Hanging fire, so to speak, since February of 2011, the sale of the 115-year-old Castle Street Firehouse was consummated Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the offices of Attorney Edward McCormick, as Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin signed over the historic structure to the new owner, Castle Street LLC and its principal owner, Thomas Borshoff.
Thus concludes the seemingly interminable process of divesting the town of one of its prominent and architecturally compelling surplus properties, but it is by no means the end of the story.
Acquired for $50,000, the firehouse is now to undergo renovation and restoration that could, in Borshoff’s estimation, reach into the millions.
After the closing, Tabakin, Borshoff and McCormick toured the building.
“Tom is super committed to using local architects and contractors for this restoration,” Tabakin explained, as the trio stood in front of the firehouse. “This is going to become a very important asset for the local community.”
In his proposal for the firehouse, Borshoff, who owns a house in Great Barrington, had envisioned the building becoming a vocational education center, with the centerpiece being a culinary school and a restaurant, with an al fresco café on the west side.
“We’ll be bringing in architects and engineers now,” Borshoff said, standing along side his wife, Ann, and assessing the building he’d just acquired. “We are going to proceed slowly, deliberately, methodically. It’s easier to measure twice, than cut once.”
“This is exactly the right way to go about historic preservation,” Tabakin commented. “This will guarantee that the project is one of quality.”
“This is very exciting,” observed Select Board Chairman Sean Stanton. “There’s a ton of potential in this project. I hate the idea of old buildings that have a long history in the town being torn down.”
“I am very confident that we will be able to stand here sometime in the future, and find that Castle Street has been transformed by this restoration,” Borshoff added.
He did not set a date when the actual repair of the shaky brick exterior and removal of asbestos contamination would begin.
The sale of the firehouse has not been without controversy.
The construction and exterior restoration phase of the project, as well as the site of the west side café — have been sources of antagonism with adjacent property owners concerned about restricted access for delivery trucks. The café would be situated on a driveway that is now used by delivery and utility vehicles, and trash removal trucks serving the merchants on Railroad Street, and Borshoff has insisted on limiting the hours when trucks could use the driveway.
Borshoff has offered to spend up to $350,000, however, to widen the driveway to maintain delivery truck clearances.
Similarly, the narrow alley between the firehouse and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center providing access to the rear entrance to the theatre is likely to be closed during the replacement of the firehouse exterior.
While the town has received $50,000 for the firehouse, it is still responsible, as the seller of the property, for up to $270,000 in environmental remediation, primarily disposing of asbestos. Castle Street LLC will pay for $80,000 of the environmental cleanup, but would then have a tax-free property for the first three years.
Under the agreement, the town will still have some involvement in the property. For $2,500 per month, it will be renting the second-floor for the offices of the building and health inspectors, until permanent spaces can be found for them.
Town Manager Tabakin contends that the town currently spends more than this rental fee in maintenance and upkeep, and that Castle Street LLC will now be responsible for repairs required to maintain the second-floor offices.
