight Homes. “Beacon Communities has been an outstanding partner in this effort, an undertaking respectful of both local history and community housing needs, and one in which Beverly can be proud.”

Funding for the Beverly Village for Living and the Arts came together through a combination of federal and state LIHTC and historic tax credit equity, MassHousing tax exempt bond debt, as well as state and local subsidy from the MA Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, North Shore HOME Consortium and the City of Beverly. Additionally, the project is partially financed with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the first time a Massachusetts affordable housing deal has utilized ARPA .

“Beverly Village for Living and the Arts is an incredibly unique combination of affordable rental homes for older residents with a range of incomes, live and workspaces for artists, and the preservation of the historic Briscoe School theater that will continue as a performance venue for future generations,” said Chrystal Kornegay, CEO, MassHousing. “MassHousing is pleased to be part of this truly transformative project, with all the partners involved, in recreating this 100-year-old former school campus.”

Built in 1923, the Briscoe School served as a high school, junior high school, and middle school until it closed in 2018 after the City of Beverly built a new school. Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes  were chosen by the City to redevelop the site in 2019, and purchased the building in 2022. The building even served as the backdrop for “CODA”, a 2021 film which received won three Academy Awards in 2022, including Best Picture. The redevelopment was completed in 2025.

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About Beacon Communities LLC   

Beacon Communities LLC is a privately owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages a wide range of multi-family housing. Their portfolio includes affordable housing, market rate housing and mixed income-housing. Their developments range from new historic adaptive reuse, to the renovation of existing housing. They take on challenging developments and make them succeed. Their driving passion is to create well-designed, healthy homes that improve the quality of life of their residents and enhance the neighborhoods in which they are located.
About Harborlight Homes 

Harborlight Homes is a non-profit, Massachusetts-certified Community Development Corporation, which develops, manages and advocates for quality, service-enriched housing that is affordable and inclusive.  Currently providing affordable homes in 12 communities across Boston’s North Shore, Harborlight serves low and fixed-income elders, struggling families, essential workers, those who are disabled, and families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The mission of Harborlight Homes is to collaborate with communities to cultivate just, equitable and sustainable housing opportunities, vital to the health and strength of Boston’s North Shore.  For more information visit www.harborlighthomes.org.