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100 North St. has been the source of news for the last few years.

Pittsfield Extends Lease For Offices at 100 North St.

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Linda Tyer has no plans to move the city offices currently at 100 North St. back to City Hall.

An array of city offices were moved from the basement of City Hall back in 2014 to the mezzanine level of 100 North. The move, under former Mayor Daniel Bianchi, caused consternation from some of the city councilors at the time because it didn't need council approval.

The move had led to a battle outside of the City Council chambers when Bianchi charged former Councilor Barry Clairmont $63.95 for documents relating to the move — a charge Clairmont balked at. Clairmont and Bianchi had also clashed over the former mayor's use of an office in the building.

Now, nearly four years later, some city councilors asked if there is a plan to move the offices out of leased space and into property already publicly owned.

"Are we always going to rent it? Are we going to buy the building? Or are we just going to rent it forever?" asked Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Simonelli.

Simonelli had put in a petition a few years ago asking a full assessment of the condition of City Hall. He believes there isn't a time when the city would look to demolish it, so it should be fixed up now.

The city had hired Barry Architects to dig into the area around the front stairs as it looked to find what was causing flooding in the basement. And in 2016, former Director of Building Maintenance Denis Guyer had begun to mitigate the issues with the basement.

The moisture getting into the basement caused concerns with mold and the air quality that had been long cited as problematic — to the point where radon detectors were installed. That preceded the moving of offices out and now the space is only used for storage. 

"I am not at all, at this point, thinking about 100 North St. returning to the basement," Mayor Linda Tyer said.

In fact, the administration had already signed an extension to the lease — which also did not need City Council approval. Director of Finance Matthew Kerwood said the newly signed lease is for three more years. It had gone to bid and CT Management (Scarafoni Associates) was the only company to bid on it.

"We are in that building for another three years," Kerwood said.

Further, the mayor said the city spent "almost $800,000" on making the actual move — though accounting delivered at the time placed that number at bit more than $80,000 — and believes that money would be somewhat wasted if the city moved out so quickly.

"Its turned out to be a fairly productive space. It is good for the employees," Tyer said.

The conversation regarding the space derived from two donations to the employee gym. The gym had been pieced together by Director of Personnel Michael Taylor thanks to a grant from the city's insurance company.

The City Council voted on Tuesday to accept a Pro-Form 700 CardioCross Trainer Elliptical Exerciser from Lt. Gary Traversa and a Nordic Track cx995 Elliptical Exerciser from former City Councilor Clairmont.

For full disclosure: iBerkshires has an office at 100 North St.


Tags: city hall,   leasing,   North Street,   

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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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