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The historic mill is home to some 40 businesses and will welcome a new one this fall.

Wayfair Finalizes Lease For Clocktower Building

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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 Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. 
 
"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. 
 
The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. 
 
The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner. 
 
Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center
 
The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible. 
 
The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.
 
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