The City Council in Springfield, Massachusetts is weighing whether to approve a special permit to redevelop a historic downtown building into affordable apartments.
A developer is proposing to build 41 apartments in the four-story building at 195 State Street in a project with an estimated price tag of $26 million.
The building, constructed about a century ago, was once home to an insurance company headquarters. Later it became the central administration for the Springfield Public Schools. After the school department moved out a decade ago, reuse proposals came and went, said Tim Sheehan, the city’s chief economic development officer.
“It has been a priority and it has been focused as housing being the use,” Sheehan said.
The city administration last year tapped First Resource Development Company of Andover, Massachusetts to build housing at the long-vacant building.
Concerns were raised about the lack of space for on-site parking and pedestrian safety.
At a hearing Monday night, First Resource President Gordon Pulsifer said he has arranged for tenant parking to be offered at four locations within a few blocks. He has endorsed plans announced by the city’s Department of Public Works to force drivers to slow down by narrowing State Street and putting in a raised crosswalk with a pedestrian-activated traffic signal.
Pulsifer said he also plans to “adopt” a small park across the street from the building and pay for improvements to give tenants passive recreational space.
“We believe that we’ve addressed the main development concerns that we discussed previously – parking, traffic concerns, and open space,” Pulsifer said.
Councilors, for the most part, praised the plans, with Councilor Kateri Walsh saying the project will be “very good” for Springfield.
“195 State, I think we’ve all be waiting a long time for something positive to happen there,” Walsh said.
Walsh and Councilor Malo Brown pointed to Pulsifer’s track record in Springfield. His company owns about 80 buildings and manages roughly 1,500 apartments in the city. Most recently, he redeveloped the former Indian Motocycle building into apartments.
“I’ve seen his finished result and then I’ve seen his continuous effort to make sure he has a positive impact,” Brown said.
The redevelopment plan proposed by Pulsifer for 195 State Street calls for 32 one-bedroom apartments, three two-bedroom apartments, and six studio apartments. Each will be classified as 100 percent affordable under the federal Low-income Housing Tax Credit Program.
The building is located within the Lower Maple Historic District. Pulsifer said he will apply for tax credits available for historic preservation efforts as part of the financing for the project.
Pulsifer is also the proposed developer for 310 State Street – a vacant office building near the federal courthouse. He plans to build 52 apartments there.
