Connecting North Salem to the City's Historic Downtown
Important progress is being made on two development projects designed to advance the City of Salem’s long-held vision for strengthening a key gateway between North Salem and the city’s downtown.
Construction and engineering crews led by WinnDevelopment are conducting preliminary sitework for The Exchange Salem, a 120-unit, transit-oriented, mixed-income apartment community that will be built on the site of a former municipal parking lot adjacent to Salem's MBTA station.
Once financing closes this spring, a $46 million construction effort will create a true mixed-income community to advance the City’s goals for more affordable and workforce housing in the area.
Of the115 apartments, 55 will be available to households earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI); 22 will be reserved for low-income individuals; 20 will serve middle-income households; and 18 will be rented at market rates,
At the same time, plans to revitalize two historic courthouses across the street will also be fully funded in the early spring of 2026, paving the way for work to begin on a $14.9 million adaptive reuse project that will restore and transform the buildings into workforce housing apartments and event space and improve the pedestrian experience at the corner of Bridge and Federal streets.
Adhering to stringent historic preservation guidelines, the red Salem Superior Court Building will be restored and renovated to offer 20,000 square feet of event space, while the gray County Commissioners Building will be renovated to offer 14 units of rental housing for households earning up to 100 percent of AMI. The apartments will eventually become an opportunity for homeownership condominiums.
WinnDevelopment is excited to have the opportunity to revitalize the landmark courthouse buildings, to advance the important public policy goal of creating high-quality mixed-income housing downtown, and to enhance the public realm at a location that plays a key role in Salem’s vitality. More information will be provided on this web site as these dual developments move forward.