61 Downtown Condominiums in Historic Salem
BRIX was conceived at a time when the Salem market for downtown homeownership was unproven for a high-end multifamily development. However, the BRIX development team saw the potential of a beautiful and vibrant setting less than 30 minutes from Boston by train – a train conveniently located across the street from BRIX. That faith and confidence was confirmed with a marketing and sales effort that resulted in only two unsold units at the time of the ribbon cutting. The local team of Merry Fox Realty combined with Boston’s Charlesgate Realty Group was responsible for the marketing and sales of BRIX.
Architect Steve Tise’s charge was to create a building that would serve as a bridge between historic Salem and the new Salem that is emerging to address contemporary needs. The result is an architectural language that could best be called “Transitional,” and it took its cues from the materials, fenestration, and detailing of historic building’s that line Salem’s downtown commercial spine, Washington Street. Yet, at the same time, the building embraces and invites more contemporary architecture, such as that which is envisioned for a parcel across the street.
The construction of BRIX had an additional hometown emphasis with Salem-based Groom Construction completing the project in a challenging downtown environment. From Covid to unforeseen underground utility reconstruction, Groom performed continuously and seamlessly from start to finish.
Paul Ognibene, the CEO of Urban Spaces, stated, “BRIX represents our most recently-completed project, and we’re proud of the contribution it will make to the vibrancy of downtown Salem. One of our missions at Urban Spaces is to enhance our host neighborhoods and, in in the case of our work in the inner-city, to even improve people’s lives by providing home ownership and employment opportunities.”
Mayor Kimberly Driscoll recently announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor and is expected to build upon her reputation for “getting things done” and advancing positive change in Salem. BRIX is part of that innovative legacy and provides an entirely new housing option for those wishing to own their homes with a pedestrian-oriented, urban lifestyle.
About Urban Spaces, LLC
Urban Spaces is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based real estate development company that creates residential and commercial buildings in proximity to public transportation, universities, and employment hubs. Founded in 2004 by CEO Paul Ognibene, Urban Spaces has earned a regional reputation for award-winning developments that revitalize and enhance emerging and well-established neighborhoods. The company has a broad range of experience, including new construction, adaptive reuse, and historic preservation in both the private and public sectors. In addition to being an innovator, Urban Spaces has been influential in forecasting and advancing many of the important urban trends that we see today, such as micro-units, modular construction, and environmentally resilient design. Urban Spaces continues to make important contributions to the urban fabric of its host communities. For more information, go to: UrbanSpacesLLC.com
