Greylock Works Gets $1.72M in State Funds to Complete Parking Lot
Secretary Ash and Sen. Hinds look through the vendors and activities appearing at Festive at Greylock Works this Saturday.
Salvatore Perry and Karla Rothstein's $15 million renovation of the former textile mill will include events, food production, restaurants, bar, and a hotel and 23 high-end condominiums.
"I think about this space all the time. I'm a former city manager and I spent a lot of my lifetime trying to create communities," Ash said, standing in the mill's bright and open 65,000 square-foot Weave Shed on Monday. "I get to drive around the state all the time and I see these great hulking buildings just hovering over neighborhoods, blighting communities.
"I wish I could bring you to each one of them," he said, turning to Perry and Rothstein, then added to laughter, "You've got another $25 million somewhere?"
Ash last visited the former Cariddi Mill in May to hear about its potential; on Monday, he was back with a $1.72 million check from the state's MassWorks program to aid the project in completing its parking infrastructure.
Greylock Works received a $2,176,341 MassWorks grant a year ago to redo the entry and parking lots on the east and south side of the sprawling structure; much of that work has been completed. This new grant will allow the completion of the parking area to the west, creating 200 parking spots in total.
"Adaptive reuse projects are the toughest to do but can be the most rewarding," said Michael Nuvallie of the city's community development office, standing in for Mayor Richard Alcombright. Sometimes, he said, it takes someone looking down from 50,000 feet to really see potential. "These two visionaries that have taken a look at this asset from the 50,000-foot level are slowing making it a reality."
The Greylock Works grant is one of 47 grants to support communities and business from the $1 billion bipartisan, economic development planning "toolbox" pegged as "Opportunities for All: Making Massachusetts Great Everywhere."
"We're creating thousands of jobs and creating thousands of units of housing and, more importantly, those things are exciting to me, but we're helping to restore and revitalize communities," said Ash.
Rothstein explained the work done with the last grant, which included rain gardens, permeable paving surfaces, native planting, bridges connecting to the city's sports parking lot, the new entrance for a cheese cave, and the reinforced concrete pad for deliveries.
This next round of funding will allow the completion of the parking infrastructure, bringing the paving all the way around to the dirt and pothole-laden parking area on the west end.
"We did a year of research and analysis before following our instincts to embark on this enormous committment," Rothstein said, adding, "a milestone like this is crucial to the ongoing success of the project and we gratefully appreciate the continued support."
State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, said the state's support showed the investment "has legs."
"You really are capturing what's happening in the region, that there's a real mix of public/private partnerships," he said to Rothstein and Perry. "The fact that the state can put forward money like this and see that tentpole investment from the private side is tremendous and it's an example of what's happening up and down this Route 2 corridor right now."
Ash complimented the region's delegation, including Hinds, for its efforts and his said his thoughts had turned to the late state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, whose family had owned the mill and run a toy distribution business out of it for many years.
He was most excited about Perry and Rothstein's plans for the co-maker space, areas set up for the production of local foods. That includes the installed commercial kitchen and the future transformation of the rest of the Weave Shed into spaces for cheesemaking, fermenting, baking, and other artisanal ventures.
"It encompasses everything we try to do through our MassWorks program and through our economic development," Ash said. "Thank you for your courage in investing ... you're turning this space into a place that the entire community can embrace and cherish."
Tags: greylock mill, greylock works, MassWorks grant, parking, state grant, state officials,
