The building was first constructed in 1906 and transformed into a church in 1923.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In 1906, the Berkshire Railway System constructed a building on Seymour Street to host a steam boiler and large electrical generators to power the trolley cars going up and down North Street.
Six years later, the facility was too small. The railroad built a new one on East Street and vacated the Seymour Street building.
The Polish community, however, had started petitioning the Catholic Diocese of Springfield for a Polish church. The diocese granted the wish and the former powerhouse was converted into Holy Family Church, opening in 1924.
Next year, that storied history will continue. The building is currently being transformed into 10 market-rate housing units. The apartments will be completed and leased in the spring.
The project is just the latest in a series of historical re-use efforts developers CT Management Group is undertaking. The diocese had closed the church in 2008 -- one of three closed in Pittsfield at the time. CT Management bought it early this year and, in July, work began to end a decade of vacancy in the building.
"We're going to do 10 really nice, modern, unique, residences. They are not traditional built-for-the-masses residences. These are going to have all the utility and modern elements but have the uniqueness of space that you can't find anywhere else," said Craig Barnum of CT Management Group.
"There are extremely high ceilings in a lot of these units that have beautiful barrel arches. We've maintained a lot of the interior integrity in the molding. The windows are extremely cool."
The developers have taken the main sanctuary of the church, built a second floor, and framed out what will be multiple one-bedroom units. Behind what was the altar, a new staircase will let people into the lobby. Barnum said the company tried to preserve as many of the historic features possible, keeping the tall arched ceiling in place and marrying the new walls of the apartments with it. The rectory will feature a four-bedroom apartment and a few smaller ones.
The result will be units with unique church features but modern amenities.
"Nobody else is going to have the same apartment as you. It is not like going into an apartment complex with 50 apartments and everyone is living in the same unit. These are unique," Barnum said.
"It is important that we make sure to take beautiful, sound quality buildings like this and reuse them so a) they don't get torn down and you lose that history and b) they don't turn into blight and eyesores for people. This right here was not used. It wasn't used for a long time. It was doing nothing and now it is going to provide parking, housing. It is going to be a benefit for the city from a tax standpoint," Barnum said.
Barnum said the units are flexible for the needs of all demographics -- from young workers to retirees. He said there is a significant demand for market-rate housing in Pittsfield's downtown.
"Downtowns, you have the amenities, you are close to grocery, close to services, close to cultural items, which in Pittsfield has really grown in the last five or 10 years with Barrington Stage, the Colonial. We have more restaurants in and around the downtown. The downtown core in itself is one of the safest, if not the safest, segment in Pittsfield," Barnum said.
Recently, the city's downtown housing stock has seen a large increase. There have been multiple companies converting older buildings into market-rate rentals. Barnum believes even with the recent increase of available market-rate options, there is still a demand.
"While there has been a lot of housing in the downtown, I think there is room for much more. There are a couple other groups that do what we do in terms of taking some old buildings and making good quality housing. They've done it and have been successful at it. We've done it and have been successful at it," Barnum said.
"We don't view it as competition or a zero-sum game. We think there is room for another 100 to 200 good quality, downtown market-rate apartments. That will only help everybody. It will help the lower level retail. It will help the employers who are trying to keep and retain good quality employees. It is a piece to a larger puzzle."
But Barnum said making the dollars and cents work isn't always easy for re-using historic properties.
"There are limitations with these projects with respect to the current rent structures that this market can bear relative to how much it costs to build. We essentially have the same building costs as Boston but our rent structures are much lower. We don't get the $60 per square-foot. We get $12 to $18 depending on what is included and where it is," Barnum said.
But yet, the buildings are structurally sound -- particularly those built by the church.
"When the Catholic Church would build these buildings, they were strategic. Money wasn't that big of an issue so the integrity and structural soundness and the quality is significant," Barnum said.
The Berkshires have numerous church properties that have been shut down. Some of them have seen the wrecking ball while others are being re-used. CT Management has particularly picked up its focus on saving the historic buildings and what is now called "Powerhouse Lofts" is just the latest.
"We are definitely getting more experienced in how to navigating quicker around code aspects and retrofitting and adapting and reusing what we have," Barnum said.
Next month, CT Management will start pre-leasing space and expect in April or May the units will be ready.
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
Pittsfield Officials: Unlimited Trash Not Sustainable, Toters Offer Cost-Savings
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Unlimited trash pickup is not sustainable and will lead to higher taxes, city officials say.
Mayor Peter Marchetti began public outreach on Monday on the proposed five-year contract with Casella Waste Management for solid waste and recyclables. Older residents packed into the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center for the first of three community meetings.
On the table is a move to automated pickup utilizing 48-gallon toters, which would be at no cost to residents unless they require additional toters and would save the city $80,000 per year.
The goal is to execute a contract by July 1, the start of the fiscal year.
"Trash collection is not free. You're already paying for it as part of your taxes that you pay. In this administration, in this proposal there is no 'I'm looking to create a trash tax,''' Marchetti said, explaining that trash pickup for fiscal year 2025 is around $5.1 million and has doubled since he first served on the council in 2002.
"So we need to find a way to stem the cost of trash."
Some of the seniors praised the new plan while others had concerns, asking questions like "What is going to happen to the trash cans we have now?" "What if I live in rural Pittsfield and have a long driveway?" and "What happens if my toter is stolen?"
"I've lived in a lot of other places and know this is a big innovation that is taking place over the last 20,30 years," one resident said. "It's worked in most places. It's much better than throwing bags of garbage on the side of the road."
Berkshire Hills County Club is seeking a variance on its pool permit to allow for cost savings on staff members starting next year, including fewer lifeguards. click for more
Voters approved all but one of the 22 articles on the warrant at the annual town meeting on Monday night at Wahconah Regional High School. click for more