SPRINGFIELD — A $1.2 million restoration project of the third oldest building in downtown Springfield is currently in progress thanks to efforts by the Springfield Preservation Trust.
The trust purchased the 7-9 Stockbridge St. building in spring 2023 after years of neglect from previous owners left it deteriorated, according to the SPT website. A $200,000 gift from longtime historic preservation advocate and Community Preservation Committee Chair Robert McCarroll allowed the trust to purchase the property without a mortgage.
In an interview, SPT President Erica Swallow said the organization is now fully entrenched in the rehabilitation and structural stabilization processes. When restoration is finished, the building, known as a “cornerstone of Springfield’s architectural heritage,” will not only serve as SPT’s headquarters where it can host things like lectures, tours and preservation initiatives; but it will also have two rental apartments featuring two bedrooms and one bathroom in each.
“I’m really excited about having this building back online … and having a place to gather to talk about and engage in historic preservation work,” Swallow said.
The trust began exterior work on the building last year with the help of a Community Preservation Act grant and Springfield Preservation Trust Fund money, but Swallow said they had to pause because the contractors said the building featured structural issues. SPT employed Springfield-based firms Jablonski DeVriese Architects and O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Engineering to conduct structural studies, including a crack monitor test and a soil boring test.
These tests, which Swallow said took about a year-and-a-half to complete, revealed severe foundation failures and found that the building’s weight was unevenly distributed, causing significant floor settlement, particularly on the third floor.
To remedy the issue, SPT has applied for $300,000 in Community Preservation Act funding to cover the building’s structural stabilization; including installation of new support columns from the basement to the roof, redistribution of weight through new beams and bearing points and the leveling of floors to restore safe occupancy.
Without this structural stabilization, Swallow said the building would further deteriorate.
“It was recommended that structural stabilization take place to mitigate further movement over time,” she said.
The project’s current status and timeline
As SPT awaits to see if it is awarded the $300,000 to cover the structural stabilization, Swallow stated that the rest of the project is back on track. Next month, the SPT will start its roof replacement and masonry replacement with the help of Springfield-based contractors Mmc Specialty Roofing and Tmr Mason Contractors.
While that is happening, SPT is also looking to raise new money for windows, doors and total interior restoration. Swallow said the goal is to have exterior restoration done by December and for the interior restoration to start as soon as possible.
“We’re immediately in fundraising mode,” Swallow said. “I would love to see us raise the funds quickly and be able to start interior restoration sometime this year, as soon as possible.”
Swallow said SPT needs to have the building up-and-running by spring 2026 or else they will be in a difficult financial position. Because of this, Swallow is hoping that they are awarded CPA funds for the structural stabilization.
Last week, Reminder Publishing reported that the Community Preservation Committee recently received its highest number of CPA requests ever. The committee received 35 applications totaling more than $8 million, but they can only award $3 million this year because that is the amount of funding available from revenues.
“As a nonprofit, when you buy a building, you’re supposed to occupy it within three years in order to continue having your portion of the building being taxed as a nonprofit,” Swallow said. “In order to make that happen, we do need the funds for stabilization, and we’re kind of looking at CPA as, this is our opportunity.”
When it is rehabilitated and occupied, Swallow said the building will continue to live on as the historic landmark it has always been. The first floor will feature SPT’s office, a library for architectural and historic preservation resources, as well as an event space for lectures, photo exhibits and community programs.
The second and third floors will feature the rental apartments that SPT says will contribute to downtown housing, and Swallow said the entire building will also be a perfect start and end point for a lot of the tours that go through downtown Springfield,
“I’m very excited that we’re going to have a space to meet with the public,” Swallow said.
Readers can learn more about the building and its history by visiting the SPT website, springfieldpreservation.org/7-9-stockbridge-street, and prior Reminder Publishing coverage at tinyurl.com/bdcwpvt4. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and used to be a grocery store and deli.
