Great Barrington — The town has received four proposals for the redevelopment of the former Housatonic School building.
Back in January, the town put out a request for proposals for the building located on 207 Pleasant St.
The building was built in 1907 and served as an elementary school until it closed down in 2003.
The first proposal, as listed on the town’s website, is from Linda Mason of Great Barrington and The Mason Museum of Body Arts.
Mason’s proposal, as listed in her submitted document, is to turn the building into “a worldwide hub and global destination for hair and makeup. Through the creation of a one of a kind ever evolving Experiential Space, encompassing both the academic and fashion aspects of hair, makeup and other facial and body adornments.”
The proposal states that “The goal of the project is to revitalize an area by establishing a permanent cultural institution that will engage the community in new and creative ways,” and that the “first museum in the world with a focus on head and body decoration” would be created from the project.
The second proposal received by the town is from WDM Properties LLC in North Adams.
The company 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.”
“We believe that a residential use for the property is the most practical approach given parking needs and building code complications that multiple uses often present,” company principal David Carver wrote in the proposal. “This approach addresses the most pressing and well-documented need in Great Barrington and Berkshire County fo
r market-rate housing. 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.”
The third proposal received by the town is from The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) of Pittsfield.
“Since its official opening in 2020 [in Pittsfield], the BIC has been a beacon for innovation and the growth of new and existing companies in Western Massachusetts,” founder B. Stephen Boyd wrote in BIC’s proposal. “As a central hub for advanced manufacturers and other technology-focused businesses in our region, we have helped industry partners implement new technologies, adopt and share best practices, access capital, and inspire and train the next generation of employees.”
The company is proposing to turn the building into “BIC 2.0,” also referred to in the proposal as “BIC South.”
Boyd wrote that the project would be an extension of BIC’s current location in Pittsfield.
“The 22,000 square foot project will feature a digital design studio, cyber-cafe, AR/VR sim lab, and co-working space, and embrace the community of audio engineers and special effects technicians,” Boyd wrote. “It will be a hub for coding, gaming, and robotics competitions and hackathons. It will be rebuilt as a living laboratory and learning space for green building technologies. Students and organizations connected to BIC South will have access to the equipment at the BIC and will be funneled into County-wide educational and workforce development programming. This will not only expand the network of technology-focused individuals across the County, but it will also fuel the economic revitalization of the Village of Housatonic.”
The final of the four proposals has been submitted to the town by Arete Venture Partners of Nanuet, New York.
The company is proposing to turn the property into a mixed-use building consisting of 14 residential apartments “a portion of which shall be considered for affordable housing designation, pending negotiations.”
The proposal lists that the company would commit to three units being designated for affordable housing.
According to the company’s proposal, which was submitted by representatives Jeff Glickman and Elliot Fireworker, 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.”
The project is referred to by Glickman and Fireworker as “New Housatonic Place.”
If approved by the town, the two would “serve as the general partners for a corporation to be named later.”
At the July 20 meeting, Town Manager Mark Pruhenski said that town staff will take some time to review the proposals before making a presentation to the Select Board during a meeting in August.
