Our History

A History of Excellence

In 1979, Robert Epstein, David Epstein, and John Svenson came together with a vision of a real estate company that would demand excellence in every aspect of the business, from inception to completion. Over 100 buildings later, the firm has evolved into a prominent force in commercial, retail, and residential development in Boston and beyond.

In its early days, The Abbey Group focused on historic renovations, converting a variety of Back Bay buildings into modern rental units and, in 1997, purchasing the iconic Landmark Center. The Abbey Group successfully redeveloped this 1.5-million-square-foot former Sears warehouse into office and retail space, winning several awards for preservation and helping spark a major resurgence in the Fenway area.

To further fuel the revitalization of the Fenway, The Abbey Group added nearly 500 residential units to the neighborhood, including Landmark Square and The Viridian, an 18-story tower on a bustling stretch of Boylston Street, completed in 2015. This project built off The Abbey Group’s successful development of 45 PROVINCE, an acclaimed 32-story tower that helped ignite Boston’s downtown luxury condominium market upon its completion in 2009.

Not limited to urban residential and historic preservation, The Abbey Group has completed a wide range of projects, from Seasons, a trailside condominium complex on Mount Snow, Vermont, to Riverside Technology Center, a biotech facility in Cambridge, and the 2014 renovation and rebranding of Lafayette City Center, a 615,000-square-foot mixed-use center in downtown Boston.

Throughout its history, The Abbey Group has continued to solidify its reputation for innovation, design, quality and fiscal stability—building a legacy that will endure well into the future.