The housing association is spending £80m rebuilding the estate and will replace 516 existing flats with 555 new homes.
There will also be local shops and a new Primary Care Trust facility at the site, which has been renamed Orchard Village.
Old Ford Housing Association, part of leading affordable housing provider Circle Anglia, and Willmott Dixon are already building 121 homes in phase one of the six-year scheme.
This next stage will see a further 178 homes built, which will be a mix of 1 and 2 bed flats and 3 bed maisonettes.
During that programme, the team will demolish six tower blocks and ten low rise blocks to build more family-friendly accommodation.
One key area is carbon emissions reduction, which will be achieved by a centralised energy centre with a combined heat and power engine aided by backup gas boilers.
A future phase will see photo voltaic panels fitted to the roof of a commercial block.
As part of its commitment to invest in the local community, Willmott Dixon will also contribute £250,000 to the estate for schemes which will remain after the project is completed.
This has been split by agreement into four equal £62,500 pots, one for each phase.
So far this fund has paid for a new dance studio and new equipment for the local school on the estate.