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The site will be cleaned up and prepared for the potential development as seen in these illustrations.

PEDA Awards $9.8M Bid for Redevelopment of Site 9

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A contract has been awarded for the redevelopment of Site 9 with an expected completion date in fall 2024.

On Friday, the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority approved William J Keller & Sons Construction's $9.8 million bid. The company was chosen over JH Maxymillian Inc.'s $11.2 million bid due to its lower price.

The Castleton-On-Hudson, N.Y., company plans to have the rough surface ready for development in October and will start in mid-January.

"This is one of the most exciting milestones to happen to PEDA since I've been here," Chair Michael Matthews said.

"This was great support from the local administration, the mayor's office, and all the people that have gotten behind this. It's really mixed leadership to make this happen all together so now, we really have something to market over there and I'm excited."

Site 9 has been called a "scar" and described as looking like the surface of the moon by Mayor Linda Tyer. The 16-acre parcel at the corner of Woodlawn Avenue and Tyler Street Extension previously housed a General Electric factory and is the largest and most prominent section of the William Stanley Business Park.

Final plans include green space and roadways for traveling within the parcel.

Fourteen parties expressed interest in the job but only two submitted bids. Business Development Manager Michael Coakley explained that the job's complexity is likely why many dropped off.

"One of the things that is an unknown is really what's underneath there," he said. "Those foundations were built over 100 years ago so no one is exactly sure what they will find there."



Matthews was impressed with how Keller and Sons looked to construction practices in the era that the site was built and engineered its bid around that. It was also pointed out that Keller will outsource to local companies to bring economic development to the area.

Representatives from the company will give regular updates to PEDA.

The project was fully funded earlier this year. The last of the funding includes $400,000 of Pittsfield Economic Development Authority foundation funds, $1.3 million in GE landscaping funds, and $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The panel also voted to obtain the services of commercial real estate brokers to assist with marketing and obtaining developers for the site.

Matthews sees the efforts as a three-legged stool that includes cleanup of the site, marketing, and financials.  

"When you look at what's happening at Site 9 is real positive energy that's going to be happening there and we have to capitalize on that," he said. "That can either build or it can become stale very quickly."

Former chair Maurice Callahan pointed to PEDA's work to revitalize the Tyler Street corridor to make it a Transformative Development Initiative District.

"As we go up and down that street, which we all do frequently, think about some of the things that we've done that are not always so well known but appreciated," he said.

With this, board members are feeling positive and cannot wait to see what is in store for the parcel and the park as a whole. 


Tags: PEDA,   

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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