BELCHERTOWN — As progress to develop the Belchertown State School campus inches forward, municipal government and the Belchertown Economic Development Industrial Corporation committee are brainstorming ways to push along the process.
“Both the EDIC and MassDevelopment feel that we need to look at alternative ways of moving this forward,” EDIC member Jonathan Spiegel said during a Sept 15 Select Board meeting.
Once an institution for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, redevelopment of the 876-acre campus has been in discussion since the state school’s closure in 1992. In 2012, the EDIC and MassDevelopment entered into a partnership to develop the site. MassDevelopment worked with the town and the EDIC to create a development vision and a pre-permitted Carriage Grove Master Plan for the site, as well as implement the necessary demolition and infrastructure improvement program.
That effort began to see results in 2018 when Christopher Heights, an 83-unit assisted living facility opened, and in 2020 with the opening of an early childhood education center called the Belchertown Day School.
“Our relationship with MassDevelopment has been tremendously supportive,” Spiegel said. “They’ve been great at bringing to us state resources, while helping clear the campus. Our agreement with them is up for renewal at the end of this calendar year. We expect we will be able to continue working with them and with their guidance.”
Spiegel summarized some of the progress that has been made at the property at last week’s meeting, including clearing most of the former state school infrastructure and buildings and getting 36 acres ready for new development. Overall, Spiegel said that some $18 million of investments have already gone into the project, and returns have begun to show as 25 new businesses have settled on the property, bringing with them dozens of jobs and an annual tax levy of $350,000 per property.
However, the only construction project currently on the books is a 105-unit affordable housing development proposed by Brisa Builders Development LLC, a sustainable construction company from New York. Brisa was initially set to build several phases of Carriage Grove, but with how slow their first project has gone, Spiegel said MassDevelopment and the EDIC may look at other partners for future phases.
“It’s important for everyone in town who wants to see this property properly developed to think about who they know that has a business that might come here,” Spiegel said. “We want something to wind up on that property, even if it’s done in pieces, so that it is something we all are going to be proud of.”
Affordable housing complex
A couple Select Board members attended the Aug. 20 EDIC meeting when Brisa Builders updated residents on the affordable housing complex and town museum planned for the first phase of the campus redevelopment. Brisa is in the process of transferring the contract to the financial backer for the project, Sydney Capital Group LLC.
Plans for an 108-unit development has since downgraded to an 105-unit development with a mixture of studio apartments and one-, two- or three-bedroom units. Hammad Graham, principal of Brisa, explained that people qualify to rent units based on their income.
“Everything is really based on the income guidance rather than just classifying these units and this development as low income,” Graham said. “It’s affordable housing, but there’s different populations served in the various income brackets. So you have a veteran population that might be living off of government benefits, that would fall into one income tier. Then you have folks that are in a higher income tier, like your municipal workers, you school teachers.”
There are four tiers renters fall into: 13 of the units will rent to people who make 30% of area’s median income, 40 units will rent to those making 40% of the area’s median income, 23 units will rent to those making 60% of the median income and 27 units rent to those making 80% of area income. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average household median income in Hampshire County is $81,732.
Since the Planning Board approved a site plan for the complex in February, Andy Vann from Paul Castrucci Architects said the schematic designs have been completed, funding secured and a contractor to install solar panels for the project has been secured. Design development phase will be completed by the end of September. Then, the project goes through the state’s affordable housing tax credit process, which will finish by the end of 2026. Right now, he said, the plan is to begin construction by January 2027.
“Typically with these affordable housing jobs, because of the low-income housing tax credit process, it tends to draw out a bit,” Vann said.
Marketing Carriage Grove
During the Sept. 15 Select Board meeting, both the EDIC and board members discussed ways to expand business opportunities at Carriage Grove. While Spiegel implored residents to market the property within their circles, Select Board member Jen Turner asked the EDIC to attend future networking events.
“We can’t bring in business without infrastructure, which means buildings,” Turner said.
Spiegel agreed to increase marketing efforts for the property. He also asked the Select Board members to refer any interested businesses to the EDIC. This way, the cooperation can foster development with a coherent look for the property.
“The one thing we all have in common, I think, is that we all want to see economic development move forward as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” Select Board Chair Lesa Pearson said.