NORTHAMPTON — The Hampshire Registry of Deeds will move out of the first floor of 33 King St. to another downtown location, though no date has been set.
Mary Olberding, the register of deeds, said that the registry would stay in its current location if given the option, however.
Olberding said the downtown location and working with the trial court personnel nearby have been pluses to the space.
“We’ve been very happy there,” she said.
Once Hampshire Probate and Family Court relocates, the building will be surplused to the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance. Olberding said that DCAMM officials told the registry, which has been at 33 King St. since 1976, that it would have to move.
“They’re not going to support the building,” she said.
The registry will move to the second floor of 60 Railroad Ave. near Pleasant Street.
“It’ll keep the registry in downtown Northampton,” Olberding said.
Olberding said that while a date has not been given yet for the move, it will happen over a weekend and not interrupt service.
She said that while the registry had considered relocating to a space on the second floor of 15 Atwood Dr., the location of the registry in that building could not be guaranteed, and the registry wanted its new location to be easy to find and access for its users.
Olberding said that the new space, at just under 3,000 square feet, will be a more efficient use of space than the 5,500 square feet the registry currently occupies.
Additionally, the registry is finishing up a digitization of its old card catalog, which will eventually be available online. The card catalog itself, meanwhile, will be archived and put into storage.
“We don’t throw anything away,” Olberding said.
Olberding said she hopes DCAMM will do something worthwhile with the King Street building.
“It’s a prime location,” Olberding said. “I’d love to see this space do something that enhances downtown Northampton.”
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.