Great Barrington — At its regular meeting on Monday, August 22 the Selectboard will be reviewing two proposals to redevelop the former Housatonic School.
Back in January, the town put out a request for proposals for the building located on 207 Pleasant St. in Housatonic.
The building was built in 1907 and served as an elementary school until it closed down in 2003.
The town has received four proposals to redevelop the building. However, two of the four bids did not meet the minimum bid criteria that had been outlined in the town’s request for proposals.
The two bids that were thrown out by the town are from Linda Mason of Great Barrington, and The Berkshire Innovation Center of Pittsfield.
Mason proposed turning the building into “The Mason Museum of Body Arts”, while the Berkshire Innovation Center would have turned the building into an extension of its current location in Pittsfield.
The proposals that were accepted by the town are bids from WDM Properties LLC, and Arete Venture Partners LLC.
WDM Properties is a North Adams company that is proposing to turn the building into 10 two-bedroom market-rate residential units, with four identical units on the first and second floors, and “two slightly different floor plans for two units on the east side and the lower level.”
In the company’s submitted bid, company principal David Carver wrote “We are willing to restrict the income levels by a rent regulatory agreement to no more than 100 percent of the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) median incomes to ensure that these units are available to middle-income residents.”
Meanwhile, Arete Venture Partners’ submitted plans to turn the property into a mixed-use building consisting of 14 residential apartments.
According to the company’s proposal, which was submitted by representatives Jeff Glickman and Elliot Fireworker, “a portion of which shall be considered for affordable housing designation, pending negotiations.”
In the proposal, Glickman and Fireworker wrote that the main floor of the building “shall serve as community flex-space wherein one retail business shall operate, and various community groups and not-for-profits shall have shared access throughout the year. The project also considers a rain garden and a gold-standard, clean-water filtration system, as well as a tent/gazebo pop-up for year-round community events which are intended to work in cooperation with the township of Great Barrington and utilize the neighboring parkette.”
