ADAMS, Mass. — Thirteen may be the lucky number for the town of Adams. 

 

The town, the designated developer of the Greylock Glen, has received 13 proposals from architectural firms interested in designing the "Greylock Glen Resort Outdoor Center."

 

"It's an excellent response," Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco said. "It is for the design of the outdoor center so you'd expect many bidders but 13 gives us a great number of design options and price ranges to choose from."  

 

The town's been working for decades to get something on 56 acres of the 1,000-acre glen, which lies at the foot of the Mount Greylock State Reservation in Adams. Since being named the developer nearly a decade ago, extensive design has been done for trails through the pristine landscape and preliminary road and infrastructure work has been completed in the last few years. A lodge, conference center and ampitheatre is planned along with a primitive campground. 

 

But it's been difficult to get the estimated $50 million project off the ground. Only one application of interest was received for the campground project in December from local artist and entrepreneur Ralph Brill. And the last time the outdoor center and lodging was put out to bid five years ago, not a single developer was interested. 

 

This time was different, with the town only requesting design services for just the $5 million, 11,000 square-foot multi-use center. Thirteen bids were received in early February from firms in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut.

 

Arcade, of Pittsfield, was the only bidder from Berkshire County. Also submitting bids were Austin Design Inc. of Colrain; C & H Architects of Amherst; Bargmann Hendrie & Archetype Inc., DHK Inc., Oudens Ello Architecture, Touloukian Touloukian Inc. and Design Lab Architects, all of Boston; Maryann Thompson Architects of Watertown; LDA Architecture & Interiors of Cambridge; Charles Rose Architects Inc. of Somerville; Centerbrook Architects & Planners of Centerbrook, Conn., and William Maclay Architects of Waitsfield, Vt.

 

"We have design funds in hand and the construction funds are earmarked in a state bond bill, so were very excited to be progressing," Mazzucco said. "These are exciting times."

 

The proposed building will contain a welcome area, exhibit space, a media room, four classrooms and a concession area. The town is asking the building be net zero, so the selected designer is expected to have experience in green building technologies and energy efficiency.

 

The center will have a public focus but may also be the location of a future Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' field station for its Environmental Studies program

 

Also, there is an interest in housing a Nordic ski center to be run by a private operator.

 

The chosen firm will not only work with the town during the design process but is expected to be involved in the public review process, and work with the town to secure construction funding for the proposed facility.

 

With initial trail work begun last summer, and bids in hand for at least two of the proposed elements, the long-awaited Greylock Glen development finally appears to be picking up speed.