Dunkin' Donuts Withdraws Pittsfield Church Demolition Plan

Cafua Management is withdrawing plans to demolish St. Mary's in Pittsfield for a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Bowing to community pressure, Cafua Management says it will withdraw plans to demolish St. Mary the Morning Star Church.

In a communication released midday Monday, the northeast's largest Dunkin' Donuts franchisee said it was preparing a revised plan for its proposed drive-through on Tyler Street and that it was willing to donate the church building to the city.

Cafua's proposal to buy the St. Mary's campus from the Springfield Diocese earlier this month and raze the church caused a significant backlash within the community, prompting petitions, "A Save St. Mary's" Facebook page and calls to boycott Cafua's four other Dunkin' Donut establishments.

The Historical Commission, which technically does not have authority to invoke a demolition delay because the building is three years short of the 75-year criteria, was also planning to weigh in on the significance of the structure at its October meeting.

Greg Nolan, chief development officer for Cafua Management, wrote that the company values the opinion of the community and its "aim is to ultimately do right by the community." The communication is below:

With four Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in Pittsfield, Cafua Management has been part of the local community for more than a dozen years. We value the opinions and needs of the community, and we are committed to listening to and collaborating with residents and city officials at all times. As such, we will withdraw our current development application for the site of St. Mary The Morning Star Church, and we are preparing a revised plan that maintains the church building. As part of our new proposal, we intend to donate the church to the city of Pittsfield, for use as the city deems appropriate.

This new plan requires support of the Special Permit Granting Authority and residents. Our next step is to meet with the City Planner, present the plan to the public and pursue city approvals. The process will take time, but our aim is to ultimately do right by the community. We look forward to many more years serving the people who live and work in Pittsfield.
 

Pittsfield Marks Vietnam Veterans Day in Park Square

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:34PM / Monday, March 30, 2026

Pittsfield has a memorial to the Vietnam War honoring those who fought and those who died, including 27 from Berkshire County. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — About 50 people gathered at Park Square on Saturday to remember Vietnam veterans and mark the 53rd anniversary of the last American troops' departure. 

Vietnam veteran Lenwood "Woody" Vaspra thanked everyone for coming out on the chilly March morning. Twenty-seven Berkshire County residents were killed in action, and their names are memorialized in a Park Square marker. 

"We thank all who selfishly served and sacrificed. You are not forgotten," Vaspra said. 

"This provides us an opportunity to pay special tribute to the many Americans who served in the Vietnam War, both in country and out of country, to the 58,318 names inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and to those who never received the recognition they deserve. It is time to say thank you and honor all Vietnam veterans."

National Vietnam Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans and their families, and is part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than 50 years ago.

"When Vietnam veterans returned from Vietnam, there were no tributes, recognition, speeches, parades, or even handshakes. For many of them, it was a horrific return home, and it was also a very chaotic time. Many veterans to this day remain silent from their combat and traumatic encounters," Vaspra said. 

"It is time now to pay tribute to all veterans from all wars and conflicts, our brothers and sisters that served on behalf of our country. We must continue to remember what all veterans did for this country. They gave their lives, whether they died in battle or came home and died later, they paid the ultimate price, the memories our brothers and sisters must go on and always remain in our hearts."

The year 2026 marks 51 years since the official end of the Vietnam War in May 1975, and is the 53rd anniversary of the last American troops departing Vietnam in March 1973. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 designated March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.