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Date: 11/27/2023
HOLYOKE — The mill buildings at the Appleton Mill site in downtown Holyoke are being redeveloped to create 88 new, affordable loft-style apartments for seniors ages 55 and older as the city continues its efforts in addressing the housing crisis.
Soon to become known as the Residences on Appleton, a groundbreaking event on Nov. 20 at the site featured city officials, legislative leaders, WinnDevelopment executives and state housing lenders to officially announce the $55.3 million adaptive reuse transformation of the decades-long vacant mill buildings. The soon-to-be-renovated 111-year-old, three interconnected industrial buildings, is the former home of the Farr Alpaca Company, once the largest alpaca wool mill in the world.
In addition to the new housing, WinnDevelopment will construct a new community building and connect it to the residential space via a closed skybridge spanning nearby railroad tracks.
WinnDevelopment is an award-winning, national owner, developer and manager of high-impact affordable, middle income, mixed-income, market rate and military housing communities. They have become one of the nation’s largest multi-family housing managers with 105,600 residential and military apartment homes under management.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia shared excitement for the project and what it means in addressing the housing needs in the community.
“This project represents our commitment to history, preservation and housing. It also represents our commitment to senior living, affordability, compassion and care,” said Garcia. “The renovation of the former 111-year-old Alpaca Mill building to achieve these commitments is another Holyoke thing we do. I am excited to witness this unfold at this time in our city’s history and even more excited to see the impact it will have for many years to come.”
Garcia called the groundbreaking a rare event where federal, state, local and private financing along with the vision and persistence of the community made the project possible and came together in a “perfect marriage.” He added he will continue to see how he and the city can continue to cultivate their partnership with WinnDevelopment and see what other projects in the city can get off the ground.
“The city of Holyoke, we always punch above our weight. I wouldn’t say the new kid on the block, but one that for the city of Springfield, every time they look in the rear-view mirror, they can’t shake us,” Garcia said with a laugh. “I’m very much looking forward to seeing what other private interest we can get beginning with our ongoing partnership with WinnDevelopment as they continue to mark their interest here in our city.”
All 88 apartments will be reserved for low-and moderate-income seniors, with 12 units reserved for households below 30% of area median income, also known as AMI, 63 for those below 60% of AMI and 13 for households below 80% of AMI.
Eight of the units will be available to eligible households through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Project Based Voucher program. Five units will be set aside for Massachusetts Department of Mental Health clients through the Facilities Consolidation Fund.
“We’re excited to get to work on preserving this important feature of Holyoke’s proud industrial legacy and transform it into much needed housing for seniors who want to stay in the community they love,” said WinnDevelopment President and Managing Partner Larry Curtis.
State Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) called the groundbreaking a “beautiful, momentous occasion,” and said as the only state senator from Western Massachusetts on the state’s Housing Committee it was an important moment to reflect on the work to bring this project to fruition. He talked about discussions he has had regarding housing in the city that often made him “sad” due to the lack of housing available for many, a problem widespread across the country.
“Kudos to Winn and the community for coming together and trying to address that. 88 units, that’s a really big deal. I think that’s critically important so thank you,” Velis said.
Velis said the most important thing he wanted to stress was that when it comes to finding the answers to the housing challenge there would be no separate silo that solves it.
“This is a perfect example of collaboration between the public sector and the private sector at all levels, federal, state and local. This is what that looks like, this is the blueprint for one of the ways that we get out of this housing crisis that we’re in. If we continue the model of separate silos, it’s never going to work at all, period, end of story,” Velis said.
State Rep. Patricia Duffy (D-Holyoke) echoed similar sentiments and thanked Holyoke officials and WinnDevelopment members for their work on this important project. Before becoming a state representative, Duffy was on the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority that helped get the planning for the project started almost a decade ago.
“We believed in downtown Holyoke, and I’m so thrilled there were others there ready to believe in downtown Holyoke with us, so thank you all for this great occasion,” Duffy said.
Director of Planning and Economic Development Aaron Vega joked of the project’s rendering that it was his future apartment as he would be of age to live in the housing once it is opened.
Vega said there were a handful of obstacles that made this project challenging but, in the end, the many parties were able to come together and establish this location as a response to housing challenges. He added that it was important for housing and economic development to work cohesively together as they have always been separated from one another in the past.
In closing Vega made sure to thank all the different parties involved for their help and hard work and that everyone overcame a lot of doubters of the project to make it a reality.
“That’s the kind of effort it takes. Seven years to get 88 units of housing. We are not going to get out of this crisis if that’s the timeline. We’ve got to work together, we’ve got to work with our legislative delegation, we have to work with the new administration, the new housing secretary and developers like Winn, and our smaller developers, to fast track these projects to reuse these properties sooner and not have the seven-year timeline,” Vega said.
Ward 1 City Councilor Jenny Rivera also gave a few comments about the project and what it means for addressing housing in the city and more specifically in her ward.
“We all know there’s a serious lack of housing here in Holyoke and across the nation. Efforts like this are crucial in facing this challenge head on, especially for our cherished seniors,” Rivera said. “This project stands as a testament to the vital role social initiatives play in addressing this pressing concern.”
The project was made possible with significant federal, state, local and private financing. Bank of America is serving as the project construction lender and as the investor in the project’s state and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, authorized by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and state and federal Historic Tax Credits, awarded by the Massachusetts Historic Commission and the U.S. National Park Service.
MassHousing provided tax-exempt bonds for the project financing, while the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities provided soft financing, along with its partners and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation and the MassHousing Affordable Housing Trust.
“This decades-long vacant, and blighted mill property in the heart of Holyoke will be transformed into new, vibrant housing for older residents who will be able to live affordably and comfortably in downtown Holyoke,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. “WinnCompanies has the experience and expertise to make this abandoned eyesore into a new affordable housing community that will serve city residents for many years to come. The city of Holyoke has provided strong support, and MassHousing is pleased to be among the many public and private partners working closely together to complete this important project.”
Located across the street from a state park dedicated to showcasing Holyoke’s industrial and cultural heritage, the site has been a priority for redevelopment since the City of Holyoke took title to the property a decade ago. Designed to meet the sustainability criteria of Enterprise Green Communities, the new apartment community will be completely fossil fuel free and will feature LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, low-flow, water-conserving plumbing fixtures and premium roof insulation.
Resident amenity spaces will include on-site management offices, a fitness center, a resident lounge, an outdoor recreation area along the adjacent canal, laundry facilities and 109 parking space. The project has a scheduled completion date for spring 2025.