NORTHAMPTON — A sprinkler system, renovated bathrooms and a freshly painted exterior at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence, a rebuilt outdoor performing arts venue at Buttery Brook Park in South Hadley and theatrical lighting and sound equipment for the Northampton Community Arts Trust’s Hawley Street building are projects being supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Last Thursday, MassDevelopment’s board of directors approved 74 new grants from the Cultural Facilities Fund, totaling $6.48 million statewide, to support the planning, development, and maintenance of cultural spaces across Massachusetts.

For Bombyx, which is receiving $137,000, the lack of sprinklers at the 130 Pine St. site two years ago briefly led city fire officials to order that all music events be called off until a sprinkler system was installed in the center’s sanctuary. That shutdown was rescinded a week later, but with guidelines in place for making infrastructure improvements to the building.

The estimated cost of the sprinkler system is $400,000, with grants, donations and support from the state covering the costs of this work. Enhancements that have previously taken place include placing thermal insulation in the sanctuary to reduce noise, and planned installations of a security system and fire alarms.

At 33 Hawley, the building overseen the Northampton Community Arts Trust, $107,000 will be used for theatrical lighting and sound equipment in the Workroom Theater. That 3,800-square-foot black box theater is primarily used by Available Potential Enterprises, or A.P.E., an artist-led nonprofit that administers the space to a cooperative of theater groups. The Workroom is also available for artist residencies, workshops and other events. Similar Cultural Facilities Funds grants have been received in the past to support this development.

Buttery Brook’s amphitheater and band shell is being restored through $98,000 going to South Hadley’s human services department, improving the 123 Willimansett St. site that also has pickleball courts and other amenities.

Other grants awarded

In Amherst, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, at 125 West Bay Road at the edge of the Hampshire College campus, is receiving $88,000 for a new security systems, archival storage, air conditioning repairs to the cooling tower, repairs to parking lot drainage, roof drainage upgrades and resurface the museum’s facade.

There are also smaller grants being offered to others in Hampshire County.

In Goshen, a $16,000 grant will go to the Williams-Boltwood House Trust for business planning, architectural design and solar planning for a multiphase project that will restore the historic 18th century property at 2 Williams Road.

The one-time tavern, inn and post office was built in 1779, before the town was formed, and Goshen’s first Town Meeting was held there in 1781. Over its 236 years, the building has served as a commercial hub for the town, including as a general store and stagecoach stop, before becoming a family home for seven generations. The trust’s next event will be a Memorial Day weekend tag sale.

Forbes Library at 20 West St. in Northampton earned a $15,000 feasibility grant that staff can use to re-envision the Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, and to explore feasibility of acoustical improvements, in the space.

At Performing Arts and Education Cooperative in Amherst, an $18,500 feasibility study was awarded to develop architectural plans for a new performing arts center and makers space. Formed as a nonprofit in 2022 and collectively known as PAEC, the organization brings together the Amherst Community Theater, Empowerment Through the Arts & The Rainbow Players, Starlight Youth Theatre and Valley Light Opera.

A $4,000 feasibility grant is going to the Worthington Historical Society, to study building preservation, space use, maintenance issues and HVAC system upgrades at the 6 Williamsburg Road site.

In the region, the largest grant was $200,000 going to execute plans for building a new Community Design Center as part of Double Edge Theatre’s rural campus.

Others in Franklin County also earned awards. ArtsSpace in Greenfield received both $28,000 for weatherization, HVAC and electrical upgrades, and to create a new ceramics studio, at its location, and $8,000 for a 20-year capita l needs assessment, and $65,00o0 went to LaunchSpace in Orange for new heat pumps, mini-splits, ceiling fans and electrical outlets.

Also, $54,000 is going to the Buckland Historical Society for interior renovations to the English-style barn on the Wilder Homestead, including flooring, doors, reconstructing the weaving room and loft, electrical work and lighting, and also in Buckland is $33,000 for the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum to partially fund the restoration of MTA/MBTA trolley Line Car 3283.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.