Communities benefit from funds for abandoned or vacant properties

Date: 12/20/2022

WESTERN MASS. – Municipalities throughout the region received funding from the commonwealth’s Underutilized Properties Program, administered by the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development (EOHED).

According to the governor’s office, “The program targets underutilized, abandoned, or vacant properties by supporting efforts that eliminate blight, increase housing production, support economic development projects, or increase the number of commercial buildings accessible to individuals with disabilities. Through two rounds the Underutilized Properties Program has awarded $29,699,685 to 69 projects.”

Springfield received $900,000. The funds will be used for 113 State St. and 1155 Main St., including preserving and stabilizing the buildings in an effort to attract developer interest.

Mayor Domenic Sarno’s office released a statement, “In the months to come, the Springfield Redevelopment Authority (SRA) will advance procurements for design and construction of building stabilization and building envelope needs that will further serve to preserve and stabilize the building while in pursuit of redevelopment of its portfolio. The SRA envisions a formal solicitation for these redevelopment opportunities in early 2023.”

The two buildings are near MGM Springfield and the city purchased them earlier in order to find developers for them.

Sarno said, “My administration is grateful for the continued efforts working with the Baker-Polito administration to secure necessary resources to ensure and aid in realizing economic potential for buildings and projects that are challenging. CDO [Chief Development Officer] Tim Sheehan and I want to thank Dan Rivera, president and CEO of MassDevelopment, and the EOHED for their continued partnership. We are looking forward to the future development of these properties as it will have a tremendous impact to the vibrancy of downtown, promote economic stability of our central business district, better serve the neighborhood and community, and create a new mixed-use development that will bring more of that good four-letter work to our city – JOBS!”

Exchange Assets LLC in Chicopee received $575,000 and according to the EOHED, “This project will significantly impact downtown by transitioning a blighted and underutilized group of buildings into a safe, accessible, and productive asset in the heart of Chicopee center. This property requires significant structural and mechanical improvements to ensure a safe, clean, and energy-efficient property.”

Lee Pouliot, director of the Planning Department, explained to Reminder Publishing the city supported the application for the private entity of Exchange Assets LLC. The funding is to be used to do what he described as “pretty significant” interior updating to three buildings including the one that housed the former Bob’s Bakery as well as 46 Cabot St.

Other communities that received funding include:

Belchertown Community Alliance, Inc. – $50,000
The Belchertown Community Alliance, in partnership with the town of Belchertown, is working to reutilize 6 Berkshire Ave, once a dorm on the former Belchertown State School campus. The overall project will create a new cafe, food services incubator, community meeting and gallery space, as well as affordable, attractive and convenient commercial space for local creative businesses. The first step for the redevelopment is obtaining a full building assessment to include a broad spectrum of services.

Town of Cummington – $45,000
Cummington seeks to re-use a mostly vacant elementary school building as a new center of town government, regional food incubator, business rental space and preschool/daycare facility. Funds will be used for a feasibility study to determine the work needed to bring the building into code compliance, make the space more energy-efficient, and potentially replace the oil-burning furnaces with a more efficient heating and cooling system.

El Punto Paper City LLC (Holyoke) – $260,000
Funds will address major damage to 144 High St., which is being renovated and reactivated as the new home of Paper City Clothing Co, a destination retail shop and art gallery staffed by local youth. A smaller storefront unit will be leased to another local business, and renovations to the second floor will add a much-needed residential unit to downtown.

Way Finders, Inc. (Holyoke) – $900,000
Library Commons 2 (LC2) is the second phase of construction of the Library Commons affordable housing development in downtown Holyoke. Funds will be used for a portion of the renovation of a vacant brick building on the LC2 lot at 213 Chestnut St. The renovated building will create five one-bedroom, five two-bedroom, and two three-bedroom units.
Westmass Area Development Corporation (Ludlow) – $495,000
Within the heart of the historic Ludlow Mills complex there are 22 original, one-story, brick stockhouses. Funding will be used for roof replacements on eight of the stockhouse structures and one connecting annex structure to improve their suitability for new and existing commercial and industrial tenants.

Valley CDC (Northampton) – $830,000
Prospect Place is the redevelopment of a vacant, former nursing home into an estimated 60 new affordable apartments. The two-story brick building, constructed in 1971, has been vacant for 11-plus years. Funding will be used for hazardous materials abatement to make way for renovation and redevelopment.

13north LLC (Ware) – $140,000
A mixed-use project comprised of first-level commercial space and three townhouse residential units. Funds will be used to install a NFPA-compliant sprinkler and monitored alarm system to meet anticipated code requirements.

Mark Machine Co (Ware) – $80,500
The Mark Machine project will invest in the re-use of a vacant underutilized 14,000-square-foot industrial building. Funding will be used to support the installation of required sprinkler and fire alert systems in the building.

Workshop13 (Ware) – $215,000
Funds will be used for construction and the installation of a fire suppressant system.

Lambson Square Properties LLC (Westfield) – $585,000
Lambson Square Properties, LLC is in the process of an historic restoration of the iconic Lambson Furniture Building in the downtown hub of Westfield. The proposed restoration includes an innovative plan that incorporates housing, collaborative community workspaces, and revitalized retail space.