| |
Daily Digest
Steve Decker cleans up in front of BankNorth on Wednesday.
|
More Snow
The Berkshires received several inches of snow this morning, but not enough to close schools, unlike yesterday's sleety mess. Temperatures will drop into the 20s this afternoon. A few more snow showers are expected through the weekend. |
Duff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
| Need to contact iBerkshires? Here's how. |
Like to Write?
 iBerkshires accepts submissions about local events, news and opinion pieces. There are openings for freelance work, too, for qualified candidates. E-mail tdaniels@iberkshires.com to find out more. |
ObituariesRegionWhat's PlayingSales FliersColumnists | Independent Investor
|
Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
Obama TransitionRelated Stories |
| |
Tax Incentives for Lowe's on Agenda in N. AdamsBy Tammy Daniels - April 07, 2008
iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS — The City Council will be asked tonight to declare the former North Adams Plaza as an economic opportunity area to foster its development.
Lowe's Home Centers Inc. plans to construct a 132,000 square-foot home improvement retail store on the site, owned by developer Starwood Ceruzzi. The Lowe's is expected to anchor development at the plaza and the neighboring Curran Highway parcel; a bank branch and restaurant are just two of the potential tenants.
In a communique to the council, Mayor John Barrett III said the city has been working out a tax increment financing agreement with Lowe's Home Centers Inc. and Starwood Ceruzzi.
Designating the site as a economic opportunity area would allow the developers to take advantage of certain local and state tax credits and deductions.
Barrett, in his letter to the council, wrote, "I am confident that this $15 million project will stimulate further private sector investment on the adjacent property. This Lowe's store will have a most positive impact on the city's economy as well as the Northern Berkshire area as a whole."
The development is expected to create 90 full-time and 50 part-time jobs when it opens in 2009.
The TIF agreement the mayor is proposing would gradually increase the tax assessment on the development over a 15-year schedule; the plan would also allow Lowe's to access a 5 percent investment tax credit through the state.
The council will take up both the designation and the tax financing plan.
Veterans Benefits
Also coming before the council is a reworked plan to provide a retroactive benefit to military veterans injured while working for the city.
The Legislature passed an act a few years ago that would allow municipalities to even up a perceived inequity in retirement benefits. It provides veterans injured in a city's or town's employ with the same yearly benefit (not to exceed $300) that retired veterans receive in their pensions; it also had a section for retroactive relief to the time they were disabled.
The city adopted the first provision but balked on the second because of the cost of funding retroactive benefits for the dozen or so veterans. The controversial proposal resurfaced again as the last act of former City Councilor Christopher Tremblay.
The council was ready to adopt the provision until Barrett threatened to veto it, saying the city could ill afford to spend $57,000 on retirees when it was in the middle of negotiations with its current employees.
A compromise solution would pay the retroactive benefit but only up to 50 percent of what it would have been on June 1, 2006. The order would be dependent upon the agreement of the North Adams Retirement Board.
The council will also take up:
- The partitioning and sale of the Notre Dame property to Arch Street Development and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
- Reappointments to the Hoosac Water Quality District.
- Increases in the costs of transfer station permits to offset rising fuel costs.
- A request for an awning at the planned Hub restaurant on Main Street.
- An increase in sewer use fees to 100 percent for those who don't pay property tax.
|
| when this development came to light we were told there would be no tax incentives.....the developers are going to develop this no matter what, look at the money they have already spent on land...why give them a tif? | | from: ctrem | on: 04-08-2008 |
|
| Any tax break given to Lowe's should also be given to any current business that will be in direct competition with the big box store. Positions filled by former employees of businesses that are forced to down-size or go out of business are not new jobs. | | from: CJ Vadnais | on: 04-08-2008 |
|
|
Enter your email address below to receive our FREE iBerkshires.com Newsletter
|
