NORTHAMPTON — Two tracts of multi-acre properties along King Street, one that had been slated for an auto dealership and another for senior housing, are on the market with combined listing prices of more than $12 million.
One property is a 5.35-acre parcel located at 187 King St., currently owned by the TommyCar Auto Group. The property, currently a vacant lot, was purchased by TommyCar and its president Carla Cosenzi in 2023 with the intention of building a Volvo dealership.
But plans for the property fell through, with Cosenzi citing a lack of support from the city for the project. A citizen’s petition in 2024 to ban future auto dealerships within the zoning district, approved by the City Council, also contributed to the falling out between Cosenzi and the city.
“Everybody was very adamant about a car dealership not going on that piece of property,” Cosenzi told the Gazette in an interview last month.
In response, Northampton Planning & Sustainability Director Carolyn Misch claimed that Cosenzi had been aware of the zoning limitations on the property before making the purchase.
“It was clear that a typical single-use, highway business car dealership design was not going to be approvable,” Misch said. “The initial filing showed plans that in no way complied with the design criteria that were clearly laid out to the group before their purchase of this lot.”
Cosenzi bought the property for $5.25 million, according to property records. Listings online have the site for sale at $7.9 million.
Cosenzi could not be reached for comment Wednesday regarding the property listing.
The second property is a 3-acre site at 79 King St. currently owned by Live Give Play and Spiritos Properties of New York. In 2022, the company announced plans to build a $45 million, six-story building that would contain 120 market-rate apartment units. Originally scheduled to be completed by 2024, no construction for the development has occurred, though all permitting has been received for the property.
The planned development called for a 110,000-square-foot building with high ceilings and a focus on energy efficiency. Designs for the building were completed by the Berkshire Design Group.
A listing by local real estate firm Region Commercial lists the price of the property at $4.5 million, advertised as a “ready-to-go” purchase opportunity.
“While not a stipulation of the City’s approval, the proposed design focuses on healthy and natural living through low-carbon materials and operation, achieved through 79 King Street’s vision of utilizing a mass timber structure,” the listing states. “The project was proposed to achieve Passive House certification, featuring the latest recycled and bio-based materials, and ultra energy-efficient systems.”
Pat Goggins, whose Goggins Real Estate offices are located on the 79 King St. property, said he wasn’t surprised by the parcel being put up for sale, given ongoing economic conditions.
“No one is assured of the interest rate situation, and there’s equal concern about the cost of tariffs on building materials,” Goggins said. “If these parcels were easy to build, they’d be built by now.”
Jeff Spiritos, the principal owner of Spiritos Properties LLC, confirmed that the property was for sale, but declined further comment.