Housing project design unveiled

North Adams Transcript | March 16, 2006
By Karen Gardner

WILLIAMSTOWN -

Designed by the Boston architectural firm of Feingold Alexander and Associates, the Water Street complex will consist of 64 condominiums in three rehabilitated mill buildings, as well as five new townhouses and 16 new duplex cottages along the Hoosic River.

"We wanted something that would be complementary in terms of the new construction, along with the rehab," said Stephen M. Neill, project manager at Keen Development Corp. "They've done a great job of doing that."

The first units should be ready by early summer 2007.

"They are now stripping the paint from the inside, on the ceilings and walls to expose the masonry, doing all the interior demolition so that when the contractor gets on-site ... they'll be really ready to hit the ground running," Neill said.

Workers have exposed Douglas fir beams in the mill buildings, which will be featured in the condominiums' interiors.

"They'll definitely maintain the high ceilings and the feel of the mills," Neill said.

CWC Builders of Newton will do the construction work on the project.

The first phase of the project will be the renovation of the mill buildings into one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums. Work on the duplex cottages and townhouses is expected to start shortly after, Neill said.

Twenty-two of the 85 units will be considered affordable housing, to be sold to first-time homebuyers of modest income. They will be mixed in with the rehabilitated mill condominiums, and be part of the first phase of construction, Neill said. He expects they will range in price - depending on unit size - from about $100,000 to $175,000 each.

The prices for rest of the units have yet to be set, but Neill estimated they will cost about $275,000 and up, depending on the size.

Already, about 120 people who have expressed interest in buying a unit are on a waiting list.

Those on the list for the market-rate units will be contacted before any public marketing starts. People interested in the affordable-housing units will be selected through a lottery process. Preference for the affordable units will go to those who live or work in Williamstown.

"There are an incredible number of apartments that are going to have incredible views of the river and the mountains," Neill said. "Obviously, those river-front homes are going to be extremely popular, but also some of the ones in the mill buildings are going to have views like they want."

Earlier this week, Keen Development Corp.'s partner in the project, Berkshire Housing Development Corp., announced with state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, and state Sen. Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., D-Pittsfield, that more than $1.7 million in state and federal funding had been awarded to subsidize the affordable-housing units at Cable Mills.

Neill said a Web site - www.cablemills.com - is expected to launch any day now and will provide updates on the project. Those interested in buying a unit can contact Lisa Wright, vice president of development at Berkshire Housing Development Corp. in Pittsfield, (413) 499-1630, Ext. 108.