Pittsfield Committees Vote on Crosby/Conte SOI This Week

Two of Pittsfield's elementary schools are in dire need of attention. Officials will vote this month on submitting a statement of interest to the MSBA.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two of the three votes needed to move forward with a proposal for a combined elementary school build will be made this week.

The School Building Needs Commission will vote Tuesday on the submission of a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Association for Crosby Elementary School and Conte Community School. The School Committee will tackle it on Wednesday, ahead of the April 12 deadline.

The City Council is expected to make a decision on March 26.

The two outdated facilities have insufficient layouts and are in need of significant repair. The proposal rebuilds both schools on the Crosby site with some shared facilities.

If approvals are secured, a rough timeline shows a feasibility study in 2026 with design and construction ranging from 2027 to 2029. Following the SOI, the next step would be a feasibility study to determine the specific needs and parameters of the project, costing about $1.5 million and partially covered by the state.

There is a potential for 80 percent reimbursement through the MSBA program.

Official word of this proposal was disclosed at a February committee meeting when Curtis presented the details that he said began as a conservation with former Mayor Linda Tyer and other community groups.

At the time, planners proposed tearing down the open-space schools Conte and Morningside Community School to be rebuilt in the same footprint but Curtis encouraged a larger study on the district, which is now the subject of a restructuring study that could result in different grade alignments and consolidation.

Last week, city officials toured the two schools and convened with planners to mull the details of the proposal.

"What your first vote does is allow the superintendent to submit the statement of interest and then gives you the time between then and when the state accepts you in to withdraw it without penalty," project architect Greg Smolley explained.

"Once they accept you in if you withdraw it, that would be a black mark against you the next time you submit it so it actually gives you time to start and continue a growing discussion of what is ultimately going to be about a thousand-page document when you see the entire study."

New Pittsfield Mural Unveiled in Reimagine Dunham Mall Effort

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:59PM / Monday, September 08, 2025

Emily Elizabeth Bunnel created at map of downtown Pittsfield displayed at Dunham Mall. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — During First Friday a new mosaic mural and Downtown Pittsfield map was unveiled with a ribbon cutting.

Artist Robert Markey designed three panels. The three different panels represent the river and mountains in Pittsfield, the second represents people dancing, and the third represents the center of the city.

Markey says he was shown photos of the city and also took photos himself before putting these together.

"The process is deciding what is important to show, and that's why those three panels, the river and the mountains behind and in the center of the city and the people, those were the three things that made sense," he said.

The murals were tasked to help beautify downtown Pittsfield, part of the Reimagine Dunham Mall effort. Markey hopes his murals make people happy.

"I want people to feel good. The whole point of art is to make people feel good. They'll see something, oh yeah, that's beautiful. They feel good when they see it," he said.

Since the murals were hung, Markey says the community has really liked it.

"When I finish something, you know, painting, sculpture, whatever, never quite know how people are going to respond to it, and people love it. And so that makes me feel so good that, oh, wow, they really like it,"  he said.

Right next to the murals, Downtown Pittsfield Inc. also unveiled a new Downtown Pittsfield map. The map was created by local artist Emily Elizabeth Bunnel. The map aims to highlight the walkability and major sites of the downtown area.

"I would hope that the map encourages more people to walk downtown Pittsfield and explore all of the sites and activities that are happening down here. I think pedestrian foot traffic really is the lifeblood of the town, and helps support local businesses," Bunnel said.

Both of these works are through the Reimagine Dunham Mall effort, which is aimed to support the area business, recreation, and parking accessibility for residents and visitors of downtown Pittsfield.  

This is made possible through a MassDevelopment grant, with a funding match by Pittsfield Beautiful and community donations.

Also added to help uplift Dunham Mall have been Heritage Birch trees to provide shade and natural habitats, smaller planters filled with colorful annuals, and seating.