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Date: 1/31/2023
NORTHAMPTON – The Northampton Housing Partnership heard updates on a pair of affordable housing projects from Laura Baker, the real estate development director for Valley CDC.
According to Baker, Valley CDC is in the process of submitting two major funding applications: one for the 737 Bridge Rd. redevelopment project, and one for 23 Laurel St.
“Both projects have gotten zoning approval and have begun to raise money for various sources,” said Baker, who added that construction costs are incredibly high. “I think we’re going to go into the coming CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] round and ask for a wee bit of money for Laurel Street.”
In the spring, Valley CDC purchased the former Northampton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on 737 Bridge Rd. for $2.6 million for the purpose of 60 units of affordable and workforce housing; using a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as some studios.
“The current projected project cost is $25.3 million,” Valley CDC Executive Director Alexis Breiteneicher told Reminder Publishing back in April. “This project will provide long-term affordable housing in Northampton and will help reduce the current shortfall of affordable places for people to live.”
This past December, Valley CDC received an $830,000 grant to assist with the 737 Bridge St. project.
The plan for that project at the moment, according to Breiteneicher, is to start construction in March 2024, with hopes of having everything completed by mid-2025.
“[The $830,000] is for asbestos abatement, which will help the site be more easily developed and funded,” she said. “We are grateful to be supporting Northampton with developing this under-utilized property and increasing the amount of affordable housing in our community.”
Back in 2021, the city received a $250,000 grant from the commonwealth, part of which went to the improvement of the 23 Laurel Street infrastructure, which used to be part of the former Northampton State Hospital. Now in Valley CDC’s hands, the lot is now under development for 20 affordable housing units.
“Some of the exciting things we’re looking at for the nursing home are, we’re hitting hard on alternative energy sources,” said Baker, during the Housing Partnership meeting. “We’re looking at geothermal as well as PV [photovoltaic] to power that system.”
Back in the summer, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra announced the variety of affordable housing projects the city is currently working on, including an additional four units on the property where the former Moose Lodge was featured.
“Starting with the Sustainable Northampton Plan in 2008 and followed by multiple plans and analyses since, the city has embarked on a deliberate process to revise the city’s codes and zoning to encourage climate-friendly, sustainable development that works to address the housing shortage in Northampton,” Sciarra said, in August. “Seven city councilors and three mayors have worked to clarify and streamline city rules to encourage responsible development consistent with our climate change and equity values.”
According to Sciarra, the expansion of the city’s 40R overlay has enabled a more straightforward path for Valley CDC in approvals for 20 subsidized affordable units on Laurel Street, and it will aid in the process for their planned 60-unit affordable housing project on Bridge Road. The overlay district encourages cities and towns to create residential and mixed-use smart growth zoning under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R.
“Northampton has always been a wonderful place to live, but our community has indeed worked hard, through careful planning and collective goal-setting, to develop new housing close to the city centers, thoughtfully break down barriers for pedestrians and cyclists and encourage bicycle and pedestrian transportation not just for recreation, but as an alternative to commuting by automobile,” said Sciarra. “These values inform every new project undertaken by and in the city, and I believe we are on our way toward meeting our climate targets by 2030 for city government and the entire city by 2050. Each step along this path and every goal we accomplish contributes to Northampton’s livability and long-term resilience.”