Two principals of Dowlin Building also bought the Porter and Tower building on Eagle Street last year.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A major piece of real estate on Main Street has been purchased by a New York development group.
The Dowlin Block at 101-107 Main was purchased on Wednesday for $615,000 by Dowlin Building LLC. Two members of the group also bought the historic Porter and Tower building on Eagle Street last November for $60,000 as Eagle Street Holdings LLC.
Mayor Richard Alcombright said he had met the group's principals and they seemed excited to be in the city.
"They don't necessarily at this point in time have a real definitive plan," he said. "My understanding over the next few weeks they have an architect that they work with who will go through the Dowlin Block and basically give them some ideas and concepts."
The new owners are listed as Michael Gazal, as the resident agent, Veselko Buntic, Simon Blitz and Daniel Gazal. Michael Gazal and Buntic, both of Long Island, N.Y., are also the principals of Eagle Street Holdings.
iBerkshires reached out to them for comment but had not yet heard back by the time this article was published.
The six-story Dowlin Block was constructed in 1895 by attorney Fred F. Dowlin, who was also involved in several other downtown buildings. Faced with blue and white Rutland marble, it has never been significantly renovated and still has many of its vintage characteristics, including original woodwork, stone and wrought-iron staircase and decorative tile floors.
It contained apartments, professional services, meeting rooms and, on the first floor, businesses including Sears for many years. The building, which had about 50 apartments at the time, had been purchased by local businessman and automotive dealer Richard E. Scarafoni in 1973 after being owned by North Adams Realty Trust for 50 years.
"We decided to sell the Dowlin Building several years ago when approached by a group with an exciting redevelopment plan. We cleared the building to accommodate the plan," David Carver, principal of Scarafoni, said in an email. "Unfortunately, the sale did not occur despite best efforts so we created a revised and city-approved redevelopment plan for us or a new buyer to execute.
"We are thrilled to confirm that a new investor group has stepped forward to purchase and renovate this important and historic building."
The entire property is valued by the city at $456,600, and the building at $346,700.
The mayor said he was assuming that it would likely be used for housing and/or hospitality since the building has been heavily residential since its construction.
"I think they're throwing out ideas and a little harder look at the building will determine what their use will be," he said.
Domenica Douglas, who bought the Porter and Tower building at 34-36 Eagle St. in 2014, said the developers had reached out to her about buying the vacant four-story structure last year. She said they did not discuss what they planned to do with the building.
The 14,000 square-foot brick structure also retains many of its original architectural characteristics, including its large glass storefronts, but is in poor shape. The property is assessed by the city at $92,200 but only $22,100 of that is for the building.
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North Adams Council to Take Up Sullivan School Sale
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council will be asked Tuesday to authorize the sale of Sullivan School to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation for $50,000.
The nonprofit plans to turn the long vacant school into affordable artists' housing and use classrooms on the lower level for music education in the summer. The proposal will create short-term rental spaces and condominiums catering to artists, designers and production personnel along with single-family modular housing on the 12-acre property.
"Through a carefully planned redevelopment process, we aim to create a multi-use space that serves the needs of residents, uplifts the neighborhood, and upholds the property as a beneficial community asset," according to the foundation's proposal, along with the wooded parcel. "Our vision will reimagine this landscape as a community amenity, extending existing pathways and responding to Kemp Park to create an activated and accessible neighborhood green space."
Mayor Jennifer Macksey is asking the council to OK the plans on Tuesday to allow the foundation's 120-due diligence to begin immediately.
Michael Murphy Studio and Creative Development Partners are listed as the designers and developers of the $15 million project.
Sullivan School, built as East School in 1965, has been closed since Colegrove Park Elementary School opened in 2016. The property — valued at $2.6 million in 2024 — has been put out to bid several times in the last decade and twice the City Council has rejected proposals for reuse.
Dr. Roger Landry served his country from 1973 to 1995 in the Air Force with honor and distinction as a chief flight surgeon, and retiring as a colonel.
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The long-awaited Steeple City Social is in "soft open" mode at the moment. Last weekend, Meghan Daly and Andrew Fitch opened the doors for people to see the new spot and try some of their items.
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The bronzed cast aluminum sign was purchased by the town's Historical Society, said Jeanne Moulthrop, a member and chair of the Historical Commission.
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School districts are planning as if things are status quo based on the governor's budget but with the knowledge matters may be in flux as state and federal leaders move through the budget process.
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