Worcester Contractor Helps Rejuvenate Lincoln Square: $51 Million Project Revives Historic Boys Cub and Builds Adjacent Five-Story Extension to Provide Housing for Locals

BISWIRE/Oct. 28, 2026 – Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey joined executives from WinnCompanies, developer and manager of high-impact apartment communities, F. W. Madigan Company, a fourth generation Worcester contractor which led the Design/Build team, and architectural firm Maugel DeStefano Architects to celebrate the completion of a $51 million construction effort that delivered 80 affordable, energy-efficient apartment homes for adults 55 and older to downtown Worcester, MA. 

Together with officials from the City of Worcester, including Mayor Joseph Petty and City Manager Eric Batista, Governor Healey helped cut the ribbon of The Residences on Lincoln Square, a hybrid development that transformed the historic Worcester Boys Club building, built in 1930, and later housing the Worcester Vocational School before becoming vacant in 2006.    

Madigan is extremely proud of this project which included the preservation and renovation of this century-old 46,000 square foot historical building into 16 apartments boasting 10-foot-high ceilings and extraordinary millwork details, along with a fitness center with an indoor basketball and pickleball court, community space, and leasing office. Additionally, Madigan completed the construction of another 64 apartments right next door in a brand new 5-story 65,000 square foot building.  

Governor Healey’s presence was an honor. She stated, “projects like this show not just the City [of Worcester] but the state [of Massachusetts] what’s possible: that we can build good housing in city centers, we can redevelop and reimagine old buildings…and it can deliver for people of all ages.”  

As the new building was constructed above the existing Ernest E. Johnson Tunnel, which connects Salisbury Street to Main Street and downtown Worcester, air rights were necessary for this project to continue. “It was quite an engineering and logistical feat,” noted Madigan’s CEO Jim Madigan, “but our team, led by Vice President of Operations Mike Dupuis, Project Engineer Andrew Robinson, and site supervisors Paul Nichols, Steve Viegas and Logan Benoit have handled this complex project beautifully. Our client WinnCompanies, specifically Vice President Andrew Colbert and Executive Vice President Mike O’Brien, along with our dedicated trade partners and design team at Maugel DeStefano Architects worked collaboratively with us to successfully deliver an outstanding project.” 

WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn noted that “reviving this iconic building has been a City [of Worcester] priority for two decades. An innovative development plan and consistent support from our public and private partners finally made it happen.” Jonathan Cocker, principal at Maugel DeStefano Architects, reflected that they are “pleased to have been a part of the team preserving Worcester's architectural heritage while providing lasting benefit to the community." 

The adjacent 61,298-square-foot new construction apartment building was built to the Passive House Institute U.S. (Phius) standard, the most rigorous energy performance measure in the world. It is an all-electric building to meet the Commonwealth’s goals for a fossil fuel-free future.   

"The transformation of the historic Worcester Boys Club into the Residences on Lincoln Square is a monumental achievement for our city…[and] seeing it reborn as 80 affordable homes for our adults 55 and older is incredibly rewarding,” said Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty. He continued by thanking Governor Healey, Madigan, WinnCompanies and Maugel DeStefano for “breathing new life into a downtown building that has played such a vital role in Worcester's history." 

The construction effort also delivered significant investments in qualified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and in Employee Workforce Goals, with more than $14.8 million in contracts awarded to MWBE subcontractors, accounting for nearly 35 percent of all subcontracted work.   

“This is exactly the kind of work we need to be doing to help ease the burden of the housing crisis” noted Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista.  

For Madigan, being in business nearly 90 years when the former Worcester Boys Club was the crowning jewel of Lincoln Square in the 1930s, and through the next nine decades of the ups and downs of that area, it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the successful renovation and restoration of this integral part of downtown Worcester. With special thanks to our friends at Preservation Worcester, the Worcester Historical Commission, Worcester Fire Department, National Park Services along with our team at WinnCompanies and Maugel DeStefano Architects, we proudly add this monumental project to our portfolio and look forward to knowing future generations of Worcester residents will reap the benefits of these buildings for years to come.