Fitchburg office building being converted into housing

FITCHBURG — One of downtown’s most important long-vacant buildings is set for a makeover.

The former Santander Bank building, at 280 Main St., at the center of Fitchburg’s downtown, also formerly known as the Park Building and as the former Worcester North Savings Institution, is being renovated into housing.

Santander closed its Main Street branch in 2019, and the building has been vacant ever since.

But long before that, this corner anchor served Fitchburg for generations — housing the Worcester North Savings Institution, law offices, a barber shop and many professional offices dating back to its dedication in 1897.

Now, that history is meeting a new future, where The Tocci Group developers are actively advancing plans to convert this five-story, 32,000-square-foot historic building into about 35 market rate apartments, complete with an elevator and on-site parking.

The development team is working through parking lot planning at the rear of the building, working to close financing gaps and laying out the interior design as they move toward Planning Board special permit approvals.

The views from the corner units especially are going to be particularly scenic. From a single vantage point on multiple levels, you will be able to see the Water Street Bridge, the railroad, the Nashua River and Main Street all at once. These apartments will be compatible with great downtown living — walkable to the train station across the street and right on the city’s Main Street development corridor.

Across the country, cities are experiencing commercial buildings with high vacancy due to long-term shifts in office demand, paired with an urgent need for more housing.

Converting offices to housing is an obvious solution, but is not simple — these projects are expensive, technically complex and often difficult to finance due to structural challenges, outdated systems, zoning considerations and construction costs that can exceed new builds.

History shows these investments work. Cities like New York successfully converted thousands of office units into housing when zoning and financing tools aligned. Boston is seeing many conversion projects proposed. Today, tools like historic tax credits, housing programs and commercial conversion funding are helping communities like Fitchburg do the same.

The city is actively focused on the repurposing of its underused and long-vacant commercial buildings into residential and mixed use properties, especially when it preserves historic architecture and brings life back to downtown.

The Park Building sits at the gateway to downtown Fitchburg, adjacent to the city’s new under-construction Water Street Bridge.

Bringing new residents here means more foot traffic, more support for local businesses and a stronger, more vibrant Main Street. Investing in these historic buildings honors the city’s past while building housing for its future.

Sam Squailia is the mayor of Fitchburg.