DEERFIELD — Town officials welcomed legislators and representatives from the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development on Tuesday as the town continues to pursue state and federal money for the revitalization of South Deerfield.
The Deerfield Selectboard welcomed Ashley Stolba, the state undersecretary of housing and economic development; Juan Vega, the assistant secretary for communities and programs; state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton; and state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland. The town presented its vision for a South Deerfield campus that will increase walkability, accessibility and connectivity for all residents. Representatives from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, the Franklin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and a member of U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern’s office were also present.
The town previously met with Comerford and Blais to discuss funding the revitalization projects in March.
Selectboard member Carolyn Shores Ness said the campus would be “building innovation on the local scale” by revitalizing the downtown in a sustainable manner. The key, Shores Ness and other town officials said, would be creating a central campus interconnected with a geothermal heating system that would help the town reach its climate resiliency goals, which in turn will help the state attain its own climate goals.
“Deerfield 2030 is our climate change resiliency plan. It’s a result of work that’s been going on for three decades here,” Shores Ness said. “We know we need to create ways to protect our most vulnerable residents while also increasing food production.”
The core of this campus will be the South County Senior Center, which has seen limited use in the past few years due to the pandemic and the discovery of mold and absestos in the building. The town is planning to fully renovate the building — with the help of Community Preservation Act money — into a dual-use Town Hall and senior/community center. Additionally, the town plans to work on the South Deerfield Congregational Church, which was given to the town four years ago. These two historic buildings, Selectboard member Tim Hilchey said, are important for the town to preserve.
“They will form the core of this campus and link Deerfield’s past to its future,” he said. “The commonwealth’s 2050 commitment will depend on towns like Deerfield.”
In addition to the Senior Center and church projects, the Tilton Library is next in line for a grant for reconstruction, the town is working through the permit process of the North Main Street Park and officials are eyeing affordable senior housing units near the current Town Hall. The town is also rehabilitating the common and plans to renovate the Leary Lot, which is located next to Greenfield Savings Bank and would provide better access to Berkshire Brewing Co. and other stores in the area. In December, town officials estimated these projects would total around $40 million, of which the town will foot approximately $5 million — if it is able to leverage itself well enough to earn federal and state money.
“The goal of the campus is to bring life and vibrancy to South Deerfield,” said Police Chief John Paciorek Jr. “We want to bring community life back to small-town America.”
Paciorek led the group on a tour of the Senior Center and church to provide a visual supplement to the presentation given by town officials. Town Administrator Kayce Warren said all of these properties are owned by the town, which clears some obstacles that can get in the way of wide-ranging projects.
“This is the building featured in (State Auditor) Suzanne Bump’s report,” Paciorek said inside the Senior Center. “It needs to be basically gutted to studs.”
Speaking to the group, Vega said the town has a good foundation for seeking state funding.
“This description … sounds like a promising approach to seek a state investment,” he said. He added that funding for the geothermal heating system is a unique ask, but the state funded a similar project at Greylock Works in North Adams, which was a long-term project that restored and renovated several old industrial mills into offices, banquet venues and restaurants.
Shores Ness said the town will seek a MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant to kickstart funding on the town’s projects. She added she hopes the town can serve as a pilot template for small towns across the state seeking to renew their downtown areas.
“We think the next steps would be actually applying for the grant through MassWorks,” she said in a phone interview. “It’s clear to me there was some interest, and we are going to follow through on the whole concept on the central village campus and revitalization of downtown.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.