Three area communities will benefit from the latest round of MassDevelopment technical assistance grants through the Real Estate Services Technical Assistance program.
Greenfield, Montague and Buckland were among the 14 cities and towns to receive grants to address site-specific and district-wide economic development challenges, according to a MassDevelopment press release.
The $25,000 awarded to Greenfield will cover the cost of consulting services to help the city develop a request for proposals (RFP) for the First National Bank building on Bank Row, which has been vacant since 1976.
“We’re looking for guidance rather than do a scatter-shot method of going after developers that have a history of taking abandoned, underutilized and sometimes difficult to redevelop properties and turn them into some glorious thing that could happen here in downtown Greenfield,” said Mayor Roxann Wedegartner.
The city, which hopes to have the RFP completed by June 30, has met once so far with MassDevelopment.
“First and foremost, they’re going to look for someone who can guide us to put together an RFP, and that means understanding how historic tax credits and so forth could be there,” Wedegartner said. “Once they’ve made a couple of recommendations … we will certainly be seeking input in the late winter, early spring from the citizens. … What do citizens think would be a useful use of that building?”
The city has worked for several years to explore the feasibility of redeveloping the bank into a flexible performance and event space as the community requested in the 2014 Sustainable Greenfield Master Plan, according to a city press release. However, new performance and event spaces have emerged over the years in the downtown area, including Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, The Perch, the Pushkin Gallery and Ten Forward, along with other new venues in neighboring communities.
“The energy and interest for these venues triggered their growth and we are confident as we emerge from the pandemic, these venues will thrive,” Wedegartner said. “So Greenfield needs to explore a different future for the First National Bank building and MassDevelopment’s assistance will be of great help as we will continue to look for fresh opportunities to put this community asset back to work.”
Currently, the city is exploring the possibility of some type of commercial use.
“It’s not clear whether it could be a mixed use: commercial and some housing,” Wedegartner said. “The condition it’s in — it has great bones. It’s also hampered by a lack of loading access. Bank Row isn’t set up to … create a loading zone out in front, and the space is tight in the back. It really will require somebody with a lot of creativity to decide what to do with it.”
MJ Adams, director of community and economic development, said the technical assistance grant is “one piece of the big puzzle” to revitalizing the downtown.
“There’s a lot of things that are coming to play and at the same time, we’re looking to emerge from the pandemic and think about what’s going to happen to the downtown after so much disruption,” she said.
Montague, meanwhile, will use its $35,000 award to complete a property reuse assessment of the former Strathmore mill complex at 20 Canal St. that will help advance redevelopment of the canal district’s north end.
“Redevelopment of the Canal District area has been a priority for the Montague Selectboard for over a decade,” said Montague Town Administrator Steve Ellis. “It is a priority that they further reinforced their commitment to two years ago in November of 2019 when they asked that I focus additional resources in collaboration with our Planning Department to try to spur its redevelopment forward.”
Ellis, who noted he expects the study to begin this spring with the results expected within the new year, said the emphasis has historically been on seeing the former mill complex be redeveloped as a mixed-use, light industrial or potentially artist loft creative economy space.
“We’re going to be cooperating with the state, which will be doing a combined reuse study and Canal District planning process,” he said. “So the state is going to support us with administrative requirements and the procurement of that resource.”
Buckland will use its $10,000 award to prepare a former Highway Department garage at 50 Conway St. for private acquisition and redevelopment.
“By offering access to our in-house expertise and range of consultants, MassDevelopment’s Real Estate Services Technical Assistance program helps cities and towns move the ball forward on important economic development projects in their communities,” MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera said in a prepared statement. “The projects receiving awards today will advance housing and job creation, property redevelopment, and increased vibrancy in our downtown neighborhoods.”
Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne