Project of the Month: DeStefano & Associates, Inc. completes design and construction of 36 apartments in former St. Joseph’s School

Haverhill, MA DeStefano & Associates, Inc. (DAI) has completed the design and construction of 36 apartments in the former St. Joseph’s School, known as the Lofts at St. Joseph. 

The school was built in 1888 and was active for 129 years, providing Catholic education to many families ranging from nursery school through eighth grade. Unfortunately, due to the declining enrollment, the school was forced to close at the end of the 2017 academic year.

In October 2020, developer Jonathan Cody, owner of Atlantis Investments, LLC, purchased the vacant building and hired DAI to design and construct 28 studio and eight one-bedroom apartments. The architect was Stephen Fleshman. The interior designer was Dawn Horan of Wellesley Design Consultants. 

Exterior renovations included new windows and roof. An adjacent vacant lot was renovated to accommodate the parking requirements. The existing three wythe brick exterior walls provide excellent structural and thermal integrity. 

On the interior the wide corridor was maintained with high ceilings (10 ft.). Improvements included a five stop elevator attached to the existing structure. Each unit is provided with finishes including LVT and ceramic floors, wood cabinets and quartz countertops. Blinds are provided with electric operators. HVAC is state-of-the-art heat pumps and ERV’s. 

Amenities include community washers and dryers, and private work space, located on the ground floor. 

Some of the unique challenges included labor shortages and supply chain delays caused by the pandemic. The elevator pit installation required ledge removal adjacent to the building at a depth of 20 ft. below grade. 

The building originally had a 10 lane bowling alley. This has been demolished and is available for future rental space, office, retail or food service.

The project team included: 

• DeStefano & Associates, Inc. - Construction Manager
• Sublime Construction Corp. - Concrete
• National Granite Flooring - Flooring
• Ware-Butler Building Supply - Doors, Cabinets and Countertops