MassDOT Sets Hearing on Veterans Memorial Bridge Plans

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The state Department of Transportation is holding a public hearing on potential plans for the Veterans Memorial Bridge. 
 
The hearing will take place Tuesday, July 29, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. More information here.
 
The 60-year-old bridge is the subject of two planning studies:
 
The first was undertaken by the state in 2021 to address the deteriorating conditions of the city-owned span. The $16 million project is at 75 percent design and scheduled to go out to bid for 2026.
 
The second study is part of a federal Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The city has partnered with Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art on a $750,000 grant on ways to connect the downtown to the museum, which will involved removing the overpass. 
 
Mayor Jennifer Macksey at a City Council meeting last month had clarified the city is "working two pipelines" on dealing with the massive span. The bridge has been on the federally funded Transportation Improvement Program  for years, she said, "and we still want to secure that position."
 
"At the same time, we are still doing the feasibility study to repair, replace or restitch," she said. "Those conversations are ongoing, and we hope very shortly, by the end of the summer, both of those projects will merge, and we will make a decision on that."
 
The mayor said the two projects are a "little bit confusing" but the city did not want to stop the MassDOT project in case funding isn't available for the reconnecting project funding — and maybe leverage those state dollars toward removal.
 
The bridge was deemed structurally deficient in late 2023 and the four lanes on the 171-foot span reduced to two at its midpoint. They were reopened recently after temporary steel framing was installed underneath the weak spot. 
 
The proposed project consists of restoring the condition of the bridge along with bicycle accommodations consisting of a usable shoulder.
 
The reconnecting project recently determined a preference for removing the bridge altogether based on input from residents and officials. Traffic would continue on Marshall Street and the westbound traffic would be restored to West Main Street. 
 
Designers say the bridge's removal would open up space for a riverwalk (in conjunction with the ongoing planning to rehabilitate the flood control chutes and naturalize the river where possible), as well as green space and retail and housing development. 
 
Project inquiries, written statements and other exhibits regarding the proposed MassDOT plans may be submitted to Carrie E. Lavallee, chief engineer, at massdotmajorprojects@dot.state.ma.us or via mail to Suite 7210, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Major Projects, Project File No. 612505. Statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the hearing transcript must be emailed or postmarked no later than ten (10) business days after the hearing is hosted.

Tags: bridge project,   MassDOT,   public hearing,   

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Main & Mill: A Vibrant New Restaurant on Main Street

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — You can now enjoy another eatery on Main Street by well-known restaurant siblings Colleen and Sean Taylor.

Their restaurant Main & Mill opened for the first time Tuesday, bringing their vision of creating something vibrant and new to downtown North Adams.

"We have created Main & Mill to be part of our day. It's very seasonal ingredients, thoughtful cooking, beauty, beautiful presentation and dishes. And we really wanted to be part of the community, the downtown area, and start a vibrant area on this end, which has been shuttered for a while," said Colleen.

The building is owned by Ginko on Main Street LLC, which has granted 20 years exclusive possession of the property to Latent Builds as the developer. Jack and Suzy Wadsworth, behind Ginko, are development partners with Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry of Latent.

The bank closed in early 2021 and was purchased by Ginko late that year. Plans for the property unveiled three years ago envisioned a restaurant, retail, a park and rooftop bar. 

Colleen saw potential and said she initially wanted the building when it first went up for sale. Being good friends with Rothstein and Perry, she helped them design the kitchen and the bar before learning in March that she could lease it as a restaurant space, something she told them would be a great idea.

She said one of the most important things about the restaurant was the collaboration between Rothstein, Perry, and the Wadsworths, who put a lot of time and energy into the building.

"If Sean and I had done it, we would not be able to do what the collaboration supported. The collaboration of the three of us being able to really have that kind of money to put in down here. The design that the architecture firm that Carla and Sal own is stunning," she said. "The time and effort, everyone came together to do this in a really trusting manner."

The two wanted the restaurant to be an all-day venture, so people could eat at any point throughout the day, all week long.

"We wanted it to be open for coffee and socialization in the morning where people can meet, have their cup of coffee, have a quiche, a vegetarian quiche, or croissant or yogurt. Something intentional with their coffee," she said. "Then move into a lunchtime for the downtown business or anybody, and then go into supper, dinner, with drinks later into the evening. So have it really be open all day long, so that there wasn't a void on any particular day."

They also wanted to do something different than the other restaurants they owned.

"We didn't want to mimic any other restaurant in town. We wanted to bring something that was inspiring, something that had some familiar things that people would see, and other things that we would bring to them for them to experience," she said.

As a woman business owner, Colleen said she wanted to bring a female chef into the kitchen. 

Colleen brought on Chef Anna DeRose, who she said puts twists on a lot of her dishes.

"So we have a creme brulee, but our creme brulee is topped with marshmallow," she said. "Our creme brulee is like almost two desserts in one. It's a s'mores creme brulee. So you could have a s'mores, and you could have a creme brulee - but when you put both of them together, fireworks go off."

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