Callahan Construction Managers and Beacon Communities break ground at Leefort Terrace - a 124-unit affordable development

Salem, MA Callahan Construction Managers (Callahan) has broken ground on Leefort Terrace, a new 124-unit affordable development on Salem Neck. Callahan is working in partnership with Beacon Communities, which is overseeing the redevelopment of this important residential community.

Numerous political dignitaries and local executives attended the ceremonial kick-off, including lieutenant governor Kim Driscoll; Massachusetts secretary of housing and livable communities Ed Augustus; Salem mayor Dominick Pangallo; Salem Housing Authority executive director Cathy Hoog; executive director of Massachusetts Housing Partnership Clark Ziegler; Dara Kovel, CEO of Beacon Communities; and Patrick Callahan, president of Callahan Construction.

The redevelopment will address several challenges with the current residences. In addition to simply being outdated, the garden-style apartment community is located in a coastal floodplain. When complete, the new Leefort Terrace will include a three-story and a four-story structure with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, which will be all-electric and Passive House certified, and built to exceed the expected 2070 floodplain levels. All apartments will be affordable to households with incomes at or below 30% and 60% Area Median Income for 99 years.

“As an administration, we are dedicated to addressing two of our most pressing challenges: housing and climate change,” said lieutenant governor Driscoll. “That’s why we’ve passed the Affordable Homes Act into law because it’ll help create thousands of new units of housing that we need and it invests $275 million exclusively to sustainable and green housing initiatives. Our administration has made strides in ensuring that people who say yes to building housing have the supports they need to make it happen. Last fall, we expanded the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program which helped make projects like this one come to life. As the former mayor of Salem, I know how impactful developments like Leefort Terrace are for the community and I’m excited to celebrate this groundbreaking.”

Amenities will include a fitness center, a community room, wellness office, computer stations, a private residential courtyard featuring a grilling area, a bocce court and victory gardens. Included in the site plan are 100 parking spots as well as 86 spaces for bicycle parking, two EV charging stations, and 25 EV-capable parking spaces.

“We are grateful to our partners at the local, state and federal level, as well as to the Salem Housing Authority, for their collaboration and commitment to expanding housing opportunities that will reduce our carbon footprint and be affordable for generations to come,” said Kovel.

“We appreciate the patience and support of the residents and look forward to welcoming them into their new homes in early 2026.”