Blackinton Block Springs Back To Life In A Big Way In North Adams

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The view of MASS MoCA across Route 2 from the first of nine townhouse apartments in the Blackinton Block in downtown North Adams could be called striking. One might venture that the success of MASS MoCA and the businesses on its campus have led an economic rebirth which made the renovation of these long-vacant apartments in a historic block on Holden Street a feasible project. David Carver, managing partner of Scarafoni Associates, showed reporters and photographers an almost-finished, two-story townhouse apartment March 12. He was clearly enthused both about the project and of the history of the site. The concept for the project began five years ago as part of a master plan for the entire downtown created by Downtown Development, Inc. The townhouse apartments have central air conditioning and include a laundry room, gas cooking, and washer and dryer hookups, as well as hookups for telephones and cable T.V. Each townhouse will have a metal balcony, which have not been installed yet. The townhouse shown had an original fireplace which will be preserved for decorative purposes only. So far, four of the nine townhouse apartments are under lease. The monthly lease rate will be $1,492 per month. The apartment Carver showed reporters will be completed in March, with the next in April, May, and June — one per month. “I’ve done some research on what the rents are just in Williamstown and South County. And even though apartments like this don’t exist, when you do find something that’s even close, or comparable, our rents are not out of line at all,” Carver said. “As a matter of fact, I’ve brought some people through from other parts of the county and out of state, and they walk through and say: ‘how can you do it so cheap?’ ” “And I’ve got other people who say to me exactly the opposite: ‘what are you, some kind of nut. You can’t rent apartments for that much money,’” Carver said. Scarafoni Associates has been told that these units would rent for about $4,000 per month in large metropolitan areas. In a prepared statement, Scarafoni Associates indicated that they are pleased with the early marketing response to the project and the first pioneering interest from the initial tenants. “We are also hopeful that we will receive interest in these units from local companies who may have a need for high-quality and conveniently located housing for traveling executives consulting with their companies on a regular basis,” the statement says. Carver said he gave the first tenants a slight break on the rent because of their pioneering commitment to the project. He declined to say who the new tenants would be. Preserving historic detail “We tried to keep as much of the historic detail as possible,” Carver said, noting that the facility has new plumbing, new electric, and new windows. “The floors are brand new.” “These are the original outside walls. This is the original trim, but the windows are new,” he said. “Because we have all-new doors and trim, we had Goodrich in Pittsfield manufacture trim that mimics this trim. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s very, very close. On the outside walls it’s the original woodwork, on the inside it was made to match.” “These were nine townhouses — this is exactly what was here in 1873. The floor plan was different, but the size is identical,” he said. “I assume wealthy people lived in the downtown before automobiles and this was a wealthy industrial city at the time,” Carver said. “So I assume they had their horse and buggies right out back in barns that used to be out there.” Before the renovation, the townhouses had been divided into two apartments each, one upstairs and one downstairs, for a total of 18. “You’ve seen the housing that’s fallen into disrepair over the last 100 years, and this was no different,” Carver said. Daniel Connerton, chairman of the North Adams Historical Commission, came along on the tour and said Carver had been keeping him updated on the project since it started. Carver said the project to remove the back part of Newberry’s as part of the North Adams Financial Center nearby will create nighttime parking for the townhouses and allow for a new transformer to be located that will provide more power to the building and allow the rest of the townhouses to be renovated. He said that if the economy remains good, Scarafoni will start to renovate apartments at 69 Main Street, this will result in about 15 units. Beneath the nine townhouse apartments on the second and third floors of the Blackinton Block are nine storefronts, facing Holden Street. Two new restaurants will be going into storefronts in the spring; four more storefronts are available for stores or restaurants, though they are temporarily being used for other purposes.
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North Adams Unveils Hometown Heroes Banners

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

Carol Ethier-Kipp holds up the first aid kit her father used as an Army medic in World War II. See more photos here. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City of North Adams honored its own on Friday afternoon, unveiling 50 downtown street banners representing local veterans who served — and continue to serve — the community and the country.
 
More than 300 residents packed the front lawn of City Hall as the community took a moment to reflect on its "Hometown Heroes" during the morning unveiling ceremony.
 
"In a city like North Adams, service is personal. The men and women we honor today are not strangers to us. They are our neighbors, our classmates, our parents, our grandparents," Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the crowd. "... These banners are far more than names and pictures hanging along our streets. They are visible reminders of the values that define North Adams: courage, sacrifice, humility, duty, resilience, and the love of country. They remind every person who passes by that this community remembers our veterans."
 
The banner program launched exactly a year ago. Veterans Services Agent Kurtis Durocher opened applications in October and spent the next six months working with families to bring the project to Main Street and over the Hadley Overpass. 
 
"We gather to recognize the brave men and women from our community who have served or who are currently serving in the United States armed forces," Durocher said. "These banners are more than images. They bear a tribute to service, sacrifice, courage, and pride, and they remind us that the freedoms we enjoy every day have been protected by our neighbors, family members, friends, and Hometown Heroes."
 
Each banner features a portrait of a veteran alongside their military branch and dates of service.
 
Durocher noted that the program was something residents clearly wanted, pointing to how fast applications flooded his desk. He praised the volunteers who stepped up to get the banners made and displayed — including city firefighters and Mitchell Meranti of Wire & Alarm Department, who were installing them as late as Thursday night.
 
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