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Date: 10/19/2022
WILBRAHAM – Preliminary construction on the Center Village project, the future home for Scantic River Brewery and Pafumi’s Pizzeria on Main Street is moving along at an exceptional if not a meteoric rate.
The Wilbraham Planning Board heard updates on the landscaping and electrical systems during its Oct. 12 meeting following some revisions to the project last fall.
Final interior floor plans are not yet complete but Planning and Community Development Director Michelle Buck said the construction site is active and further revisions are likely into the winter months.
The much-anticipated project comes after a roughly three-year period of hearings and meetings to allow the building footprint to be zoned for mixed use. Plans are now for the restaurant and micro-brewery to inhabit the first floor of the building, to also include indoor and outdoor dining. The second floor is expected to provide seven market rate apartments.
The building permit process remains in progress as the paperwork for the foundation permit is finalized and construction there evolves. The site, where once stood three notable town structures will undergo continued exterior development on into the cold weather at what’s hoped to be a consistent rate to allow for interior work to commence by early next year.
This latest addition of 7,000 square feet in the middle of town is hoped to maintain an equity in Wilbraham’s community and business identity.
“It’s a great project in the center of town,” Buck said.
The Hampden-based Scantic River Brewery offers seasonal brews and hard seltzers. The planned Main Street taproom will feature similar offerings. Parfumi’s Pizzeria has already been serving Wilbraham for the past five years.
The size of the construction lot is completely built out so the footprint is pretty much locked at this point however a third interior storefront that could house another business is a possibility.
As Buck pointed out, there is a lot of enthusiasm for the project and it was something many people on many levels worked for over a considerable length of time. “The planning board worked a long time to make this happen,” Buck said.
Preconstruction issues continue to be addressed as more meetings with the planning board move into the different stages. Challenges brought forth by the current economic climate are having to be addressed individually as they emerge.
The additional meetings, planned for either the end of this month or the beginning of November are expected to be more reactive to potential changes and construction revisions as they come to notice.
Buck said at the present time, a May completion date is expected.
“It’s a great project … the Planning Board wants it … I think the townspeople want it,” said Buck.