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From left, Dr. Shaohua Tang, Xingning Zhao and Don Dion follow the proceedings.

North Adams Doctor Buys Williamstown Building at Auction

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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Auctioneer Corey J. Fisher, right, conducts an owner's sale at 25 Main St. in Williamstown on Friday.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The former home of Dion Money Management sold at auction for $111,000 on Friday afternoon.

Dr. Shaohua Tang purchased the 25 Main St. property with an eye toward making it a new home for his internal medicine practice, currently located on Main Street in North Adams.

Owner Don Dion was on hand for the owner's auction, conducted by Corey J. Fisher of West Springfield's Aaron Posnik Auctioneers and Appraisers.
 
The public auction drew just one other bidder, Dave Johnson, who bid $110,000 against an opening offering of $100,000 from Tang. Fisher elicted a $1,000 raise from Tang, and that is where the auction ended.
 
Tang sited the building's size (7,800 square feet) and convenient location near the Williamstown-North Adams line on Massachusetts Route 2 as advantages.
 
"As an owner, you can make it suit your specific needs," Tang said. "We may need the larger space to bring in associate businesses to promote health, like a nutrition counselor."
 
The remodeled barn, which at one time housed an antique shop, currently has six offices, five lavatories, oil heat and central air-conditioning. It sits on about 2 acres of land with parking spaces for about 40 vehicles.
 
Tang and his practice's office manager, Xingning Zhao, said they did not have a timetable in mind to relocate to the site. He said he planned to talk to an architect about modifications to the building.
 
Dion owned the property for about 15 years, he said. After selling his money management business to Focus Financial Partners, he continued to rent the space to the owners of Atlas Private Wealth Management, which did business at 25 Main St. before moving to North Adams last year.
 
Whent it was apparent the auction was bidding was going to end in the low six-figure range, Dion called over to Williamstown Principal Assessor William Barkin, who was on hand to observe the proceedings, asking Barkin what the site was assessed at.
 
"Just under $500,000," Barkin replied.
 
"Good job," Dion joked.
 
"You never complained, so I guess I was doing something right," Barkin replied.

Tags: auction,   building,   doctor,   

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Williamstown Fire Committee Talks Station Project Cuts, Truck Replacement

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.
 
Some of the "value engineering" changes are cosmetic, while at least one pushes off a planned expense into the future.
 
The committee, which oversees the Fire District, also made plans to hold meetings over the next two Wednesdays to finalize its fiscal year 2025 budget request and other warrant articles for the May 28 annual district meeting. One of those warrant articles could include a request for a new mini rescue truck.
 
The value engineering changes to the building project originated with the district's Building Committee, which asked the Prudential Committee to review and sign off.
 
In all, the cuts approved on Wednesday are estimated to trim $1.135 million off the project's price tag.
 
The biggest ticket items included $250,000 to simplify the exterior masonry, $200,000 to eliminate a side yard shed, $150,000 to switch from a metal roof to asphalt shingles and $75,000 to "white box" certain areas on the second floor of the planned building.
 
The white boxing means the interior spaces will be built but not finished. So instead of dividing a large space into six bunk rooms and installing two restrooms on the second floor, that space will be left empty and unframed for now.
 
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