State unveils office-to-housing conversion program and spotlights Chestnut Place in Worcester

State officials on a Worcester site visit outlined a new initiative to help municipalities convert vacant or underused office buildings into housing and highlighted Synergy Investments’ Chestnut Place project as a model. Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and MassHousing leadership said the program—tied to the Affordable Homes Act’s innovation fund—will provide planning dollars and technical expertise to identify good candidates for conversion and accelerate projects once funding is available.

"We don't have a minute to waste," Governor Healey said, urging municipalities to inventory buildings and start planning changes to zoning and infrastructure to make conversions feasible. She framed the approach as preserving historic building character, adding housing in walkable downtowns and reducing materials by keeping core…