- Bob Ansin '96
Lawrence, Massachusetts, is like so many New England mill towns: it has experienced good times and, more recently, economic hard times. The old mills standing along the Merrimack River wear that history with grace.
“These mills were built like tanks,” says Bob Ansin ’96. He is CEO of Mass Innovation, the development company rehabbing one of these mills into eco-luxury condos. Ansin is pioneering a green urban-renewal movement. The Wood Mill, the focus of his efforts, was a model of innovation in its time, serving as an “indus-trial community” before most textile manufacturing relocated. Now environmentally minded home buyers can have a piece of that history in the form of bright, modern living spaces and beautifully restored wood floors, starting at about $200,000 for a studio loft. Ansin’s brainchild, Monarch on the Merrimack, also features a garden lobby and a private waterfront park.
The buzzword Ansin applies is smart growth. The Wood Mill is an important historic relic, once a symbol of great wealth. In transforming the structures, Ansin has taken it upon himself to synthesize the past and the future.
In Ansin’s conception of smart growth, urban renewal is an economically prudent way to revitalize a community. By working with exist-ing structures rather than developing new housing from the ground up, Ansin and his team see themselves as “changing the paradigm.”
The Wood Mill lofts use a geother-mal system to heat and cool the indi-vidual condos. The geothermal system will benefi t residents by offering sig-nifi cantly lower rates on energy bills. Ansin says that another consequence of his visionary project is to “mini-mize our carbon footprint and show our children what our values are.” Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have cited geothermal energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. “The first phase is all about the buzz,” says Ansin. And Ansin’s business venture is generating plenty of it. Monarch on the Merrimack is about four months away from delivering 201 condos, 25 percent of which are already sold. There’s mutual interest among empty nesters and young pro-fessionals both of whom are eager to relocate to the newly renovated Wood Mill.
The attractions of this historical neighborhood include a nearby commuter rail stop, easy access to dining, galleries, cafés, and an independent cinema to be housed within the complex. The idea is to create living space that’s within walking or commuting distance to both work and recreational options.
Ansin, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, said he is not one to get a degree for the sake of it. After high school, he entered politics by working on Michael Dukakis’s campaign. “I didn’t want to go into politics as much as I wanted to understand government and people,” says Ansin. “There’s more politics in business than they teach you in business school. It’s all about people and relationships.”
Speaking of relationships, Ansin’s family maintains family maintains its UMass Amherst Sciences. According to Ansin, financial support is offered annually to 10 students, through a competitive process. Each are given $1,000-$2,000 to allow them to travel abroad without having to work.
Ansin’s own project is going places. He’s tapping into a couple of demographic trends. Knowing that the demand for community living is on the rise, as empty nesters move from the suburbs to be closer to others and urban amenities, he sees Monarch on the Merrimack as offering an important kind of real estate. Monarch also appeals to young professionals, who seek shorter commutes and affordable living arrangements.
Ansin puts a high value on protecting the environment. As he takes part in the burgeoning renewal of Lawrence, Ansin and his team hope to lead the way toward a more sustainable and affordable future.
