AMHERST — A preliminary agreement between W.D. Cowls Inc. and the Boston development company that bought Rolling Green Apartments in 2014 could bring a new mixed-use project to the Mill District of North Amherst.
Under the partnership, the Beacon Communities will have the opportunity to develop buildings on the south side of Cowls Road for residences and businesses, said Mollye Wolahan Lockwood, vice president of real estate and community development for W.D. Cowls.
The projects, announced Wednesday, would include rental housing for all income levels, she said.
“The Mill District seeks to bring back community by creating a sense of place through a mixed-use destination, where people live, dine, recreate, buy things better bought at a store rather than on the Internet and enjoy services such as salons and health clubs,” Lockwood said.
Beacon was selected as a partner, in part, because town officials are familiar with the company from its 2014 purchase of Rolling Green Apartments, 422 Belchertown Road, for $30.25 million. The company preserved the affordability of 41 units where low-income families live as part of that deal.
“Our goal is to create a high-quality community that serves a diverse income range and offers housing options that will appeal to young professionals, young families, and those who are downsizing their homes,” Lockwood said.
Project designs will require a site plan review before the Planning Board. Lockwood said this will be appropriate development in a commercially-zoned district.
“Even though it is too early in the process to talk about design, we know that any development will embrace the context of North Amherst and the Mill District,” Lockwood said.
Apartments owned and managed by Beacon will be on the upper levels, with commercial and retail space under Cowls’ control on the ground floors.
Lockwood said it is too early to say how many housing units might be developed.
“What’s great about Beacon is that their design approach is to create exceptional living experiences that are unique, individualized and appropriate for each community,” Lockwood said.
Beacon and Cowls will do significant community engagement to make sure people who live nearby are comfortable with the project, Lockwood added.
The former sawmill building, constructed in 2003 after fire heavily damaged the previous building, will be demolished to make way for any new buildings. The sawmill closed in 2010, though the company continues to sell lumber at the Cowls Building Supply store.
Last fall, local artist Arielle Jessop painted a mural reflecting the agricultural roots of the land on the side of the former sawmill. Lockwood said Cowls will look into preserving the art, but if not possible will commission Jessop again to do additional paintings within the Mill District.
This will mark the third development project in the Mill District, following the mixed-use Trolley Barn, which includes The Lift salon and Bread and Butter Cafe, both of which opened in early 2015, and upscale apartments on the upper levels, and the Atkins Farms Country Market North, which opened last summer in a renovated barn that once housed cows.
Lockwood said she is still exploring reuse options for the 200-year-old barn at 134 Montague Road, a prominent 3½-story structure that was the subject of a year-long demolition delay that expired in July 2015. The barn was originally built for a dairy farm, but was last used as storage for antiques.
Residents who live on Montague Road and other nearby streets have described the large barn as a buffer between their homes and the more commercial activities along Cowls Road.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
