GREENFIELD — Although plans for its future use remain unclear, the former Greenfield Community College Downtown Center on Main Street is officially under new ownership.

Northampton resident Dave Mell, founder and owner of Viva Tubes in Easthampton, recently closed on the sale of the property at 270 Main St. According to property transactions recorded by the Franklin County Registry of Deeds, the property sold to Mell’s 270 Main Greenfield LLC for $700,000.

“It’s an excellent property,” he said. “I love that it’s downtown. I love that Greenfield is on this revitalization kick.”

The GCC Foundation voted early last year to sell the privately held property, an approximately 19,000-square-foot building with ample parking and three floors of classroom and office space, and consolidate its operations to the main campus at 1 College Drive. The sale’s proceeds are expected to help the GCC Foundation generate revenue to be used to support scholarships, student life and strategic initiatives.

Mell said when he started looking for properties, it was with the intention of moving and expanding his online retail business, which sells vacuum tubes. At the time, he was under the impression his lease in Easthampton would not be renewed, but those circumstances have since changed.

“Because things aren’t so urgent … I don’t have a strong reason to move right away,” he said, explaining the company remains at 142 Pleasant St. in Easthampton. “I was always looking at this as an investment property, anyway.”

There remains a possibility Mell will move Viva Tubes to the first floor and find tenants for the upper two floors. Mell said he could see the space being suitable for professional offices as well as retail.

“I’m very open to working with future tenants and to make it as good as it can be,” he said.

Another option, though less likely, would be to rent out the space to one large tenant.

“I am looking at this as a blank slate,” Mell said. “At this point, I am very, very willing to work with people and potential tenants because it’s currently vacant.”

According to its website, Viva Tubes started in 2007 as a part-time hobby for Mell, a self-described audio enthusiast. Since its start on eBay, the company has grown to include several employees.

“The challenges the past three years have been wild,” he said. “We went through COVID like everybody else, but we’re pretty blessed in that we’re an online business.”

Mell commented that the company did experience many of the same supply chain issues other businesses did as a result of the pandemic, but those issues began to resolve themselves earlier this year. He also noted that 80% of the world’s vacuum tubes are made in Russia, so the Russian-Ukraine war also impacted the supply chain.

“Things are improving little by little,” he said.

Mell said regardless of whether the company moves, it’s reached a point where he’s ready to see it expand.

“To be dealing with this building is kind of nuts, but it’s a great opportunity,” Mell said. “I’m in the middle of restructuring and bringing on some new people soon with the hopes that will free up some of my time.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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