Developers are hoping to turn the historic White Terrace complex into market-rate apartments for professionals.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Design work is under way for a potential renovation of North Street's ailing White Terrace apartment complex into more upscale market-rate housing, but plans may hinge on whether or not the project is able to receive historic tax credits.

 

The Historical Commission looked favorably Tuesday on an initial presentation of the proposed $9 million restoration of the three buildings that make up White Terrace.

 

"We're hoping to have approval of the tax credits by the end of the year," said Pierre Joseph of developer Liberty Investment Group, requesting a letter of support from the local commission for the rehabilitation of the properties.

 

Built from 1906 by 1912, the three structures comprise all of the White Terrace side street near the northern end of North Street. The White Terrace cluster of buildings were owned by the White family of Berkshire Brewing Association prominence, and designed by architect George Haynes.

 

A Boston architect who moved to Pittsfield, Haynes designed many major downtown blocks, but was perhaps best known for his specialty in school buildings. He was responsible for several local schools, including Orchard Street School and the Crane School on Dartmouth Avenue, and other schools throughout Massachusetts, most notably the city of Chicopee's second Central High School in 1920, considered by many to be a gem of Collegiate Gothic style.

 

In recent years, the White Terrace buildings have been underoccupied and in significant disrepair; they have been frequently cited as a source of blight and public safety issues in downtown and maintain a recurring presence in the local police log.

 

Three retail spaces on the North Street block of Building A have been vacant for several years, and currently only 12 out of 30 apartment spaces in the complex are occupied. Portions of Building B were badly damaged in a fire that occurred in 1995.

 

Despite the admittedly uninhabitable condition of much of the interior, consultants for the project say the core structures of the three buildings are in good condition.

 

"We're really lucky that these are Haynes buildings," said Gregory Farmer, a historic preservation specialist with the Agricola Corp. of Chicopee, a historic consultant attached to the project.

 

Joseph said the restoration would alter the interior apartment configurations from the smaller boxed rooms to larger more modern spaces, but otherwise the structure will remain largely as is, while new doors and fixtures will attempt to reflect more of the original style of the building.  

 

The building's parking area will have a locked fence and additional security features ranging from brighter lighting to video surveillance that is being incorporated into the design.  

 

"I think in that area we need to feel a little more secure with the occupancy," said Joseph, who indicated that the remodeled units will be geared toward working professional tenants at market rates similar to several other recent downtown redevelopment projects, such as the Howard Building, Onota Building, and former Notre Dame School.  

 

Farmer said the design will be at 60 percent completion by the end of this month, concurrent with the deadline for historic tax credit applications, and expected to be completed by the end of this calendar year.

 

An application is also in progress for addition of the White Terrace buildings to the National Register of Historic Places.  

 

Commission member Kathleen Reilly pointed out that as a historic restoration, this project could be an opportunity to further highlight awareness of Haynes architectural legacy.

 

"He really should be more known to people than he is," Reilly said.

 

In addition to its association with the Berkshire Brewing empire, the White Terrace buildings have hosted several notable local residents through its history. Well-known local surgeon John Joseph Boland took up residence there with his wife in 1919, and Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas H. Sullivan also resided there in the 1940s. In the 1950s, it housed author and pioneer cave explorer Clay Perry, coiner of the term "spelunking."  

 

White Terrace resident Wally Everest made news around the state in 1925, as he remained in contact with the MacMillan Arctic expedition through his ham radio.

 

If successful in obtaining some funding through historic tax credits, the proposed project will then need to go through the local special permitting process. 

 

Joseph said the estimated 18-month renovation process would then begin next summer, with the buildings open for occupancy around January 2018.