David Moresi plans to renovate the second and third floors of the Wall-Streeter mill into one and two-bedroom apartments.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Developer David Moresi's next project is to transform the offices in the former Wall-Streeter building into high-end apartments.
The Planning Board on Monday approved Moresi Commercial Investments' request Monday for a change of use to operate mixed occupancy of commercial and residential use in an I-2 zone at 26 Union St.
"For the next couple of years, we are going to focus on housing in North Adams," Moresi said. "This will be one of three projects and it will be mixed-use redevelopment of the former Wall-Streeter Shoe Co. We are bringing back the name."
Moresi said the plan is to build high-end housing on the second and third floors that will range from one to two-bedroom units. The first floor will remain office space.
"We are focused on more of a high-end nature of these residences and we are presently engaged in actively leasing and getting some commitment to them," he said. "The building is going to get a real interior gutting and we want to bring back the real mill look to the building and reclaim the hardwood floors."
He said there will be three commercial units on the first floor, including Northern Berkshire School Union's central office that will be relocating there.
The basement will have a shared bike repair area for tenants.
"We see a demand for this ... people are relocating here a lot of them are younger people," he said. "A lot of people are biking around so what we are going to do is create a space where they can store their bikes ... where there is a bench so they can work on them."
He said a pet grooming area is also on the table.
A portion of the west parking lot will be converted to green space but HiLo nightclub across the street will still have access to the mill's parking.
Moresi has redeveloped and renovated a number of commercial and residential properties, including most successfully the Norad Mill. He also renovated apartment units in the Mulcare Block on Marshall Street and was awarded the bid for Johnson School, which he also plans to convert to housing.
The Planning Board also approved one of Moresi's tenants in their relocation from Union Street to the Norad Mill on Roberts Drive. Bluebell Servicing requested a change of use to operate a business in an I-1 zone.
"They will join the Norad community and bring a few more jobs over there," Moresi said.
In other business, the board approved William B. Schmitt's request to open a tea shop at 149 Eagle St.
"It will be a very basic retail-based situation," Schmitt said. "I want to sell high-quality loose leaf organic tea in about 50 different variations."
He said he may look to sell food at the location in the future or to open as a cafe.
The board also heard from Michael Hernandez representing Honey Beer & Wine LLC that has purchased Ed's Variety on Union Street.
"No changes, they just bought the business as is," he said.
Planner Lisa Blackmer noted that parking has always been an issue at the corner store and asked that the new owners make an attempt to have employees park elsewhere.
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Clarksburg Select Board Accepts School Roof Bid, Debates Next Steps
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Select Board last week accepted a bid by D.J. Wooliver & Sons to do the flat roof on the elementary school.
Wooliver was the lowest bid at about $400,000 but cautioned that the cost may rise depending on the conditions once the work started. The work will depend on town meeting approving a borrowing for the project and a possible debt exclusion.
But how much borrow and whether the work will be worth it has been a conundrum for town and school officials. The condition of the school has been a major topic at meetings of the board and the School Committee over the past few months.
Town officials are considering putting the question to the voters — try to piecemeal renovations or begin a new study on renovating or building a new school.
In the meantime, the leaking roof has prompted an array of buckets throughout the school.
"Until they actually get in there and start ripping everything up, we won't really know the extent of all the damage per se so it's really kind of hard to make a decision," board member Colton Andrew said at last week's meeting, broadcast on Northern Berkshire Community Television.
Board member Daniel Haskins wondered if it would be better to patch until a town made a decision on a school project or do a portion of the roof. But Chair Robert Norcross disagreed.
Bailey explained that this change will allow police officers more flexibility when responding to non-emergency calls, reducing wait times at the traffic light and reducing potential traffic congestion when emergency vehicles need to pass through.
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First Congregational Church of North Adams' fourth annual "Share the Love" campaign concluded with over $9,000 raised to support local organizations serving individuals in need. click for more
The School Building Committee's update on Tuesday included that a public records request for the detailed design documents is requiring redaction and review, including by public safety. click for more