WORCESTER, Mass. - Former Becker College office buildings in Worcester's Elm Park neighborhood will soon go on the market as homes.

"I love the area," Hampton Properties LLC owner, Russ Haims, said. "I love the architecture, the people that call this their home. And I just decided I wanted to contribute to that by preserving these properties." 

What You Need To Know

  • Hampton Properties LLC bought 27 former Becker College properties
  • Buildings will be renovated into single-family homes, apartments, and student housing
  • Russ Haims, owner of Hampton Properties LLC, says he expects single-family homes to be on the market in the next 60 days. He hopes to have the rest of the properties ready in the next year
  • Clark University and WPI are among others who have leased property since Becker College announced its closure earlier this year

Hampton Properties purchased a total of 27 former Becker properties. The former campus buildings will be renovated into homes, apartments, and student housing.

"So, we're just taking the office furniture all out of here," Haims said. "But, you can see some of the beautiful attributes and how this was built."

Haims already owned several properties in the Elm Park neighborhood near the now-closed Becker College. He was concerned the school would have a 'fire sale' of the buildings.

"I was afraid if they fell in the wrong hands, people might not do the types of improvements that are required," Haims said. "There's a lot of deferred maintenance on these properties. A lot. And they also wouldn't necessarily respect the historic nature."

Haims admits he’s facing a couple challenges. First, potential zoning issues. Second, the availability of contractors.

"I need teams of people who can do all this work simultaneously that have also, again, local track records that I can look at their references," Haims said.​

But he's confident and is hoping to have all of the properties ready in on year. Haims says he’s already had interest in some of the properties. For example, the former School of Nursing on campus.

"That's going to be a single-family home," Haims said. "Already spoken for by a young couple that are engaged."