“The idea of bringing this into a residential neighborhood is hard for me to swallow. So many things that have happened...things we bet on and lost.”
--- Great Barrington Selectboard Chair Sean Stanton
The hotel was designed by the same people who designed the adjacent former Bryant School, turning it into Iredale Mineral Cosmetics’ modern world headquarters while sensitively preserving the former school’s charms.
“Saving the main building will lengthen our design and construction process and increase our costs but satisfying the community was very important to Vijay and me.”
-- Chrystal Mahida, on why she and her husband Vijay revised plans for their Berkshire Hotel
In their letter to the editor, Briarcliff Motel owners Clare and Richard Proctor write: "We lived in London for thirty years and continually saw areas that were organically-grown hives of individuality and creativity gobbled up by big brands."
In his comment, Dave Carpenter, director of administration for Mahida Family Hospitality Interests, writes; "We have provided to the town supporting details of tax revenues in order to validate the numbers."
In his letter to the editor, Andy Moro of Housatonic writes: “The naysayers can't stand someone living the American dream proposing to develop an eyesore into something that will benefit the town.”
We are the stewards of our community, and every decision we make matters. Letting our high school slide into disrepair…letting the character of our Main Street be lost.
In her letter to the editor, Laurily Epstein writes: “I find it doubly painful that it was first necessary to deem the Searles School as historic… then knock the building down.”
