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The restaurant had closed abruptly in 2016.

Old Country Buffet Expected To Be Razed To Make Way For New Restaurant

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The former Old Country Buffet at Berkshire Crossing is expected to be razed.
 
The plaza owners Brixmor Property Group received the OK from the Conservation Commission to take down the restaurant. The plan is to construct a new, 5,500 square-foot restaurant in its place.
 
"The footprint of the proposed restaurant is significantly smaller. The existing restaurant is a square, rectangular shape. The concept is we've located the restaurant in that same building footprint but completely out of the riverfront area," James Scalise of SK Design said.
 
Scalise said there is a tight schedule for the owners to finalize the lease. Which restaurant will take its place was not disclosed on Thursday.
 
Old Country Buffet has been closed for the last two years. It closed with little warning in February 2016 as workers arrived there one morning to find a sign announcing its closure.
 
The restaurant was one of 74 closed by Ovation Brands at the time. Now it appears another company is interested in taking over the location. 
 
What would you like to see there?

Tags: restaurants,   

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Pittsfield Council OKs Underground Fiber Network

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More underground fiber internet cables will be installed in Pittsfield. 

On Tuesday, the City Council approved Gateway Fiber's request to install an underground fiber network infrastructure within the city's right-of-way.  

The company was given the go-ahead for an aerial network last year alongside Archtop Fiber, marking the beginning of construction with a ribbon-cutting at the Colonial Theatre. Gateway Fiber will offer subscription plans ranging from $65 to $150 per month, depending on speed. 

Wards 3 and 4 will see the most work in the first phase, according to an underground fiber deployment plan.  Fourteen streets in Ward 4 will see underground fiber deployment; 13 streets in Ward 3.  

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant voted in opposition for personal reasons, as he signed up for Gateway Fiber briefly last year and said he had poor service and poor communication from the company. 

Some councilors and community members appreciated bringing competition to Spectrum internet services. Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey pointed out that it costs about $90 per month for 500 megabytes per second with Spectrum, and that all three fiber services that have come to Pittsfield are cheaper. 

Operations Manager Jennifer Sharick explained that they were seeking approval for underground fiber deployment as part of the next phase in Pittsfield. The city was found to be a "very" viable community for underground fiber. 

Gateway Fiber, she said, originally served a community of 250 residents outside of St. Louis, Mo. 

"Following the pandemic, we saw the need, and what people need for fiber and reliable internet service to bring residents and businesses the opportunity for connectivity," Sharick said. 

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