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Date: 4/12/2022
NORTHAMPTON – Valley Community Development Corp. (Valley CDC) recently purchased the former Northampton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on 737 Bridge Rd.
According to Valley CDC Executive Director Alexis Breiteneicher, the $2.6 million purchase was the next step in their plans to turn the location into a place for affordable housing.
As of press time, the current plan is to create 60 units of affordable housing, using a mixture of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. While the current mix of units is still in its draft form, Breiteneicher told Reminder Publishing that there could be 10 studios, 20 one-bedrooms, 26 two-bedrooms and four three-bedrooms.
“The current projected project cost is $25.3 million,” Breiteneicher said, of the entire project. “This project will provide long-term affordable housing in Northampton and will help reduce the current shortfall of affordable places for people to live.”
The location, which has been vacant since 2011, was identified in the past as a viable place for the city to alleviate some of the barriers people face in Northampton with housing.
“When we hold public hearings on our citywide plans, we almost always hear people say how important affordable housing is,” said Northampton Director of Planning & Sustainability Wayne Feiden, during a previous City Council meeting on March 31. According to Feiden, out of the $25 million cost, Valley CDC is asking Northampton to contribute around $1 million toward that, which will be split among three different places.
The first payment, which the City Council already voted to be referred to the Finance Committee, costs $50,000, and comes from the short-term housing impact fees – otherwise known as fees from Airbnb rentals that must be used for affordable housing. Meanwhile, around $286,000 in Community Development Block Grant money will be used for a second payment, and the third payment of $664,000 will come from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds if that is what the CPA ends up recommending for an amount.
“We originally thought that we would just hold this and do all of the money at the same time, but because Valley purchased the property already, they have interest costs,” said Feiden. “So, we just thought … we can at least move forward with this $50,000 and the other pieces will move forward over time.”
While, again, much of the development process is still in draft form, Breiteneicher said that the units hope to bring in people with incomes from 30 to 100 percent of area median income. The projected rents will vary based on where someone falls within the area median income. As of right now, Breiteneicher estimates that a studio may rent for between $720 to $1,150, a one-bedroom for $870 to $1,250, a two-bedroom for $1,090 and a three-bedroom for $1,265 to $1,350.
“We hope to begin construction in June of 2024 with construction complete in June of 2025 and tenants in place by December 2025,” said Breiteneicher, adding that the reason for this timeline is to accommodate public input, zoning approval, and getting funding lined up.
“We are grateful to have overwhelming neighborhood support for the project,” Breiteneicher said. “This property is a vacant eyesore, so abutting neighbors are excited to have it renovated and used. Since the property has been vacant for 11 years there is some concern about an increase in traffic and how that will impact Bridge Road We are working with the city and exploring options to address traffic concerns.”
“This is a consequential project, not only for Ward 1 and the surrounding neighborhood, but for the entire city,” said Ward 1 City Councilor Stanley Moulton. “I have already been a part of two neighborhood meetings that Valley CDC has held … in my view, Valley CDC has been very responsive to those [traffic] concerns. The response has been extremely positive, both to the reuse of the property, and to the notion of the best use for that property is affordable housing.”
Aside from the affordable housing, Breiteneicher also stated that Valley CDC is exploring amenities like an electric vehicle charging station, a Valley BikeShare location and community garden spaces. They do, however, plan to keep the same footprint of the existing building.
“We will keep the exterior of the current building because it is in decent shape, but the interior will be a full gut renovation,” said Breiteneicher. “The current building has a lot of asbestos which needs remediation, there’s water damage, and all the electrical and HVAC needs to be replaced. The building needs to be fossil free to comply with Northampton’s regulations and we are looking at installing solar (PV).”
The immediate next steps, according to Breiteneicher, include stabilizing and sprucing up the property. Valley CDC will cover up broken windows to prevent future interior damage, and some other tree work and brush clearing will have to be completed.
According to Breiteneicher, the project is a joint venture redevelopment between Valley CDC and the previous owner-with Valley taking the lead.