PITTSFIELD — Build it and they will come. That's the projection of a group of residents currently raising money and awareness of a project to build a carousel and equip it with 36 horses carved by local artists.
The carousal building will be constructed on property that was once the site of the old Falcon Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership on Center Street, alongside the current CVS store.
The site had been proposed for a minor league baseball stadium until voters shot the idea down several years ago. The CVS store was built there but the rest of the property's been vacant.
Organizer Frank Bonnevie said the group's vision of the project is a 60-foot diameter, enclosed gazebo to house the carousel and an attached building for a carousel museum.
The carousel would be open year-round. The state-of-the-art museum would house memorabilia and a history of carousels. The project is the dream of developer Jim Shulman, who purchased the property for $325,000 and is recruiting area artisans to carve each of the 36 carousel horses.
Shulman, a retired psychologist from Ohio, is a Pittsfield High School graduate.
Organizers are shooting for a grand opening in 2011, the 250th anniversary of Pittsfield's founding. A fundraiser event will be held the weekend of May 3 and 4 under a big top at the Center Street location — complete with a 60-horse carousel.
The benefit will include silent and live auctions and a raffle, all for time (and lunch) with local celebrities and at area cultural venues.
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