Duffy Real Estate breaks ground on $35 million townhouse development

State Representative Jason Lewis joined local officials and developer Duffy Realty LLC in a groundbreaking ceremony for Graystone at Winchester, located at 223 Cambridge St., the first major development in town in nearly 20 years, The $35 million project will ultimately have 50 luxury town homes on the 10-acre site which is located three miles east of I-95 (Rte. 128). Graystone's developer and builder Kevin Duffy, principal of Duffy Realty, said that approval of this $35 million community has been a collaborative process during the last three years. Special efforts were taken to preserve the Henry Grover House which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1885, part of the home's original granite fieldstone foundation is being used in stonewalls throughout the site. The home itself is being moved to a new foundation where it will be converted to two luxury residences immediately inside the community's new entrance. State representative Jason Lewis remarked that a real estate project like Graystone at Winchester gives people confidence that the economy is coming back. Sue Hawkes, president and CEO of The Collaborative Companies in Boston, whose firm is handling the sales and marketing of the community, said the last luxury town home project of this size in Winchester was The Ledges. "Graystone at Winchester will provide much needed new luxury housing for people of all ages who want to live in Winchester, but desire a more maintenance-free lifestyle," she said. The town homes, ranging from 2,000 - 2,600 s/f, will be EnergyStar rated and will be among the first in Mass. to receive the National Association of Home Builders' Green Housing Certification. Interior finishes will include hardwood floors, an abundance of moldings and built-in details, custom-designed kitchens with granite countertops, high-end stainless-steel appliances, high ceilings and two-car garages.