City and state officials grab shovels for the Prospect Place groundbreaking.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre
NORTHAMPTON — A project that promises 60 family housing units at the former nursing home site on 737 Bridge Rd. is one step closer to reality after representatives from the city, region and state gathered on Sept. 18 to celebrate the project’s groundbreaking.
The ceremony featured many speakers who expressed jubilation for the housing project including Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, state Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa (D-Northampton), state Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus and Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper.
“The city is absolutely thrilled to be able to celebrate with Valley Community Development, another affordable housing development in Northampton,” said Sciarra in her remarks. “This one here on Bridge Road will transform a previously blighted property, which for years the community has wished for something positive to happen, and to take shape right here. And now, that will be realized with beautiful family housing.”
According to Sciarra, the city was able to support the $25 million project with a total of $1 million from Community Preservation Act funds, Community Development Block Grant funds and by utilizing short-term rental fees.
Those funds helped Valley CDC leverage a total of $24 million of federal and state money for the project.
“We are so incredibly grateful to Valley CDC,” Sciarra said. “They are a vital organization in our community for building and managing subsidized rental units, which provide unbelievably needed housing and services for those who need our support.”
The 737 Bridge Rd. site was originally permitted as a 160-bed nursing facility starting in 1967. After many years of modifications, the site fell into foreclosure in 2012.
In spring 2022, Valley CDC purchased the 72,000-square-foot site for $2.6 million from a mortgage holder for the purpose of building 60 units of affordable and workforce housing; using a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as some studios.
At the end of 2022, Valley CDC received an $830,000 grant from the state’s Underutilized Properties Program to fund asbestos abatement on the property so the site could be more easily developed and funded.
The location was identified in the past as a viable place for the city to alleviate some of the barriers people face in Northampton with housing.
Alexis Breiteneicher, Valley CDC’s executive director, said in the past that the units will mainly be for low to median income families with preferences for people who are currently unhoused and/or have disabilities.
She added that the projected rents will vary based on where someone falls within the area median income.
In speaking to the public, Sciarra noted the project’s close proximity to the Mass. Central Rail Trail and Jackson Street Elementary School as well as other important amenities in the area.
“It is nicely positioned with easy access to meet the needs of these future residents, positioned within easy access to grocery stores and other shopping and services,” Sciarra said. “We are also incredibly excited to be able to locate Valley Bike Share here, and PVTA bus service at this site, which will serve all of the residents in this neighborhood as well.”
In her remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony, Comerford stated that the project needed 19 sources of funding from multiple state and federal sources over the last two and a half years since Valley CDC bought the property.
Part of that funding included almost $2.1 million Department of Energy Resources Moderate & Low Income Decarbonization Program for a ground source heat pump system and the planned installation of a 300-kilowatt solar system.
Comerford commended the speed in which the state, the city of Northampton and Valley CDC have been able to push this project forward.
“That’s the pace that we need to address the affordability crisis in Massachusetts and meet our climate goals,” Comerford said. “Valley [CDC] and Western Mass. are all in to be tireless and steadfast partners for the Healey-Driscoll administration.”
During her speaking portion, Sabadosa recalled a debate she attended at JFK Middle School when she first ran for office in 2018 where someone stood up to plead that something gets done with the then-vacant 737 Bridge Rd. site.
“It really underscored that people cared about this property and they cared about seeing something happen,” Sabadosa said. “The community has consistently been supportive.”
Augustus thanked Valley CDC for their leadership throughout the project’s process and commended Gov. Maura Healey’s recently signed Affordable Homes Act, which contained critical language around strengthening CDCs across the state.
“That means the work that Valley does can continue on, can grow, can be stronger, and they can do more projects like this,” Augustus said. “So, we really see the CDCs as our critical partners in housing development and housing preservation, as well as all of the other services they provide to the community.”
Augustus also lauded Northampton for prioritizing family housing in this project, something he said he does not see that often across the state.
“Northampton embraces the notion that families need to be part of the mix, and that we need affordable, accessible and green housing for our families,” Augustus said. “That it really is not something that you typically see, but it is something that is desperately needed in Massachusetts, as well as here in Northampton.”
According to the Valley CDC site, construction for the project is expected to take around 13-15 months.
