ADAMS, Mass. — Thirteen may be the lucky number for the town of Adams.
The town, the designated developer of the Greylock Glen, has received 13 proposals from architectural firms interested in designing the "Greylock Glen Resort Outdoor Center."
"It's an excellent response," Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco said. "It is for the design of the outdoor center so you'd expect many bidders but 13 gives us a great number of design options and price ranges to choose from."
The town's been working for decades to get something on 56 acres of the 1,000-acre glen, which lies at the foot of the Mount Greylock State Reservation in Adams. Since being named the developer nearly a decade ago, extensive design has been done for trails through the pristine landscape and preliminary road and infrastructure work has been completed in the last few years. A lodge, conference center and ampitheatre is planned along with a primitive campground.
But it's been difficult to get the estimated $50 million project off the ground. Only one application of interest was received for the campground project in December from local artist and entrepreneur Ralph Brill. And the last time the outdoor center and lodging was put out to bid five years ago, not a single developer was interested.
This time was different, with the town only requesting design services for just the $5 million, 11,000 square-foot multi-use center. Thirteen bids were received in early February from firms in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut.
Arcade, of Pittsfield, was the only bidder from Berkshire County. Also submitting bids were Austin Design Inc. of Colrain; C & H Architects of Amherst; Bargmann Hendrie & Archetype Inc., DHK Inc., Oudens Ello Architecture, Touloukian Touloukian Inc. and Design Lab Architects, all of Boston; Maryann Thompson Architects of Watertown; LDA Architecture & Interiors of Cambridge; Charles Rose Architects Inc. of Somerville; Centerbrook Architects & Planners of Centerbrook, Conn., and William Maclay Architects of Waitsfield, Vt.
"We have design funds in hand and the construction funds are earmarked in a state bond bill, so were very excited to be progressing," Mazzucco said. "These are exciting times."
The proposed building will contain a welcome area, exhibit space, a media room, four classrooms and a concession area. The town is asking the building be net zero, so the selected designer is expected to have experience in green building technologies and energy efficiency.
The center will have a public focus but may also be the location of a future Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' field station for its Environmental Studies program
Also, there is an interest in housing a Nordic ski center to be run by a private operator.
The chosen firm will not only work with the town during the design process but is expected to be involved in the public review process, and work with the town to secure construction funding for the proposed facility.
With initial trail work begun last summer, and bids in hand for at least two of the proposed elements, the long-awaited Greylock Glen development finally appears to be picking up speed.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Scholarship Offered to BArT Graduates
ADAMS, Mass. — Graduates of Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School (BArT) who have completed their first year of college are invited to apply for the Julia Bowen Bridge to College Scholarship.
The scholarship fund was established in 2017 to honor Julia Bowen, BArT's founding executive director. Through her service to the school, Bowen demonstrated her commitment to supporting all students' successful path to and through college. In this spirit, the scholarship was created by and is managed by the BArT Foundation to provide financial assistance to select BArT alumni through their college career.
A scholarship of up to $1,250 will be awarded to a BArT alumnus or alumna who has successfully completed year 1 of college. Assuming successful completion of the school year, the award will be continued through years 2, 3, and 4 and, if need be, 5. The award does NOT need to be used for tuition.
Applications may be accessed at https://bit.ly/Bowen2024. The application process includes a narrative about the applicant, how the successful applicant plans to use the Bowen Scholarship to increase the likelihood of college success, and how the applicant has or will support the BArT alumni network or college office.
That wasn't all, of course, as she was applauded for her 30 years overseeing the town's elections and vital records. There were plenty of hugs and some tears for a closing out of her long career.
click for more
Listening to Little list off all the specialized components he sells and installs, from public safety lighting to municipal warning lights and radio communication, his technical knowledge and experience shines through.
click for more
Selectmen Chair and 1Berkshire Director of Member Services and Christine Hoyt has been nominated for the April Community Hero of the Month. click for more
Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. click for more
The Adams Beautification group, which has been quietly sprucing up the town since 2022, hopes to bring in more members of the community during a community cleanup day scheduled for Saturday, April 27. click for more
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School history teacher Alla Chelukhova has been selected as the April Teacher of the Month. click for more