Lee Kennedy Company, in a joint venture with H. J. Russell & Company, has been awarded the preconstruction and construction contract for Building A in the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development’s first phase. This prestigious project, developed by Winn Companies, marks the beginning of a multi-phased, $2 billion redevelopment of the historic mixed-use housing project.

Designed by The Architectural Team, the redevelopment will transform the 30-acre site into a vibrant, resilient community. Phase 1 of the project represents a significant investment of $776 million, which includes the construction of 1,310 apartments across eight new buildings, planned to be completed over the next eight years.

Building A, the first of these new structures, will feature 94 modern apartments. The building’s design incorporates a wood frame over a steel podium, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity. This summer, demolition and abatement work will commence, preparing the site for the groundbreaking construction phase.

A key aspect of the redevelopment is its commitment to resiliency and sustainability. The project will raise the grade above the flood plain, protecting the community from potential flooding. Additionally, geo-thermal systems will be installed beneath Building A, providing an environmentally friendly energy solution.

“We are thrilled to team with H.J. Russell & Company and Winn Development on this transformative project,” said Lee Michael Kennedy, President & CEO of Lee Kennedy Company. “The Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development will set a new standard for mixed-use housing in Boston, and we are proud to contribute our expertise to such a significant endeavor.”

The Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development will not only provide much-needed housing but also create a vibrant, sustainable community that will serve as a model for future developments. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.

“H. J. Russell & Company has a 70-year history that sits on the foundation of building affordable housing, ensuring quality housing for all,” said Derrick Chery, General Manager, Northeast, H. J. Russell & Company. “Working hand in hand with the team at the Lee Kennedy Company and Winn Development, we are pulling from decades upon decades of experience and the team’s commitment to contributing to building community, not just building structures, and in which most residents can afford to live in.”

The Associated General Contractors of America has awarded the AGC MA – CARE Construction Safety Program with second place in the prestigious 2024 AGC Construction Innovation Awards. Built by Lee Kennedy Company’s Vice President of Risk Management, Jason Edic, in partnership with other leaders from dedicated general contractors, the CARE Safety Program is a universal orientation video, a worker safety database platform, and program content. This initiative marks a collective effort to enhance safety standards across our job sites and within the trades.

The CARE Construction Safety Program – Consciousness, Alignment, Respect, and Empowerment -is designed to ease the burdens on subcontractor partners by creating consistency across multiple general contractors. It cultivates a culture of safety and well-being within the construction industry, focusing on four key areas: raising awareness among construction workers, fostering industry-wide collaboration, promoting respect for mental and physical health, and empowering individuals to take proactive measures for safety improvement.

Congratulations to all members of CARE Construction Safety Program for coming together to design and implement this initiative on your jobsites. The safety of our trades people is the most crucial part of construction, and we are honored to have been recognized for our commitment to bettering the industry.

Last week, LKCO was joined by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Peter Lynch, Rob Griffin and his family and other local dignitaries to break ground on a new building for Lawrence Catholic Academy. This $30M, 50,000 SF, 3 story facility will house 22 new classrooms, a large commercial kitchen, and a new fitness wing. LKCO is honored to be a part of this new chapter for Lawrence Catholic Academy! Read more about the project and the ceremony below.

Lee Kennedy Company recently completed the Center for Health Sciences, Early Childhood, and Human Services for MassBay Community College, on their Framingham campus. The goal of the 70,000 SF teaching facility is to provide training and education to fulfill an urgent need in healthcare, education, and social work.

“The Center stands as a beacon of progress and innovation, representing a culmination of a nearly 33-year journey for MassBay Community College,” said MassBay President David Podell. “Unlike previous buildings, this one has been designed from the ground up to meet the College’s programmatic needs, symbolizing a new era in academic excellence. Our doors are open to everybody, meaning everybody has a chance to move up economically in the world and bring their family with them.”

Designed by Sasaki and Studio Enee Architects, the space includes teaching spaces for EMT, Paramedicine, Nursing, Radiology, Sonography, and Phlebotomy, as well as Early Childhood Education to support a number of Associates and Certificate Programs. The state-of-the-art Simulation Labs provide hands on training mimicking real hospital settings allowing students to practice and develop their skills. The immersive labs provide like-real training as they interact through real sights, sounds and smells of healthcare environments. The building also houses faculty offices, conference rooms, food services, a library, computer labs and a student lounge.

The net-zero ready building is the first building constructed for MassBay since its founding in 1961. The project adds to LKCO’s extensive academic and healthcare portfolios.

Lee Kennedy Co., Inc., has completed construction on Lynn Community Health Center’s new retail pharmacy located on the first floor of the 260 Mantzoukas building. The space was designed through a Lean 3P process to envision ideal pharmacy services. Once designed, participants produced full size offsite mockups to determine the final layouts, workflow, equipment placement, and future growth zones. The intensive effort was followed by a Target Value Design and purchasing effort to mitigate escalation and supply chain issues. The project was seamlessly constructed next to the main lobby and OB/Gyn clinic.

