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Housing Opportunities will transfer 111-113 Bracewell Ave. to the Louison House. That leaves it with one property to dispose of before it can dissolve.

Housing Organization Transfers Bracewell Property to Louison House

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Housing Opportunities Inc. plans to transfer 111-113 Bracewell Ave. to Louison House, the family support and shelter organization.
 
This leaves the housing program with only the former Sun Cleaners property on River Street to dispose of so it can dissolve.
 
North Adams Housing Authority Executive Director Jennifer Hohn said Monday that the Family Life Support Center is expected to close on the property June 27.
 
Louison House had already been operating the apartment house for its permanent supportive housing; it was earlier transferred the Flood House on Church Street, which it has been using in the aftermath of a fire at the original shelter building.
 
"This is great news," newly elected Chairman Matt Neville said.
 
Housing Opportunities, which has the same board as the Housing Authority, has been attempting to dissolve the 30-year-old program for the past six years and turn over its assets to the city. 
 
A majority of the nine properties were transferred to the city in April, with the exception of the Bracewell and Sun Cleaners properties.
 
The city was reluctant to take the River Street property over fears of contaminated soils.
 
The former dry cleaners, parts of which date to 1865, closed at least a decade ago. HOI purchased the property for $50,000 in 2008. The city will take possession depending on the results of a 21E environmental assessment that will be paid out of funds held by HOI, which is now about $292,704.
 
Hohn said Sun Cleaners is the last of the properties and that although contamination testing has occurred, a report has yet to be issued. 
 
In other business, Hohn said the Housing Authority, yet again, received a favorable Public Housing Assessment System score of 96.
 
This marks the third year in a row the Housing Authority has been labeled a "High Performer" by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
 
"This is excellent," board member Patricia Wol said. "Another good job."
 
The score represents a federal housing authority program's management performance and the North Adams authority is scored high in a variety of categories.
 
Neville asked Hohn to extend the board's appreciation and congratulations to the Housing Authority staff.
 
"It's a team effort that is for sure, and it is very impressive," he said. 

Tags: Housing Authority,   Housing program,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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