The Cove
Worcester, Mass.
BEST PROJECT
Presented by NEI General Contracting
Owner: V10 development
Main design company: The architecture team
General contractor: NEI General Contracting
Located in Worcester’s emerging Canal District and directly adjacent to the iconic Polar Park baseball stadium, The Cove offers over 170 market-rate luxury apartments that offer a new level of energy, style and convenience. The mix of units includes studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, many with patios and decks with direct views of the stadium, giving residents a front-row seat to games, concerts and community events.
On the ground floor, 16,000 square feet of retail space is anchored by a restaurant, bar and bowling alley, helping to activate the street and contribute to the district’s growing nightlife. Residents enjoy access to nearly 100 structured parking spaces and a range of services designed to support both social and productive work-from-home lifestyles. In addition to two outdoor patios overlooking the ballpark, shared spaces include a gym, co-working rooms, fire pits, and a communal kitchen and lounge.
Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of NEI General Contracting
Soil remediation at the urban fill site required the careful removal of more than 10,000 m3 of contaminated material containing arsenic and PCBs. With the entire foundation located below the water table, the team installed a robust support system of soldier piles and liner, with a continuous dewatering system designed to recharge the surrounding groundwater. To complicate matters, 2023 marked Worcester’s wettest year in three decades, significantly increasing groundwater intrusion and extending the duration of the dewatering phase.
Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of NEI General Contracting
Supply chain delays, particularly for electronics, forced the team to revise purchasing schedules. The transformers took more than 15 months from approval to delivery, requiring extensive coordination with utilities and subcontractors to maintain momentum. Site logistics were also dictated by the adjacent stadium; construction had to stop three hours before each home game.
Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of NEI General Contracting
Despite these challenges, the team completed the project on time and on budget, creating a mixed-use development that bridges Worcester’s legacy and its evolving future.
