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The empty Price Chopper may be a hub of activity next year. The Williamstown Theatre Festival is planning to buy the building and move its set construction there.
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Williamstown Theatre Festival Buying Price Chopper Building

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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David Carver of Scarafoni Associates speaks to the Planning Board on Monday about the space being let to Community Legal Aid. At left are WTF Trustee Katie Schmidt, property manager David Moresi and attorney Donald Dubendorf.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The vacant Price Chopper building on State Road was approved Monday as the new construction home for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. 
 
Attorney Donald Dubendorf, representing the theater festival, told the Planning Board that property "now will be hopefully a site for set construction and, in the future, perhaps rehearsal space as well."
 
The 60-year-old building had been occupied by Central Markets and its successor Price Chopper until the latter closed in 2016. The property has been for sale but has not evoked enough interest from a buyer despite the neighborhood's hopes a small grocer might be interested. It has been managed by Moresi & Associates. 
 
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is planning to purchase the entire property from the Golub Corp., which owns the plaza as North Adams Realties Corp. The building also has a restaurant, Oriental Buffet, and a Rent-A-Center.
 
"The goal is in the future to use all of that space if that becomes possible not just the currently unoccupied space formerly occupied by the grocery store, but also the other two spaces," said Dubendorf, adding that the festival would honor the current leases held by the two tenants. 
 
The purchase would not include the former Friendly's, being eyed by a marijuana retailer, or the former site of the replica Fort Massachusetts, which was donated to the city as a park by the Golub family. 
 
Dubendorf said no exterior changes were planned and that the parking would be more than sufficient for the activities planned with the building. Charles LaBatt of Guntlow & Associates presented schematics. 
 
According to the application, the former grocery would be used for scene construction with a paint shop, carpentry shop and welding shop with the tenant spaces to be used for rehearsals when they become available. The number of deliveries and activity is not expected to exceed that during the time the supermarket was open.
 
It's expected to be used mainly between May and September and will be manned by 50 to 70 people during peak construction time, which would be June through August when the festival is running. 
 
The WTF was asking for unrestricted hours because of the nature of the work. Planners asked about noises and disruption because the property does back onto a dense neighborhood. 
 
"Let me first say the theater festival will be a good neighbor," Dubendorf said. "We have engaged Hill Engineering to work with us on those issues. So if we've got excessive noises, we'll look to control them within the building. We'll meet or exceed your requirements."
 
The festival does not plan to occupy the building until May 2021.
 
"I know you've got folks have moved around a little bit. I'm glad you've finally found a permanent home that can last for a few years," said Planner Kyle Hanlon.
 
Planner Lisa Blackmer asked if the property would become nonprofit. 
 
"That's a conversation that the theater festival board will will engage in as soon as we can get control of the property with the mayor," Dubendorf said. "The issue has been broached and we'll talk to the mayor about that at some length."
 
Planner Lynette Bond said it was an exciting project but also sad if the restaurant were to close because there aren't many restaurants in the West End.
 
In other business, the board approved: 
 
In Motion Dance Academy operated by Jennifer Howard to open in the Holiday Inn. The dance studio opened last year on Ashland Street and offers classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern and hoip hop for all levels.
 
• Community Legal Aid to open at 33 Main St. in the Berkshire Plaza. The Worcester-based office had been in the Empire Building. Its hours will be 8 to 5 on weekdays.
 
• Shear Madness Salon, operated by Kim Oakes, was approved to move next door to 81 Main St., where the salon had first opened in 2008. A couple years later, she had relocated to the much larger space at 77 Main St., the former Newberry's. Oakes said she wanted to reduce the size and rent by returning to the smaller space. Her hours will be 11 to 8 Tuesdays and Thursdays; 9 to 5 Wednesdays and Fridays; and 9 to 3 on Saturday.
 
• Samnang Poeuk was approved for an automoble electronics and accessories busines, Automan Sam, at 303 State St. Poeuk said his business would include selling and installing electronics such as security, remote starters, power windows and locks, and heated seats. He will also offer diagnosis and repair, tinting, hydro imaging and vehicle lettering. 
 
The building, which has two bays, will have some interior and exterior improvements and new signage. The property has 12 spaces and the board but a condition that no more than six vehicles could be parked overnight. Poeuk said he did not think that would be an issue. 
 
• TD Bank on Main Street was approved for new signage. The format and size will not change the but color will go to a bright green from the current brownish with a green stripe. 
 
Editor's note: Shear Madness is moving next door on MAIN STREET. The original location was in error. 

Tags: Planning Board,   Williamstown Theatre Festival,   

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Main & Mill: A Vibrant New Restaurant on Main Street

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — You can now enjoy another eatery on Main Street by well-known restaurant siblings Colleen and Sean Taylor.

Their restaurant Main & Mill opened for the first time Tuesday, bringing their vision of creating something vibrant and new to downtown North Adams.

"We have created Main & Mill to be part of our day. It's very seasonal ingredients, thoughtful cooking, beauty, beautiful presentation and dishes. And we really wanted to be part of the community, the downtown area, and start a vibrant area on this end, which has been shuttered for a while," said Colleen.

The building is owned by Ginko on Main Street LLC, which has granted 20 years exclusive possession of the property to Latent Builds as the developer. Jack and Suzy Wadsworth, behind Ginko, are development partners with Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry of Latent.

The bank closed in early 2021 and was purchased by Ginko late that year. Plans for the property unveiled three years ago envisioned a restaurant, retail, a park and rooftop bar. 

Colleen saw potential and said she initially wanted the building when it first went up for sale. Being good friends with Rothstein and Perry, she helped them design the kitchen and the bar before learning in March that she could lease it as a restaurant space, something she told them would be a great idea.

She said one of the most important things about the restaurant was the collaboration between Rothstein, Perry, and the Wadsworths, who put a lot of time and energy into the building.

"If Sean and I had done it, we would not be able to do what the collaboration supported. The collaboration of the three of us being able to really have that kind of money to put in down here. The design that the architecture firm that Carla and Sal own is stunning," she said. "The time and effort, everyone came together to do this in a really trusting manner."

The two wanted the restaurant to be an all-day venture, so people could eat at any point throughout the day, all week long.

"We wanted it to be open for coffee and socialization in the morning where people can meet, have their cup of coffee, have a quiche, a vegetarian quiche, or croissant or yogurt. Something intentional with their coffee," she said. "Then move into a lunchtime for the downtown business or anybody, and then go into supper, dinner, with drinks later into the evening. So have it really be open all day long, so that there wasn't a void on any particular day."

They also wanted to do something different than the other restaurants they owned.

"We didn't want to mimic any other restaurant in town. We wanted to bring something that was inspiring, something that had some familiar things that people would see, and other things that we would bring to them for them to experience," she said.

As a woman business owner, Colleen said she wanted to bring a female chef into the kitchen. 

Colleen brought on Chef Anna DeRose, who she said puts twists on a lot of her dishes.

"So we have a creme brulee, but our creme brulee is topped with marshmallow," she said. "Our creme brulee is like almost two desserts in one. It's a s'mores creme brulee. So you could have a s'mores, and you could have a creme brulee - but when you put both of them together, fireworks go off."

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