Pittsfield Granted $4.5 Million To Finish North Street Reconstruction
 North Street is in the tail end of a decadelong reconstruction. |
Gov. Deval Patrick announced Tuesday that $4.5 million in MassWorks grant funding will be awarded to complete the fourth and final phase of the project.
"We believe we should be able to finish the streetscape project. We are happy about that," said Mayor Daniel Bianchi of Tuesday's announcement.
"We're very pleased. This is going to go a long way in allowing us to fulfill the vision of a revitalized downtown."
That vision began in 2005 with the development of downtown master plan. The streetscape started at Park Square and headed south to Housatonic Street for $1.8 million. Some of that work was done at the same time as the redevelopment of the Colonial Theater.
Park Square was completely renovated — eliminating the rotary — for $3.4 million. More than a mile of South Street from Housatonic Street, heading further south was renovated at $6 million. New traffic signals were installed at the Housatonic Street intersection for $1.5 million.
Phase 2 of the streetscape went from Park Square and headed North to Columbus Avenue. That went in front of the redeveloped Beacon Cinema and was completed in 2012 for $3.8 million.
Phase 3 is currently under construction and is coupled with Berkshire Medical Center. That costs $2 million and is expected to be completed this month, with final touch ups in the spring.
"We should finish up everything except the planting before we shut down for the winter," said Director of Community Development Douglas Clark.
Meanwhile, the two pocket parks — Sottile and Persip — at the intersection of Columbus Avenue are being reconstructed for about $900,000.
The $4.5 million announced Tuesday will connect Madison Avenue, where Phase 3 left off, to Columbus Avenue, where Phase 2 left off. Clark said Phase 3 was designed up to Linden Street so much of the planning is already done. Engineers Fuss & O'Neil have been designing the phases.
"We hope to to get continued public investment that will go hand and hand with private investment," said Clark of the revitalization efforts. "This is not just an infrastructure grant program. They look at economic development."
North Street used to be the hub of activity for the city but over years more and more storefronts have become vacant. The infrastructure work is focused on attracting more activity downtown to reverse the skid. Combined, the city and state have invested more than $22 million to redevelop North Street.
That has leveraged private investment as well. Berkshire Medical Center has grown its campus size, both the Beacon Cinema and Colonial Theatre were renovated and in the area of the last phase is the planned Hotel on North.
"There has been a record of the city investing in streetscape and that's led to private investment," Bianchi said.
City officials, however, were surprised Tuesday by the amount of the grant. Bianchi had previously said the remainder of the project could end up being in two separate phases.
"We applied for it. But in the past we applied for a larger number and received only half of it," Bianchi said.
Next the city hopes to widen the scope. Clark said to couple with the recent parking management plan, which the city had to develop because of a $6.5 million state investment in the McKay Street garage, he would like some of the pedestrian walkways connecting the side roads to North Street to be renovated.
From there, more infrastructure work on the side roads could also be helpful, he said.
Off North Street, the state is renovating the First Street Common, which is expected to be completed in November. The city launched a farmer's market in the First Street parking lot. Developer David Carver renovated the former Notre Dame School into apartments and Allegrone is finishing a complete renovation of the Howard Block at First and Fenn Street.
The former Plunkett School has been torn down, also at the intersection of First and Fenn, to make way for a new Dunkin' Donuts restaurant. However, that is being battled in court right now because the city denied the company a permit for a drive-thru window. A community greenhouse project is also eyed for First Street.
Bianchi said with the completion of North Street, the city can now look at investing in other major thoroughfares such as Elm, Wahconah and Tyler streets.
Tags: MassWorks grant, North Street, street project, streetscape,
