Pittsfield Cooperative Bank Offering Assistance to Homebuyers

12:30PM / Monday, April 04, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank has been selected to participate in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston's Equity Builder Program, which assists local homebuyers with down-payment and closing costs as well as homebuyer counseling and rehabilitation assistance.

The program provides grants to financial institutions to assist households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. Borrowers are eligible to receive up to $22,000 in assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. Buyers must also complete a homebuyer counseling program.

"This grant program is designed to ease some of the challenges associated with a home purchase, particularly in areas where home prices are on the rise. We are pleased to participate to help borrowers become homebuyers, while also supporting the financial stability and vitality of our communities,” said J. Jay Anderson, President and CEO, of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank.

The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank is eligible to receive up to $220,000 in 2022 through the Equity Builder Program depending on the availability of funds.

Since 2003, the Equity Builder Program has awarded more than $48.9 million in funds assisting 4,251 income-eligible households to purchase a home.

Contact Rich Whalen at 413.629.1610 for more information.

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Lanesborough Hopes for Continued Talks on Mall Sale

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:41PM / Wednesday, November 11, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board is optimistic that talks for the Berkshire Mall sale will continue.

Chair Deborah Maynard and Vice Chair Juli Baker were to meet with mall owner JMJ Holdings, the Baker Hill Road District, and proposed buyer Cypress Equities on Tuesday to discuss next steps. As of Wednesday, iBerkshires had received a "we are optimistic" from Maynard on the talks. The Berkshire Eagle reported a response from a Cypress representative saying talks will continue.

Baker had updated the Select Board on Monday about the status of the sale and the efforts being undertaken by the renamed Baker Hill Business District.

Cypress Equities pulled out of a purchase-and sale-agreement with mall owner JMJ last week for the following reasons.

Not enough water service/pressure to the property to support redevelopment without constructing costly water tanks.
The current septic system and former treatment facility is not acceptable for a project of the scale and magnitude proposed.
There is existing asbestos and bad soil from the treatment system that needs to be remediated off site.
And the current structure and tax assessment of the Baker Hill Road District.

Baker has been working with what is now being called the Baker Hill Business District and said she and the district members are happy that Cypress has decided to leave the door open to more discussions and that they have been working hard to try and address the company's needs.

Last month, the town had asked state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to support the state Department of Transportation taking over the Connector Road, funding for a mall connection to Pittsfield's wastewater treatment plant and a connection to the town's water main.

Baker said an amendment has been drafted to cap the district's taxes to not grow more than 2.5 percent a year. She noted that, historically, taxes have not grown by more than one percent per year, so it won't be difficult to meet that cap.

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