MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — Construction has begun on an 80,000-square-foot interior renovation that will convert an existing office building at 251 Locke Drive in Marlborough into the new headquarters and training center for Advocates, Inc.
The project is being managed by Related Beal on behalf of building owner Boston Andes Capital. Maugel DeStefano Architects designed the renovation, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.
Advocates, a Massachusetts human services organization, provides programs for people facing challenges including addiction, aging, autism, brain injury, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental health conditions.
The new headquarters will include corporate offices, conference rooms, training facilities, employee collaboration areas and workplace amenities. The design is intended to provide a more flexible work environment while accommodating the organization’s operations and future growth.
“This project reflects our commitment to creating workplaces that strengthen organizational culture while supporting operational excellence,” said Colby Cavanagh, healthcare & science studio lead at Maugel DeStefano Architects. “We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Advocates by designing a headquarters that will serve their team today while providing flexibility to support their future growth.”
Danielle Joseph, Senior Director of Project Management, and Barbara Thompson, Chief of Staff to the CEO at Advocates, are co-leads for the Locke Drive project. They said the organization valued the architectural firm’s approach to the project.
“We appreciate the firm’s flexibility, transparency, and collaborative approach,” said Joseph and Thompson. “Their team consistently thinks outside the box to develop creative solutions to help us overcome challenges. We truly view Maugel DeStefano as an extension of our own team.”
The headquarters project continues a relationship between Advocates and Maugel DeStefano that began with the renovation of Advocates’ Community Behavioral Health Center at 1094 Worcester Road in Framingham.
Completed in 2023, that 14,000-square-foot project converted an existing building into an outpatient behavioral health center serving youth and adults. The facility includes 30 treatment rooms, group therapy spaces, an onsite laboratory and pharmacy, patient support areas and operational spaces for staff.
The Framingham center is now home to one of the largest outpatient behavioral health clinics in Massachusetts, according to Maugel DeStefano.
The architectural firm currently has three additional healthcare projects underway for Advocates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Other companies involved in the Marlborough headquarters project include Sterling Construction, which is serving as general contractor, and BLW Engineers, which is providing mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services.
Maugel DeStefano Architects, founded in 1993, works on commercial, residential, healthcare, industrial and life sciences projects throughout New England.
