Major City Projects on the Agenda

By Jen Thomas01:42AM / Saturday, October 06, 2007Print Story | Email Story

The former Notre Dame church may soon have new ownership.

NORTH ADAMS - Three major city projects are poised to move forward, pending approval by the City Council on Tuesday night. Mayor John Barrett III has identified buyers for two key pieces of city-owned property - the H.W. Clark Biscuit building and the former gravel pit on Curran Highway - and is seeking approval from the council to transfer ownership. Additionally, Barrett is asking the council to approve an order authorizing him to acquire the former Notre Dame Church on East Main Street from the Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield for $500,000. The mayor then wishes to sell the property to developers Arch Street Development, LLC, of Needham, for $510,000 while maintaining an easement on the historic steeple, assuring that the city has control over what happens to a signature element of the North Adams skyline. According to Barrett, Arch Street will develop the former Notre Dame School into approximately 14 condominiums and sell the rectory to the Contemporary Artists Center, so it can be used as housing for visiting artists. Arch Street will also donate the church building to the CAC for use as gallery and office space. "We havenâ€™t completely decided on everything yet, but we have our fingers crossed that everything goes through as planned," said Hezzie Phillips, executive director of the CAC, on Friday. Phillips said she expects to pay Arch Street approximately $200,000 for the rectory - which has 10 to 13 rooms and four bathrooms - though that has not been officially determined. Barrett said he supports the dual purpose of the Notre Dame property because it brings valuable traffic to the downtown area. "This appeared to be the best deal we could put together for putting the church to use. Itâ€™s a win-win situation for everyone," he said. "It didnâ€™t come down to money; the final decision came from what was the best development for the downtown." Phillips said the CAC hopes to begin construction and renovations in the spring but said that they donâ€™t expect to have full-fledged public programming in the spaces for another five years. "Weâ€™re excited to have a facility that is more upscale and more visible. I think we really outgrew our old space [at the Beaver Mill]," she said. The decision to buy and sell the property comes following an extensive proposal process that originally included propositions from Moresi and Associates and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The CAC was interested in the property from the project's early stages and originally intended to utilize all three buildings. "We like the way it's turned out. This will enable us to step up our organization," Phillips said. Affordable Housing Planned After years of planning, the city is finally ready to move forward with the creation of 43 affordable housing units at the former Clark Biscuit building, located at 179-191 Ashland St. Arch Street Development has obtained low income and historic tax credits by the mayor's Nov. 1 deadline and the development firm is preparing to begin construction at the Clark Biscuit Apartments later this year or in early 2008. Arch Street will pay $169,000 for the abandoned property. Barrett said the project would benefit low-income residents and help the continuing downtown revitalization. "Basically, this is for working people as well as retirees who meet income guidelines," said Barrett. "For those with fixed incomes or low paychecks, this will provide them with decent housing to live in." "Itâ€™s very important because, if you look at what the mayor has talked about over the last several years, heâ€™s talked about bringing affordable housing into the downtown area, so it's not just in the suburbs - itâ€™s not just in the peripheries - but itâ€™s a place you can walk to," Rep. Daniel Bosley said of the project in June. Arch Street will develop one and two-bedroom units and the redevelopment of the building includes installing a new central elevator, replacing the roof, updating the interior to be more energy-efficient and creating a landscaped courtyard area. Curran Highway Expansion Once expected to be the location of the proposed Loweâ€™s home improvement store, the city-owned gravel pit on Curran Highway - directly across from the Greenbergâ€™s and Son, Inc. home improvement store - will also be a topic of conversation at Tuesdayâ€™s Council meeting. North Adams Property Development II, LLC - composed of development firm Starwood Ceruzzi of Fairfield, Conn. in silent partnership with Nigro Development of Albany, N.Y. - intends to purchase the gravel pit and adjacent property for future retail or commercial use. "Itâ€™s my understanding that they will be developing the property for retail or commercial purposes but I donâ€™t know what it is," Barrett said. The mayor is asking the City Council to authorize him to sell the property for $700,000 minus the $31,000 that has already been paid. As these three project move into their next phases, Barrett said he was eager to see the city continue to grow and expand. "These are three major projects going on in the city. Weâ€™ve got two kinds of housing, major retail development that could be added onto the Lowe's site and we're bringing the CAC to the downtown area," he said. "Weâ€™re going to preserve the integrity of the Monument Square area and, of course, the steeples that are part of our skyline. This all has to be looked at long term."

SteepleCats Shut Out on Road

iBerkshires.com Sports09:56PM / Monday, June 08, 2026

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Four Vermont pitchers combined to strike out 11 and allow four hits Tuesday as the Mountaineers beat the North Adams SteepleCats, 11-0, in New England Collegiate Baseball League action.

Evan Meier, Bobby Stang, Tonny Woodie and Chris Diaz each had a hit for the SteepleCats, who used five pitchers in the loss.

North Adams (0-2) comes home Tuesday to host the Mystic Schooners at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field.