Old Rowhouses Getting Upscale Treatment
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| These rowhouses on Taft Street have been turned into condominiums. |
"This was one of the worst neighborhoods in North Adams," said Swabey, standing in front of his newly renovated condominium complex on Taft Street. "But there's lots of potential and it has turned out to be a great place to live. It usually takes years to change the reputation of bad areas but we're working to make it happen now."
Swabey and his wife, Katherine, purchased the rowhouse at 21-35 Taft St. originally constructed to house factory workers, for $100,000 and began the process of transforming the property into eight, 1,300 square-foot, high-end condominium units.
The contemporary-style three-floor condos (named the Spinning Mill Townhouses) feature stainless-steel appliances, large closets, a private patio area and cathedral ceilings, and are air-conditioning ready and energy efficient.
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"The whole concept that we're offering here is zero-maintenance living. We're offering extraordinary value at a low price," he said.
The condos' maintenance staff will mow the lawn and shovel the porch and sidewalks in the winter and covered parking areas will spare homeowners the hassle of scraping the ice of their cars during the cold months.
"People don't want to spend their time on maintenance. They want to spend it seeing friends, socializing, on the golf course or pursuing their hobbies," Swabey said.
Swabey, who came to Clarksburg by way of Boston from England, owns 15 properties — a total of 85 apartments — in the city.
With three of the units are "pretty much done completely" and the outside communal area set to be completed by the beginning of the summer, Swabey is hoping potential buyers will flock to his newest project.
"There's stuff here that people can't get anywhere else and these units are great for all sorts of people. Young professionals, young families, a downsizer or two. There's very little out there that's good quality enough at a reasonable price," Swabey said.
Swabey prides himself on his ability to "focus on the little things," like bathroom fixtures and overall design.
"Each one is different. I'm not making them all cookie-cutter and boring," Swabey said.
The Spinning Mill Townhouses are situated on a dead-end street off Route 2 that ends at Alcombright Athletic Complex. With only five buildings on the entire street, Swabey boasts that the neighborhood is quiet and within walking distance of local stores and the bus route.
One of the rowhouses across the street, condemned by the city, sports a banner that reads "Phase 2: Coming Soon." Though Swabey has not purchased the property owned by Richard Doherty, he is waiting to see if the city razes it.
"This area can't come back as a slum. We have to upgrade it all and I don't want anyone to fix up these properties on the cheap," he said.
Though the asking price for his townhouses is $169,900, features like air compressors and natural wood floors can be negotiated for an additional fee.
"I'm open for discussion. Whatever the customer wants, we'll work to get it," Swabey said. "But there's nothing like it. Here, you've really got everything."
For more information, contact Swabey at Belvedere Development Co. LLC at 413-884-4685 or at charles_swabey@hotmail.com.
