State issues request for proposals for 72-acre redevelopment featuring at least 288 homes, public spaces, historic preservation and potential neighborhood retail.
LANCASTER, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll administration is seeking a developer to transform the approximately 72-acre former Lancaster Industrial School for Girls property into a new residential neighborhood featuring at least 288 homes, with the potential to accommodate up to 386 units through additional local approvals.
The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting qualified development teams to redevelop the vacant, state-owned property in accordance with a community-informed plan developed in collaboration with the Town of Lancaster.
The proposed redevelopment calls for a walkable neighborhood with a mix of housing options, public spaces and potentially neighborhood-serving retail and commercial uses. The project will also emphasize historic preservation, architectural quality and protection of the property’s natural landscape.
“We created State Land for Homes because Massachusetts has underused public land that can and should be helping us build the housing people need,” Gov. Maura Healey said. She described the Lancaster project as an opportunity to put vacant state property back into productive use while advancing a vision developed with the local community.
Under the Affordable Homes Act, the property is authorized to accommodate at least 288 homes as-of-right. Additional rezoning or an agreement involving DCAMM, the town and the selected developer could allow the project to expand to as many as 386 homes, alongside neighborhood-serving commercial uses organized around a walkable main street.
The redevelopment plan was prepared by planning and urban design firm Speck Dempsey in collaboration with DCAMM and the town. Its development involved a public engagement process conducted between summer 2025 and spring 2026, including three community meetings, an open design studio and two pop-up outreach events.
The resulting Regulating Plan incorporates feedback from residents and local leaders and establishes guidelines for building design, public spaces, housing diversity and the preservation of historic structures and significant landscape features.
Chris Dempsey and Jeff Speck, co-founders of Speck Dempsey, said the plan takes advantage of the property’s historic roads, paths, mature trees and hedgerows to create a neighborhood that reflects the character of the site while limiting infrastructure costs and environmental impacts.
The administration anticipates selecting a development team in late 2026 or early 2027. Following selection, the property is expected to transfer to the developer within approximately 18 months, with construction beginning thereafter.
DCAMM also anticipates that Lancaster will consider proposed rezoning this fall to enable additional housing and neighborhood-serving commercial development. The process will include public hearings and consideration by Town Meeting.
“This redevelopment will turn long-vacant state property into new homes, creating a new neighborhood for Lancaster residents and putting the land back on local tax rolls,” said Juana Matias, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Lancaster Select Board Chair Jason Allison said the town had worked with state officials and consultants for more than a year to determine an appropriate development approach. He said the resulting plan reflects suggestions from residents on how to preserve the property’s character while accommodating new development.
The project is part of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s State Land for Homes initiative, launched in 2025 to convert underused state-owned properties into housing. The administration has advanced plans for more than 5,600 homes across nearly 700 acres of state land in 33 Massachusetts communities.
Additional information about the Lancaster redevelopment and the developer solicitation is available through the project’s website.
