Thursday, 15 October 2026 02:30 PM
Company Update
Local preservation community celebrates rehabilitation of abandoned school buildings
RANDOLPH, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 15, 2026 / NEI General Contracting, an award-winning general contracting firm, announced today it has been recognized by Historic Salem, Inc. in the organization's annual Preservation Awards for its restoration of the historic St. Mary's and St. James school buildings, now known as Hawthorne Lofts and The Residences at St. James. Honorees were celebrated at the organization's gala event last week.
Each year, Historic Salem asks the Salem community to help identify the best examples of outstanding historic preservation projects and leadership throughout the city. Nominations are evaluated by a committee that includes a cross section of Salem's citizens and members of the Salem Historical Commission. The project involved taking two formerly abandoned school buildings and converting them into residential and community gathering spaces. The project's owner is the North Shore CDC and the architect is ICON Architecture, Inc.
NEI's team oversaw a difficult renovation project as both buildings had been vacant for many years. Deteriorated structural components, water infiltration, and inadequate utilities were just some of the challenges the team faced. In addition, due to the historic nature of the structures, NEI's team worked hard to preserve as many original details as possible, from windows to chalkboards to hardwood floors and ornamental trim. Recreating details that couldn't be saved was also a priority, along with integrating elevator service without distorting the historic character of the buildings.
"This project required a team that could balance multiple goals: first, to save two historic school buildings that were long-standing Salem landmarks, and second, to create much-needed affordable housing and community spaces," said Jennifer Kolodziej, Senior Project Manager, North Shore CDC. "With this recognition from Historic Salem, Inc., we are able to celebrate how adaptive reuse - when done correctly - can preserve history and provide safe, attainable housing for residents."
In addition to its achievements in historic preservation, both buildings also added significant inventory to the local affordable housing pipeline. Hawthorne Lofts features seven studios, 18 one-bedroom units, and four two-bedroom units with community art space and an artist's preference for residents. Ten of the units are restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and supported by the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, 14 units are restricted to households earning up to 60 percent of AMI, and five units are restricted to households earning up to 80 percent of AMI.
"Being able to save both historic structures from further deterioration and finding a way to provide much-needed affordable housing was about as perfect of a win-win that we could ask for," said Josef F. Rettman, President, NEI. "The North Shore CDC had a vision for these structures that we were happy to help execute, and this honor from Historic Salem, Inc. confirms how impactful the restoration of these school buildings will continue to be in years to come."
For more information on NEI's residential portfolio, click here.
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About NEI General Contracting
NEI is a privately held company committed to affordable housing with extensive experience in ground-up, moderate rehab, elderly, veteran, historic rehab, historic tax credit and tax credit projects.
The company provides a full spectrum of general contracting and construction management services to clients throughout the United States. NEI has three regional offices, to help better serve its clients: Boston to serve the Northeast, Florida to serve the Southeast, and Texas to serve the Southwest.
Founded in 1998 on the principles of integrity and diligence, we have opened the door to over 37,000 newly homed and hopeful families, giving them a chance for a better quality of life. For more information, please visit www.neigc.com.
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Jeff Lavery, Principal
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SOURCE: NEI