Pittsfield Housing Development Seeks Local, State Incentives

There is a proposal to turn the office building at 100 Wendell (seen via Google Maps) into 28 units of mixed-income housing. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Linda Tyer is requesting an amendment to the Housing Development Zone and a 10-year tax increment exemption for a proposed housing development on Wendell Avenue.

786 Holdings LLC wants to convert a commercial building at 100 Wendell Ave. into 28 units of mixed-income rental. The "Pointe" will contain six units of affordable rental housing and 22 units of market-rate rental housing. The $3.8 million redevelopment would bring the assessed value of the property from about $517,000 to more than $1.8 million.

Proposed initial monthly rents range from $999 for a studio to $1,225 for a two-bedroom unit.

"In order for this project to be eligible for assistance through the (Housing Development Incentive Program,) the City must amend the current HD Zone to include the 100 Wendell Avenue property," Tyer wrote in a communication on Tuesday night's City Council agenda.

"In reviewing the existing parcels surrounding the HDIP Zone, the City is also including the parcel at 55 Linden Street as it has the potential for housing development."

The TIE would provide 100 percent forgiveness on new residential property taxes in year one and decrease by 10 percent each year over 10 years. The estimated value of the TIE is just over $147,000 and the city would receive taxes on the original value of the property during construction.

The HDIP program requires the local government to provide a TIE for the project

The program, which is administered through the state Department of Housing and Community Development, was credited during Gov. Maura Healey's visit to Pittsfield last week for aiding the development of multiple housing units.

The HDIP provides two tax incentives to developers to undertake new construction or substantial rehabilitation of properties for lease or sale as multi-unit market-rate residential housing: The local tax exemption in gateway cities and a state tax credit of up to $2 million, for which the annual cap was increased from $10 million to $57 million in a $1 billion tax package signed by Healey earlier this month.

A second amendment to the HDIP zone was approved on Nov. 15, 2016, to add the PowerHouse Lofts project located at the former Holy Family Church to the HDIP Zone, allowing the church to be converted into market-rate housing. An amendment to the zone to include Tyler Street was approved in May 2017 and in September 2020, the city amended the zone to include a parcel on East Street to include the Eastview Apartments, the conversion of a former church building into 27 units of rental housing with one affordable unit included.

Healey Announces Housing Development Supports at Former Pittsfield Bank

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:29PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Gov. Maura Healey poses with the bank's old safe. The building is being refurbished for housing by Allegrone Companies. The project is being supported by a commercial tax credit and a $1.8M MassWorks grant for infrastructure improvements. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey stood in the former Berkshire County Savings Bank on Tuesday to announce housing initiatives that are expected to bring more than 1,300 units online. 

"People come here from all over the world. We want them to stay here, and we want kids who grew up here to be able to afford to stay here, but the problem is that for decades, we just weren't building enough housing to keep up with demand," she said. 

"And you guys know what happens when there isn't enough supply: prices go up. We have among the lowest vacancy rates in the country, so against that challenge, we made it our priority from day one to build more homes as quickly as possible." 

Approximately $8.4 million from the new Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) is designed help communities transform empty or rundown commercial buildings into new homes along with $139.5 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies through the Affordable Housing Development grant program. 

The historic 24 North St. with a view of Park Square has been vacant for about two years, and Allegrone Companies plans to redevelop it and 30-34 North St. into 23 mixed-income units. The administration announced its Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative (CCTCI) and the Affordable Housing Development grant program as ways to aid housing production, both of which Pittsfield will benefit from. 

The state is partnering with Hearthway for the construction of 47 affordable units on Linden Street, utilizing the former Polish Community Club and new construction, and Allegrone for its redevelopment of the block. 

The Linden Street project is one of the 15 rental developments the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is supporting through $25.7 million in federal low-income housing tax credits, $32.4 million in state low-income housing tax credits, and $81.4 million in subsidies. 

Allegrone's project is supported by the commercial tax credit and was recently awarded $1,800,000 from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. 

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said she fully comprehends the importance of housing and how crushing it is in communities that need it and want to build, but face difficulties with high construction costs. 

"Housing is the key to keeping people in the community in a safe way and giving them an opportunity to fill those many roles that we need throughout the Commonwealth in cities and towns, large and small, urban and rural, these are all important work. Having somebody fix your boiler, fix your car, we want those individuals to be able to live in our communities as well, particularly in our gateway cities," she said.