The scarcity and need for affordable housing in Cambridge have never been more acute, nor has the need to pursue sustainable, environmentally-friendly building strategies in response to the worsening climate crisis.
The proposed adaptive re-use of the former Sacred Heart Rectory, School and Convent helps to address both of these pressing issues by delivering a significant number of new, perpetually affordable homes in the East Cambridge community through the repurposing an existing structure with a lower embodied carbon footprint.
The plan calls for 46 rental apartments, with housing options for a range of resident incomes. As part of the renovation, we will restore the structures’ historic facades and interiors, ensuring that these longstanding elements of East Cambridge’s historical fabric will be preserved for years to come.
About the name, The Rose
POAH takes careful consideration of local communities, geographical context, and future residents when naming a property. In this case, the naming of the property took several factors into account when coming up with the name The Rose – the deep 150+ year old history of the religious buildings, the NeoGothic architectural heritage, the Irish Catholic origins of most of the congregation as well as the waves of Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and other immigrants in East Cambridge. The name “Rose” reflects the beautiful façade of these buildings that are a rich red color and layered as is a red rose. The purely physical aspects of this architectural gem inspired the name, The Rose on Sixth Street – The Heart of The Neighborhood!
The community will be managed by POAH Communities, POAH’s affiliated property management group.
Project information from the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department can be found here.
The Rose on Sixth Street 