2025 East Best Projects
Best Residential/Hospitality: The Cove
The Cove
Worcester, Mass.
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by NEI General Contracting
Owner: V10 Development
Lead Design Firm: The Architectural 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 more than 170 upscale, market-rate apartments that deliver a new level of energy, style and convenience. The unit mix includes studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, many with patios and terraces providing direct views into the stadium, offering residents a front-row seat to games, concerts and community events.
At the ground level, 16,000 sq ft of retail space is anchored by a restaurant, bar and candlepin bowling alley, helping activate the street and contribute to the growing district nightlife. Residents enjoy access to nearly 100 structured parking spaces and a range of amenities designed to support both social living and productive work-from-home lifestyles. Along with two outdoor patios overlooking the ballpark, shared spaces include a fitness center, co-working lounges, fire pits and a communal kitchen and lounge.
Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of NEI General Contracting
Soil remediation at the urban infill site required careful removal of more than 10,000 cu yd of contaminated material containing arsenic and PCBs. With the entire foundation located beneath the water table, the team installed a robust support system of soldier piles and lagging, 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 procurement schedules. 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 pause three hours before every home game.
Photo by Andy Ryan, courtesy of NEI General Contracting
Despite these challenges, the team completed the project on schedule and at budget, creating a mixed-use development that bridges Worcester’s gritty legacy and its evolving future.
