Pittsfield Cultural Council Extends Invitation to Join Committee

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Cultural Council (PCC) is extending an invitation to Berkshire County residents to apply to join the committee.  
 
Those who join in the summer will be on board in time to participate in reviewing of the fall grant applications.  The committee invites potential members to come to a meeting, ask questions and see how they can be involved. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 8, 7pm, Pittsfield City Hall, Room 203.
 
Funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, each year the PCC reviews grant applications from artists, cultural groups and organizations in Pittsfield and surrounding communities and decides if those applications meet the criteria for funding. With limited funding available each year and working with the priorities established by the council, the members of PCC collaborate to fund projects that best serve the needs and interests of the residents of Pittsfield.
 
There is a limit of two three-year terms that members may serve, and new member recruitment is ongoing throughout the year.  Membership on the PCC offers a great opportunity for anyone interested in supporting the arts and culture in Pittsfield. Members participate in one of the largest grassroots cultural funding networks in the nation with other like-minded volunteers who are passionate about the local cultural program and the positive impact it has on the community.
 
The PCC meets once a month from July through February, and are meetings are typically no more than an hour in length. There are no special qualifications to join the council, and it offers an opportunity to meet new people, share skills and support an important program that contributes to the quality of life. For more information about the PCC or to attend the next meeting, contact PCC at pittsfieldculture@yahoo.com or visit www.mass-culture.org/Pittsfield.

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Berkshire Mall Owners Press for Road District Dissolution

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Berkshire Mall owner JMJ RE Holdings says without a dissolution of the Baker Hill Road District, the potential sale and redevelopment with the mall would fall through.
 
The Select Board last week authorized two of its members to work on a compromise between the JMJ and the road district. The two entities have been at loggerheads over assessments to the district — and the district's purpose.
 
Tim Grogan, development consultant for JMJ RE Holdings, recently responded to iBerkshires' coverage of the meeting, during which the board discussed mediation but took no comments from the public or the mall owners. 
 
Grogan said JMJ has been under purchase contract with real estate developer Cypress Equities since May and has an intention to close in the fall.
 
"We are contractually obligated to deliver the property with the BHRD dissolved. If that does not happen, the mall will not get redeveloped. If the BHRD is not dissolved, the transaction with Cypress cannot close," said Grogan over email. "That is not a position JMJ adopted as leverage. It is the express term of a fully executed purchase and sale agreement. Should the town proceed in a manner that departs from the existing settlement framework, JMJ will evaluate all available claims to protect its contractual rights."
 
The town had initially agreed to seek the dissolution of the district through the Legislature based on JMJ paying $1.1 million to resolve all tax disputes. But that article was pulled from the annual town meeting when town officials said the mall's owners failed to make payment by the deadline. 
 
The road district was established 40 years ago to maintain the Connector Road between Routes 7 and 8 and assess the mall for fire and police protection. The mall closed in 2019 and its various owners since then have sought to redevelop the property. 
 
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