PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is launching a facade improvement program to help owners of Tyler Street businesses spruce up their storefronts.
The City Council accepted a $30,000 grant from MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative to pilot the program. The pilot will be providing commercial building owners with an incentive for the improvements such as lighting, windows, and doors.
The city will be using $30,000 of 40R funds — funds previously provided to the city through an affordable housing incentive by the state — to match those funds. In the first year, the pool of money is estimated to assist in the renovation of four or five storefronts.
"Out of the 10 TDI fellows and programs that are ongoing, we are the only one that doesn't have a storefront facade program," interim Community Development Director Bonnie Galant told the Council.
A business can apply for as much as $15,000 from the combined revenue funds for a project. The building owner, however, is required to fund at least 20 percent of the total project.
Galant is also looking to place restrictions on ownership of the building for a number of years — so an owner can't take the money and then immediately sell it.
"We were thinking of doing either a five or 10 years deferred payment loan, where we'd put a lien on the building in case something happens," Gallant said.
The ins and outs of the program haven't been fully fleshed out as of yet. Galant said she has been currently looking at similar programs elsewhere in the state to craft the guidelines.
"We've got examples of other communities that already have storefront facade programs," she said.
Facade programs have been successful in triggering private investment in numerous community in the Berkshires. The town of Adams put much emphasis on that program in the past and it led to renovations and private investment in numerous storefronts on Park Street. Years ago the Pittsfield had something similar through Downtown Pittsfield and local banks for North Street, but it was eventually phased out.
The goal of such a program is to eliminate blight and make the area more attractive, which in turn will spur even more private investment. Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi said the program will be combined with a future lighting and streetscape project, which together will lead to redevelopment of the corridor.
"This is something I am very excited about and will be supporting it," Morandi said.
The city's Morningside area was approved to be one of TDI districts in late 2014. Shortly after, the city was one of just a few to be appointed a fellow. Amewusika "Sika" Sedzro was brought on and is now entering her second year heading the redevelopment effort.
The first year was mostly planning focused and slowly more and more programs are being rolled out. The efforts range from as seemingly small as painting murals to working with developers to renovate key properties along Tyler Street. There are programs being planned to help homeowners and landlords improve the housing stock. And there are plans to increase the number of bus stops.
Overall, the program is a concentrated focus on one specific area to direct highly focused development efforts.
The facade program is only part of the overall efforts and is also a pilot. If the program works out well, the city would be looking to create a more permanent storefront improvement program.
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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages
By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners.
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families.
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field.
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning.
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households.
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs.
A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend. Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath.
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The last estimate for construction was overly optimistic because, at the time, it was unclear how long obtaining the two easements would take, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said.
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Full cost estimates have not been completed but based on recent repairs made to the Clapp Park splash pad, it is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $450,000.
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King Kone had a soft opening at the end of the week, offering the frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
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