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"This building was built like a bomb shelter.” -- Craig Van Patten, commenting on the difficulty in demolishing the former Laramee Cleaners building on Bridge Street

Great Barrington – A crew from Brandy Brook Environmental & Construction out of Delanson, New York, demolished the former Laramee Cleaners on Bridge Street today (March 13) to make way for the construction of the Powerhouse Square complex that will harbor the Berkshire Coop Market, retail spaces and condominiums.

The Laramee Cleaners building prior to its demolition. Photo: David Scribner

“This is the hardest demolition we’ve ever done,” observed Brandy Brook owner Craig Van Patten. “This building was built like a bomb shelter, with lots of rebar reinforcing the concrete.”

Still, within a few hours Van Patten, operating an excavator, had reduced the one-story building to rubble, and was stirring the debris with his machine’s bucket to separate the metal from the concrete and bricks.

The $15 million Powerhouse Square development features a 14,500-square-foot location for the Berkshire Coop Market, expected to be completed by the fall, as well as office spaces and 22 condominiums.

A rendering of the Powerhouse Square complex that will house the Berkshire Coop.
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School district looking to eliminate jobs in proposed fiscal 2026 budget, staff members express anger and frustration

“I worry about what happens to our students when their leaders lose sight of whom they serve," said Du Bois Middle School Spanish teacher Mercedes Girona. “I understand that there are budget cuts, but I feel like there needs to be a little bit more humanity."

Welcome to Real Estate Friday!

Selina Lamb of BIRCH Properties offers a Berkshire gem, a contemporary New England classic with the perfect combination of design, condition and location. Luca Shapiro and Rosalind Wright of Pryor & Peacock bring us “furniture re-imagined.” A year-end wrap-up of 2024 real estate sales has surprises. Plus, recent sales, a home-cooking recipe, and gardening columns.

Berkshire Hills Regional School District proposes increases and layoffs for fiscal 2026 budget

“This year is a tough one from a budget perspective,” writes Superintendent Peter Dillon. “For the first time in many years, we are planning for layoffs and other budget reductions as we work to make our budget increases more manageable.

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