PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wayfair has finalized a lease in the Clocktower Building and expects to move in this fall.
Spokeswoman Molly Delaney said on Friday that the lease has been finalized at 75 South Church St. in Building 3. The company will occupy 40,000 square-feet.
The former Sheaffer-Eaton Mill, now known as the Clocktower Building, is owned by CT Management under the holding company Clocktower Partners LLC. The company purchased the building for $1 million in 2016.
Wayfair is planning a service center in the portion of the building which sits between the Clocktower Condos and the main office space area. The expansion into Pittsfield will come with the creation of 300 new jobs to the city, which is considered one of the city's biggest economic development wins in a number of years.
Wayfair's total expansion will be 3,300 after the state approved $31.4 million in tax breaks to the Boston-based retailer. The majority of the jobs will be in the Boston area with 300 coming to Pittsfield. The home-decor company is owned by Niraj Shah, a Pittsfield native, who has reportedly teased the idea that there could be more expansion into the Berkshire in the future.
The e-commerce company is expected to hire 265 customer service representatives and 35 managers at the Pittsfield location. It will be the company's ninth call center.
When the announcement was made in December there was no location identified though it was widely known that the Clocktower building was the leading potential location.
The mill was constructed in 1883 by Eli Terry. A decade later it was sold to Arthur W. Eaton who turned it into the Sheaffer-Eaton mill (after a merger with the Sheaffer pens) and employed a total of 900 people at one point.
In 1987, the mill was sold to Miller family, then owners of The Berkshire Eagle. In the 1990s, the Millers renovated the entire building into offices and moved paper's operation there. Miller sold the building and business to Media News Group, which then sold it to CT Management.
The large complex houses around 40 businesses but was reportedly only about 60 to 75 percent occupied when CT Management purchased it. Delaney said she expects the company to move into the location this fall.
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Pittsfield Extends Interim School Superintendent Contract
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips' employment has been extended to 2027.
Last week, the School Committee approved an employment contract that runs through June 30, 2027. Phillips was originally appointed to a one-year position that began on July 1 and runs through the end of the fiscal year in June 2026.
"You didn't ask me simply to endure challenges or struggle to prove myself. Instead, you believe in me, you've given me the space to grow, the encouragement to stretch, and the expectation that I can truly soar," she said earlier in last Wednesday's meeting when addressing outgoing School Committee members.
"You question, you poke, you prod, but not to tear anything down, but to make our work stronger, grounded in honesty, integrity, and hope. You've entrusted me with meaningful responsibility and welcomed me into the heart of this community. Serving you and leading our public schools has been, thus far, a joyful, renewing chapter in my life, and I want to thank you for this opportunity."
Chair William Cameron reported that the extended contract includes a 3 percent cost-of-living increase in the second year and more specific guidelines for dismissal or disciplinary action.
Phillips was selected out of two other applicants for the position in May. Former Superintendent Joseph Curtis retired at the end of the school year after more than 30 years with the district.
The committee also approved an employment contract with Assistant Superintendent for CTE and Student Support Tammy Gage that runs through June 30, 2031. Cameron reported that there is an adjustment to the contract's first-year salary to account for new "substantive" responsibilities, and the last three years of the contract's pay are open to negotiation.
The middle school restructuring, which was given the green light later that night, and the proposal to rebuild and consolidate Crosby Elementary School and Conte Community School on West Street, have been immediate action items in Phillips' tenure.
A 700-square-foot outdoor water attraction is planned for the 2.1-acre park at 30 John Street. City officials hope to have it operational by summertime.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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