Great Barrington Gets State Grant for North Plain Road Affordable Housing Site

11:22AM / Thursday, October 27, 2022Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The town has secured a $3.2 million MassWorks grant to pay for infrastructure costs at a planned affordable housing development on North Plain Road in Housatonic.

The project, a collaboration between the town and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, will include 19 affordable, energy efficient homes on a 7.25-acre site. The state funds will cover the costs of road construction, sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure.

The MassWorks Infrastructure Program is a competitive grant program that provides state funds to support and accelerate housing production and other economic development efforts.

On Wednesday, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba and MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials in Pittsfield to announce a total of more than $143 million in grant awards to support 337 local economic development projects in 169 communities.

Town Manager Mark Pruhenski credited Assistant Town Manager Chris Rembold for his work securing the funding. Rembold is also the town's director of planning and community development.

"Chris has been extremely proactive in securing funds and supporting projects that improve affordable housing options in our town," said Pruhenski. "Whenever there are opportunities to direct town funds or incoming grant money to housing efforts, Chris is our town's advocate."

The North Plain Road property was purchased by the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund in July 2020, using $175,000 in Community Preservation Act funds. The Trust Fund awarded development rights to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. Units will be sold to first-time homebuyers earning between 65 percent to 100 percent of the area's median income.

Rembold noted that local employers are struggling to hire staff because of high housing costs and housing shortages, "so creating housing options is our top development priority."

Habitat will soon hold community meetings to refine the design. Once permits are in place Habitat will seek contractors for infrastructure work. Site construction could begin in late 2023 and house construction in 2024.

Fred Clark, chair of the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust, said that his board is "thrilled with this grant, which underscores our dire need for housing. The grant also demonstrates our town's persistent efforts to support housing opportunities."

Carolyn Valli, CEO of Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, said her agency is "thrilled to partner with the town on a project that brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. With this grant, Habitat can now focus its efforts on delivering 19 affordable, energy efficient homes."

Tags: habitat for humanity, MassWorks grant,

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Great Barrington Public Theater Appoints Artistic Director

09:57AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will now join Jim Frangione at the helm as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater.

"We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region's premiere developmental theater," Founder & Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater's signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions. I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner. It's a "Bear" of a job! But we feel great about the direction of our theater."

Judy Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as the Associate Artistic Director after 2 years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Founder and Artistic Director Jim Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened Great Barrington Public's creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Judy Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher and artist for social justice for over four decades with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She led the M.F.A. Directing Program at Boston University's School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

"Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand-in-glove with our founding mission and core beliefs," Founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons explains. "Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth."

"Judy's distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years," Managing Director Serena Johnson added. "We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season."

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