Berkshire Museum to Offer Community Programming During Renovations

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Museum will close for major renovations to its first-floor spaces and galleries starting January 6, 2025. 
 
While the museum undergoes construction, it will produce a lineup of off-site events and educational programs across the Berkshires, utilizing partnerships with local organizations.
 
This includes the museum's outreach efforts will be its Mobile Museum Units (MoMUs), a series of 11 portable, STEAM-focused displays featuring elements of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. These "mini-exhibitions," already popular in schools and community spaces, will continue to bring curated collections to audiences throughout the region.
 
"MoMUs have been at the forefront of the Berkshire Museum’s education philosophy since re-opening from the pandemic three years ago, and we continue to expand their reach," said Berkshire Museum Curriculum Developer Joseph Mastronardi. "As they were designed to offer engaging and differentiated field-trip experiences outside the museum walls, we are thrilled to be able to partner with locales throughout the Berkshires to continue showcasing our collection while our building gets its exciting upgrade."
 
The renovations, set to be completed in 2026, will include a new lobby, gift shop, family activity center, lecture hall, conference room, and reimagined first-floor galleries showcasing art, natural history, and historical objects. A centerpiece of the project will be a new aquarium featuring aquatic and terrestrial life, designed to appeal to visitors of all ages.
 
"After years of preparation, we are ready to launch the final component of planned upgrades to the 1903 building, focusing on all the first-floor spaces, as well as unveiling a new aquarium," said Kimberley Bush Tomio, Berkshire Museum Executive Director. "The outcome will be a fresh look at the museum’s treasures and opportunities for programs and exhibitions for people of all ages."
 
Community members can track renovation updates and access programming schedules through the museum's website, berkshiremuseum.org.
 

 


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State Study Finds 220K New Homes Needed Before 2035

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A statewide study found that more than 220,000 homes must be built in the next decade to meet housing needs.

On Thursday, the Healey-Driscoll Administration released the initial results of "A Home for Everyone: A Comprehensive Housing Plan for Massachusetts," developed in collaboration with the Housing Advisory Council established when the $5.1 billion Affordable Homes Act was filed.

The report says Massachusetts needs to increase its year-round housing supply by at least 222,000 units from 2025 to 2035 to stay competitive and lower costs and "Every region of the state needs more homes in order to reach this statewide target."

During a visit to Pittsfield last April, a common theme that Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus Jr. heard was the challenge of housing construction.

He said the challenge in Berkshire County is that it costs nearly the same to build a 10 or 30-unit apartment building as it does in the Greater Boston area but you can't get the same rents or sale prices. This requires greater subsidies to make it work.
 
"I think the thing that makes me feel optimistic is you have got a lot of really good, engaged people out here in the Berkshires trying to figure it out. They're not overwhelmed by it, they're not daunted by it, they're kind of putting their heads together, they're building coalitions, they're finding allies to get it done and I think the group we just had around the table is an example of that," Augustus commented.
 
"If it's just housing advocates trying to do it, it's hard to push that rock up the hill but if you've got CEOs and college presidents and municipal leaders and other folks helping you lift that rock up the hill, it gets a little easier and so I think to the credit of the folks here in the Berkshires, they're working together to try to get it done."

In Pittsfield, the average single-family home value has increased by 44.8 percent from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025, now valued at $295,292. Since FY21, the average tax bill has increased by $275 per year because of rising property values, which is expected to continue for the next couple of years.

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