The former town firehouse is also in desperate need of an overhaul, and conditions are unsafe. The town now pays rent to Borshoff to house the health and building inspectors’ offices. Photo: Heather Bellow.
Great Barrington — A downtown on the brink of radical change as new developments are about to spring forth is also seeing some infrastructure work, as the western side of the old Castle Street firehouse is being overhauled to expand access for pedestrians and delivery trucks, inspiring hope that its infamous potholes will soon be filled.
A controversial purchase agreement made in 2012 between the town and firehouse owner, Thomas Borshoff of 20 Castle Street LLC, requires Borshoff to build a retaining wall to separate the town parking lot next to the railroad tracks and the pedestrian/delivery corridor between Castle and Railroad Streets.
The lease specified that some embankments be removed in order to build the wall and expand the alleyway to about 30 feet wide.
The town and Borshoff have been targets of taxpayer wrath over a purchase-and-sale agreement that gave Borshoff incremental tax breaks as the town pays $2,500 a month plus utilities to house the offices of the health and building inspectors and to store the overflow of public works equipment. It doesn’t help that the building is unsafe; bricks routinely break away and fall from the façade, truck fumes rise up from town vehicles in the bays, and worn tiles crumble into asbestos dust.
The town’s arrangement with 20 Castle Street, LLC was fashioned by former Town Manager Kevin O’Donnell. The sale was completed in 2014 after O’Donnell had left. From left, Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin, attorney and Borshoff partner Edward McCormick, and Thomas Borshoff. Photo: David Scribner.
The Selectboard has been frustrated, too, over the slow pace of work to a building that Borshoff had agreed to turn into a culinary school and cafe. The idea was that the sweet deal for Borshoff would turn sweet for the town as it expanded the tax base and created new jobs.
Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin’s predecessor Kevin O’Donnell fashioned the agreement to sell the abandoned building and alleyway for $50,000 to Borshoff, principal owner of 20 Castle Street, and his partners, attorney Edward McCormick and Housatonic Water Works owner James Mercer.
Last June, the Board told Tabakin to meet with Borshoff about his plans and to proceed rapidly with plans to move the health and building inspectors out. Tabakin said she had looked into moving those town offices out, but recently said there is currently no firm plan to do so. The problem, she said back in June, was the lack of space at Town Hall.
Board Chair Sean Stanton said last week that Borshoff had not started any work to the interior space that houses the town offices.
Some Railroad Street merchants and firehouse neighbors have grown furious over the deterioration of the alley in the hands of private owners, its impact on delivery truck access, and the blighted appearance overall.
Yet this first step is a hopeful one as, downtown, sparks of progress continue to fly.
Last summer a truck driver with a delivery for a Railroad Street merchant refused to back his 18-wheeler into the alleyway by the firehouse because of deep potholes. Photo: Heather Bellow.
The work to the alley and retaining wall comes as demolition work to the abutting 47 Railroad Street property begins. The building that included the former Pearl’s restaurant on the ground floor is about to be redeveloped into a residential and commercial site by Ian Rasch and Sam Nickerson of Framework Properties. Because it is so close to the firehouse, Rasch said the improvements Borshoff is making are important.
“We’re obviously investing a lot of money, and we’re very excited that Tom [Borshoff] is pushing forward with his property,” Rasch said.
Calls to Borshoff and McCormick were not returned.
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