Littleton, MA – Demolition is nearly complete and construction will soon be underway for the new headquarters of Workers Credit Union (WCU), which serves over 100,000 members at its 15 locations throughout Central Massachusetts.
Following the select demolition of the existing 44,000 square-foot structure located at 119 Russell St., Nauset Construction will begin the renovation of the original structure and construction of a 16,000 square-foot addition to create a Class A office environment that fosters employee wellness and productivity.
“Our new headquarters will reflect our commitment to employee well-being, with an abundance of natural light throughout the open work areas which have been strategically placed along exterior walls with large windows to encourage collaboration – a design that creates a healthy work environment that also allows employees to be more productive,” said Robert Lockett, SVP and Chief Strategy Officer of Workers Credit Union. “We’re experiencing phenomenal growth and the new headquarters in Littleton will not only allow us to accommodate our future needs, but also free up space for our operational departments to expand at our present headquarters in Fitchburg.”
Designed by Maugel Architects, based in Harvard, MA, the new headquarters combines traditional and modern design elements. The contemporary interior will feature glass guardrails, glass accent signage walls, branded graphic walls and columns, terrazzo staircases, wood ceilings and expansive folding walls, with a two-story lobby and a grand staircase. A sound masking system will be installed throughout the entire building to reduce noise distractions, protect speech privacy and increase office comfort.
The new facility will house WCU’s corporate offices and a number of its departments, offering numerous amenities, including conference rooms, training rooms, a café, an outdoor dining patio and a fitness center. The building’s exterior design features traditional masonry and cast stone that complements more modern elements, such as curtainwalls and a glass roof canopy. The building will be LEED Silver compliant.
In addition to constructing the building, Nauset will be making improvements to the property and its adjacent wetlands while enhancing line-of-sight exposure to Interstate Highway 495. Using Best Management Practices to protect wetland resource areas during construction, Nauset has also been tasked with improving storm water infrastructure and treatment to improve the quality of the water that is discharging to the wetlands. Nauset will remove a section of impervious asphalt pavement and implement a permeable pavement system to aid the process. Nauset will also be removing invasive species from the wetland area and installing native vegetation plantings and seedlings to improve the wetlands’ ecosystem.
“This project is demonstrative of Nauset’s steadily growing commercial office portfolio of mid-sized office construction projects in recent years, and the Workers Credit Union headquarters development presents another opportunity to enhance our reputation as the go-to contractor in this market segment,” said Anthony Papantonis, president of Nauset Construction. Nauset recently completed 121 First Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge; a 62,100 square-foot Class-A office and retail development that is occupied by CarGurus, and is currently constructing an office addition at 57 JFK in Harvard Square.
Workers Credit Union is currently headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. With assets of $1.7 billion, the credit union serves over 104,000 members through 15 offices in Athol, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Townsend and Westford.
