Are There Any New Construction Developments or Planned Housing Projects Happening in Andover MA in 2026?

Building activity in Andover has been rising, but new residential construction is still a relatively small portion of that work. Most permits issued in town cover renovations, additions, and commercial projects rather than net-new housing units. That context matters a lot if you are trying to understand how new construction will actually affect inventory and prices in the near term.

How Much Is Actually Being Built?

According to reporting from Andover News, building activity has picked up meaningfully in recent years, but new housing units remain a small share of total construction volume in Andover. The town issues far more permits for renovation and commercial work than for ground-up residential projects. This is partly a reflection of Andover's mature, largely built-out character: the town's residential fabric is dominated by established single-family neighborhoods on tree-lined streets, and large parcels suitable for new development are genuinely scarce.

Andover's housing stock skews heavily toward single-family homes, with a mix of colonials, capes, and contemporaries spread across neighborhoods like Shawsheen Village, In-Town, and the South End. Condominiums and townhomes exist but represent a smaller share of the market. New construction, when it does happen, tends to be either infill single-family homes on subdivided lots or larger multifamily proposals that require zoning relief or special permitting.

Why New Housing Is Still a Small Slice of Total Construction

Andover is a town of roughly 36,000 residents covering about 31 square miles, much of which is already developed or protected as open space and conservation land. The Harold Parker State Forest borders the town to the south, and significant wetland and watershed land limits where new construction can go. Zoning regulations, abutter opposition, and the permitting process all add time and cost to any new project. The result is that even when developers propose new housing, the gap between announcement and delivered units can span several years.

2. The Biggest New Housing Projects to Watch in 2026

Several specific projects are actively moving through the development pipeline in Andover in 2026, and one of them is large enough to meaningfully shift the conversation about housing supply in town.

The 334-Unit Multifamily Proposal Near Route 28

The single largest new housing proposal in Andover right now involves a site near Route 28 where a Houston-based developer acquired land with plans for approximately 334 residential units. According to Bisnow's Boston Deal Sheet, the developer purchased the Andover site with a 334-unit plan already in hand. A project of this scale would represent a significant addition to Andover's rental housing stock, which has historically been limited compared to the single-family ownership market.

Projects of this size in Massachusetts almost always require local zoning approval and, in many cases, a comprehensive permit under Chapter 40B if the developer is seeking density beyond what current zoning allows. The permitting process typically takes one to three years from application to groundbreaking, so even if this project moves efficiently, delivered units would likely arrive in 2027 or 2028 at the earliest. Buyers looking for a new-construction apartment or condo in this development should treat it as a medium-term prospect rather than an immediate option.

Other Notable Projects Around Town

Beyond the Route 28 proposal, Andover News has identified five significant projects to watch in 2026 that span both residential and mixed-use development. These include projects involving the redevelopment of underutilized commercial and industrial sites, which is increasingly common in towns like Andover where greenfield land is scarce. Adaptive reuse of older commercial properties along major corridors such as Route 28 and Main Street has become one of the more realistic paths to adding housing units without converting protected open space.

Smaller infill single-family construction also continues on scattered lots throughout town. These tend to be custom or semi-custom homes priced at or above the Andover median, which sat in the high $800,000s to low $900,000s range as of September 2026. A handful of builders are active on lots in the In-Town area and along the Route 125 corridor, producing homes with modern layouts, energy-efficient systems, and two-car garages on lots that typically run between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet.

The MBTA Communities Law and Its Role in Andover

Massachusetts's MBTA Communities Act requires towns served by the MBTA, including Andover, to zone for multifamily housing by right near transit stations. Andover is served by the Andover and Ballardvale commuter rail stations on the Haverhill Line, which puts the town squarely within the law's scope. Compliance with this requirement is shaping where and how the town thinks about multifamily zoning, and it creates a legal framework that makes denser housing projects near those stations more viable than they were five years ago.

The practical effect for buyers is that the areas within roughly half a mile of the Andover commuter rail station downtown and the Ballardvale station on the south end of town are the most likely zones to see new multifamily development over the next three to five years. If you are considering a condo or townhome purchase and want to be near transit, those corridors are worth watching closely. For more on the Andover-to-Boston commute and how the rail stations fit into daily life, see the commute guide from Andover to Boston.

3. Andover's Housing Production Plan: What the Town Is Trying to Do

Andover has an official Housing Production Plan on file with the state, which sets out goals for increasing the town's supply of affordable and market-rate housing over a multi-year period. Understanding this plan helps buyers and sellers see where the town's priorities are pointed.

