Mill Town Launches Two Tyler St. Housing Developments

Mill Town is moving forward with plans to renovate a group of vacant buildings and open space into 36 new market-rate housing units with improved outdoor spaces and parking areas along Tyler Street.

These projects, combined with the nearly completed St. Mary’s Morningstar housing development led by Dave Carver and Scarafoni Associates, will create 65 new residences in a two-block radius by the end of 2021.

The Tyler Street community improvement project aligns with Mill Town’s mission to expand and improve the quality and quantity of opportunities to live and work in the Berkshires.

The Tyler Street area has been a focus for the City of Pittsfield for several years, first as a state-designated Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) district, and most recently, for major infrastructure improvements through a recently won State MassWorks Grant.

Strategically, these improvements will help create a stronger connection between two of the city’s largest employers, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Berkshire Health Systems.

Tim Burke, CEO and Managing Director of Mill Town, said, "Quality housing has been identified as a major need for employees and employers in Pittsfield. We are excited to be moving forward with plans for two residential housing construction projects – one of the first major initiatives for new construction multi-family housing in over a decade in the city."

With General Dynamics and Berkshire Health Systems growing in the region, quality housing is a major concern. In a recent co-signed letter addressed to the Mayor’s office in support of new housing investments, General Dynamics highlighted the critical infrastructure need and the importance housing plays in the local economy.

The City of Pittsfield has supported Mill Town through a City Council approved Tax Increment Exemption package.

In addition to housing, Mill Town has supported a variety of community efforts in the Tyler Street area. This includes the Berkshire Dream Center, a nonprofit outreach program offering spiritual and other guidance.

Mill Town is also leading a renovation at 741 Tyler Street for the year-old Tyler Street Lab, where residents host workshops, share crafts, and creatively collaborate. Mill Town is also providing feedback for the City’s streetscape design project and the bike path master plan for that area.

Here are details of the overall Mill Town Tyler Street Housing & Community Investment Plan:

Twenty new units of housing will be built at 730-748 Tyler Street. Sixteen units will face Tyler Street, with four additional units facing Forest Place. These parcels formerly housed Pittsfield Radio and the former Shed’s Plumbing, both of which have been vacant for several years. Each apartment will have one parking space and there will be ample outdoor space, with a focus on environmentally friendly concepts such as rain gardens and plantings. The units will be a combination of 1-and 2-bedroom units, with the units on the first floor being fully ADA accessible. The project architect is Utile Design and the lead contractor is Restorations Inc.
Sixteen units of housing will be created by fully renovating 765-771 Tyler Street. These apartments will be a mix of studio, 1, and 2-bedroom units, with commercial spaces available on the first floor. The parking lot of this building will be completely redone, improving the lighting, safety, and traffic flow on Tyler Street. The project architects are Blueline Design and Hill Engineering, and the lead contractor is David J. Tierney Jr., Inc.
Nearby at 741 Tyler Street (the former Cooke & Burnell building), Mill Town is completing a renovation of the commercial space for the Tyler Street Lab, a community organization supporting a variety of neighborhood stakeholders.

(Information featured in this article came from a Press Release sent to WUPE issued by Mill Town and Teak Media.)