Vacant North Adams Lot Being Transformed Into UNO Park

The empty lot next to UNO Center, at left, will have gardens, benches, basketball and bocce.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The "UNO Park" sign was installed months ago above the grassy lot that once held a tire service center at the corner of Houghton and River streets.

The UNO Center next door opened last year; now the "park" part is finally coming to fruition.

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art will help develop the vacant lot into a community park with five community gardens, a half-court basketball court, a badminton court and a bocce ball court.

"It's going to be amazing," said UNO founder Shirley Davis on Thursday. "I didn't want a fence so it's going to have shrubs around. It's going to have pear trees so we can make pies. It's going to be so nice to see."
 
Mass MoCA Deputy Director Larry Smallwood informed the Planning Board on Monday of the park plans. Berkshire Hills Development Co., which owns the Porches Inn, is transferring the property to the museum along with the capital to make the improvements.

It's the latest move by city philanthropist John "Jack" Wadsworth, a Berkshire Hills principal, who seems to have single-handedly improved the once problematic intersection next to his hotel and the museum.

Wadsworth made the UNO Center happen, and Davis said he has been involved with the planning for the new park.

Smallwood said any recreational equipment would be checked out through UNO and that Mass MoCA will take care of the maintenance.

"The hope is that the community will use the park in these ways and other ways that we don't know about yet, mostly through the UNO center that will be the liaison between the town and Mass MoCA, who will be the production back up," Smallwood said. "We want to do something that is great for the city and we want everybody to be involved."

He said there are plans to hold community movie nights on the field and he said it may be a great location for the farmers market.

Davis had expected work on the park to have started by now, but was confident it would start soon and be "amazing."  

"We're going to fix it up and it's going to be beautiful," she said. "The kids can play and people can just visit on the benches and chill. It should be real nice when it's done."

Staff writer Tammy Daniels contributed to this report.

Brown Street Bridge Reopens in North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
01:16PM / Monday, December 15, 2025

Mayor Jennifer Macksey is the first to drive across the bridge, closed since early 2023.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Jennifer Macksey led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 15, marking the official reopening of the Brown Street Bridge.

 

"We are very excited despite the cold weather," Macksey said before the ribbon-cutting. "… We are chipping away at these projects, but this is long overdue."

 

The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The 26-foot steel structure, built in 1952, was flagged after its superstructure rating fell to 3.

 

The reopening follows a temporary repair project designed to safely restore access while the city and state determine a long-term plan. The temporary repair contract was awarded to J.H. Maxymillian at a cost of $349,920.

 

Funding for the project included $75,000 from state Chapter 90 road funds, with the balance was covered by state flood money the city had been previously awarded following a severe storm in July several years ago.

 

The mayor emphasized the critical need to reopen the span, particularly for public safety. 

 

"The perception behind that was we have flooding on West Main Street and River Street, we have to use this bridge," she said. "We are very excited to have it open. Not only to alleviate traffic problems down at the intersection of Big Y and the intersection of City Hall, but to help our friends at emergency management with the ambulance."