What the Housing Production Plan Says

The Town of Andover's Housing Production Plan, available through the town's official website, outlines strategies for meeting the state's Chapter 40B threshold, which requires that at least ten percent of a town's housing stock qualify as affordable. Andover has historically hovered below that threshold, which means developers can file comprehensive permit applications under 40B, giving them more flexibility on density and design than standard zoning allows. The Housing Production Plan is the town's roadmap for getting ahead of those applications by proactively zoning for more housing.

The plan identifies specific areas suitable for increased density, prioritizes mixed-income development, and encourages the reuse of underutilized commercial and industrial land. It also calls for streamlining the permitting process for projects that align with the town's goals, which could shorten the timeline from proposal to groundbreaking for qualifying developments.

Where the Town Is Focusing Its Efforts

The town's planning focus in 2026 is concentrated on a few key areas: the downtown core near the commuter rail station, the Route 28 commercial corridor, and older industrial sites in the Shawsheen area. Shawsheen Village, with its distinctive red-brick mill-era architecture built by the American Woolen Company in the early twentieth century, already has a mix of housing types and is seen as a natural fit for additional density given its walkability and proximity to the train. Several of the brick mill buildings there have already been converted to residential use, and more conversions are possible.

The Route 28 corridor, which runs through the western portion of town and connects to Lawrence and Methuen, has a mix of auto-oriented commercial uses and older industrial buildings that planners see as candidates for redevelopment. The 334-unit proposal discussed earlier sits within this broader corridor, which suggests that more proposals could follow if that project moves forward successfully.

4. What New Construction Means for Buyers and Sellers in Andover

The pipeline of new housing projects in Andover matters differently depending on whether you are buying or selling. Here is how to think about it from each side of the transaction.

If You Are Buying in Andover Right Now

New construction is not a meaningful source of immediate inventory for most buyers in Andover in September 2026. The projects in the pipeline are either large multifamily rentals that will not add to the for-sale inventory, or infill single-family homes that are priced at the upper end of the market. If you are a buyer looking for a move-in-ready home in the $600,000 to $900,000 range, the resale market is where you will find the most options.

That said, buyers who are open to waiting 12 to 18 months and have flexibility on timing may find opportunities with builders who are in the early stages of infill projects. Working with a local agent who knows which lots are under contract and which builders are active in town is the most reliable way to get ahead of those opportunities before they hit the public market.

For a full picture of what buying in Andover looks like right now, including process, costs, and timeline, see the complete buyer's guide for Andover, Massachusetts.

If You Are Selling in Andover Right Now

For sellers, the limited pace of new construction in Andover is broadly supportive of property values. When new supply enters a market slowly, existing homes face less price competition from brand-new inventory. Andover's resale market has remained competitive through 2026 partly because the pipeline of new homes has not flooded the market with alternatives. Buyers who cannot find a new construction home to their liking have to compete for resale homes, which keeps demand steady.

Sellers should be aware, however, that the eventual delivery of larger multifamily projects could affect the rental market and indirectly influence buyer behavior. If more rental units come online in Andover over the next two to three years, some prospective buyers may choose to rent rather than buy, which could soften demand at the margins. This is worth monitoring, though it is not an immediate concern in September 2026.

For sellers thinking about pricing strategy and timing in the current market, the Andover home selling guide covers what to expect from listing to closing in detail.

5. How to Track New Housing Projects in Andover Going Forward

The development pipeline in any town changes constantly. Projects get approved, stalled, revised, or withdrawn on timelines that are difficult to predict. Here is how to stay current on new construction and planned housing projects in Andover without having to rely on secondhand information.

The Andover Planning Board holds public meetings where new development proposals are presented, reviewed, and voted on. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted on the town's official website at andoverma.gov, and they are the most reliable source for real-time information on what is being proposed and where projects stand in the approval process. The Zoning Board of Appeals is the other key body to watch, since many larger projects require a variance or special permit that goes through the ZBA.

Andover News, the town's independent local news outlet, covers development proposals and planning board decisions with enough detail to be genuinely useful for anyone tracking the housing pipeline. Bookmarking their site and checking it monthly is a practical way to stay informed without attending every public meeting yourself.

Working with a local real estate agent who attends planning meetings, knows the builders active in town, and tracks permit activity is the most efficient option for buyers and sellers who want actionable intelligence rather than just public information. An agent embedded in the Andover market will often know about a new project before it appears in any public filing.

If you are relocating to Andover and want to understand how new development fits into the broader picture of different parts of town, the relocation guide for Andover, Massachusetts is a useful starting point for understanding how the town is laid out and what each area offers.