The new 4,000 square-foot pharmacy will provide prescription pharmacy services to support employees and the health center’s 40,000 patients. The in-house pharmacy will make it easier for patients to gain access to the medications they are prescribed and empower those to take charge of their health.

Now open, the pharmacy is already exceeding projections and providing reliable and simplified access to critical medications to Lynn Community Health Center’s diverse patient population.

 The project team for the Lynn Community Health Center Pharmacy included Stantec as the owner’s project manager, E4H Environments for Health Architecture as the architect, and AKF Group as the MEP engineer.

Boston, MA– Lee Kennedy Co. has been managing campus improvement projects at Simmons University for more than 20 years, and recently completed construction of the University’s new science center and library within Lefavour Hall and the West Wing of the Main College Building. The recent renovation completed Phase 3 of the university’s “One Simmons” plan which enables the university to offer first-class facilities to their students.

Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Phases 1 and 2 began in May 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. These enabling phases consisted of updating existing classrooms, offices, and spaces within other buildings on campus, to allow Simmons to move personnel from the existing building to prepare for the fit-out of new science and library spaces.

Phase 3 was a continuation of enabling work on the main campus and the full 142,000 square-foot renovation of existing spaces in Lefavour Hall and West Wing. This provided new classrooms, offices, support spaces, a library, and 2 full floors of labs for students and faculty. The new science labs included Neuro Science, Bio/Chem, Anatomy and Physiology, Micro Genetics, Chemistry and additional research labs. Well-known for their nursing program, Simmons University also built new labs for Home Health, Surgical, ER, Pediatric, Labor and Delivery, and other various teaching simulation labs. These new labs will allow students to gain access to the same state-of-the-art equipment they will eventually go on to use after graduation.

Lee Kennedy Co. managed construction in the heart of a fully operational Simmons University campus. As a result of early planning and close collaboration with Simmons University, Redgate, and subcontractors, the entire project team was able to minimize disruption and coordinate the project logistically around the busy college campus. This project continues Lee Kennedy Co.’s life science work in and around the Boston area.

Work is ramping up at our Lego Discovery Center project in Somerville!

The 43,000 square-foot space will have a retail store and an innovative attraction space that evolves its previous offerings and creates a much more interactive experience for the whole family.

This project has been a unique and fun one to work on and we can’t wait for you to see the final product in just a few months! Check out the article below for the official opening date.

Lee Kennedy Co., Inc., has completed construction on Boston Arts Academy’s new $117 million school building across from the famous Fenway Park at 174 Ipswich Street. More space was certainly a priority for Boston’s only public school for the visual and performing arts. The 154,000sf building has expanded the Boston Arts Academy’s space allowing them to welcome 15% more students than before.

“I remember walking the halls of the old building, it looked and felt like any other school building to me, with CMU walls and vinyl flooring. But there was an underlying energy, a quiet spirit that lived beneath the surface. I am so proud and honored to have built this building knowing what it means for these kids. A space to innovate, a place where they can express themselves, a place to foster endless possibilities,” says Lee Michael Kennedy, President and CEO at Lee Kennedy Co., Inc.

Each floor within the building is dedicated to a different art discipline with common areas throughout to encourage spontaneous performances and instruction. All levels offer flexible classrooms and different learning environments, including a STEAM lab where students can explore how subjects like math, science, and technology intersect with the arts. Large public spaces, such as the lobby, double as art galleries where student work is displayed. The school’s most impressive space has to be their 500-seat theater featuring a proscenium stage that can not only host student performances, but local artist performances as well. This allows the Boston Arts Academy to continue to develop a community learning environment where students can create their own work and be inspired through working artists in and around Boston.

“Our students deserve school buildings made for modern learning environments, and that is what we have created here,” said Mary Skipper, Superintendent of Boston Public Schools. “We are proud to provide Boston’s young people access to a world-class visual and performing arts high school. The students who attend this school help shape the culture and beauty of our society.”

The new facility provides better rehearsal studios, high-tech fashion and fine art studios, a gymnasium, dance studios, a rooftop recital hall, and more. Many of the spaces are equipped with the latest technology used by professional artists, allowing students to gain experience using the same equipment they will eventually utilize outside of the classroom. At the recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the building, Mayor Michelle Wu stated, “This is the new baseline for the Boston Public Schools.”

Lee Michael Kennedy was also honored by the Boston Arts Academy Foundation as the builder of the new facility and for his Civic Responsibility at their BAA Honors Event. Lee is significantly involved in supporting Boston’s youth and currently serves on the boards for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Claddagh Fund, College Bound Dorchester, and the Neighborhood House Charter School.

The project team for the Boston Arts Academy included PMA Consultants as the owner’s project manager, and Perkins Eastman and Wilson Butler as the architects.