Where fire station and furniture store used to be, apartment complex rises
FITCHBURG – Distinctive with its curved shape, the building that has taken shape on Moran Square since February is remaking an area where firefighters once waited for calls at the old station on Summer Street, while furniture shoppers patronized the Harper Building to the right.
The brand-new, five-story building at 1 Summer St. houses Apartments at Moran Square, a 42-unit apartment building that was developed on what had been a parking lot, part of a three-building project by a Boston-based developer.
The project got underway shortly after Rees-Larkin Development’s plans received city approval in 2019. The buildings are now managed by Housing Management Resources Inc. of North Quincy.
Rees-Larkin renovated the fire station on Summer Street to become the management office. It also houses two two-bedroom apartments on the second floor.
The main building features 18 two-bedroom apartments, 14 one-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom apartments and one studio, according to Denny Cruz, one of the property managers.
Cruz added that already 90% of the apartments are leased.
Two three-bedroom apartments and three two-bedroom apartments are reserved for tenants earning less than 30% of the area median income. Sixteen units of different types are available for tenants earning less than 60% of the AMI, according to Cruz.
The monthly rent for a three-bedroom apartment is set at $1,950; for two-bedroom apartments it's $1,690 and for one-bedroom apartments the rent is $1,420, according to Housing Management Resources Inc.
The studio's rent is set at $985.
Cruz added that the 8,400-square-foot Harper Building, situated to the right of the apartment building, is getting a makeover and will be leased out to commercial tenants, possibly for a wellness center.
A staple in the city, the building got its name from Harper Furniture, which was the go-to store for the area’s home decoration needs from 1968 until its closure in 2005.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: How much is the rent at Apartments at Moran Square in Fitchburg
