DEVENS, MA — A proposal to build 65 affordable apartments in Devens has moved forward, with MassDevelopment signing a letter of intent to sell a 6.6-acre site at Adams Circle to Metro West Collaborative Development.
The state agency announced the agreement on September 23. The proposed development would include six buildings serving households earning between 30% and 80% of area median income.
The apartments remain in the planning stage. MassDevelopment and the nonprofit developer will finalize the terms of the sale as the project moves through design and permitting. Metro West Collaborative Development estimates construction would take place between 2029 and 2031.
Housing cap removal opened the door
The proposal follows a change in state law that allowed additional housing development in Devens.
The Mass Leads Act, signed in November 2024, removed a longstanding cap that limited the community to 282 housing units. That change allowed MassDevelopment to seek developers for additional parcels already zoned for residential use.
In December 2025, the agency requested proposals for sites at Adams Circle and Grant Road. An internal review committee recommended Metro West Collaborative Development’s proposal for Adams Circle.
The developer worked with architecture and urban design firm Utile on the site plan.
Additional homes planned in Devens
The Adams Circle proposal is part of a broader effort to expand housing in the North Central Massachusetts community.
In February, MassDevelopment announced a separate land sale at 25 Adams Circle for 12 planned townhomes. In August, the agency announced a land sale and $4 million loan supporting 46 new mixed-income apartments at 77 Grant Road.
Metro West Collaborative Development, based in Newton, has completed affordable housing projects in Hudson and Medway, according to MassDevelopment.
The September announcement did not provide apartment rents, a bedroom breakdown or an application timeline for the proposed 65-unit development.
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