And another eyesore disappears... (55-69 Union St.) And what Easthampton MA has planned for 2023! (Happy New Year 2023 🥳🥳🥳😁😎)

Goodbye to another downtown eyesore, the former Manchester Hardware and TrueValue! (55-69 Union St.) After being vacant since the night of November 10, 2020 after 125 yrs of business due to the owner's retirement, the "jaws of death" officially made it to this eyesore on January 13, 2023!

I am not sure what will be here in the future, but it better not end up the way that the old Lynch School did, with new construction that never got occupied! 😂 (At least, not yet, but knowing Holyoke, if you know, you know...)

Here are some screen captures from a video I filmed of the demolition on January 13, 2023:

Whole back half is gone...

Sign still up, but not for much longer. Also, windows have been removed from the building!

1 boarded up door and 7 open windows...

Goodbye to this vacant eyesore downtown...

Lights still on? While demolition is ongoing? What?!

We may have to say goodbye to this mural on the backside of this building...

But even though we're saying goodbye to this building, there's others that need the jaws of death more than this one did:

This building: the #1 eyesore of Easthampton MA. Beyond saving for about 10+ years. TAKE. IT. DOWN!!!

(118 Union St, the old Hurry & Scurry printing shop)

This building needs to go. Badly. Along with the rest of uptown Easthampton which needs redevelopment and/or more businesses badly. (Main St.) (These pictures taken January 4, 2023)

But there IS hope on the horizon. 47-49 Cottage St (now officially called Cottage Street Commons) is well on its way with completion expected mid-late August 2023, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Here are some screen captures of a video I filmed of that construction on January 13, 2023:

And Easthampton MA has more plans for construction in 2023:

Here's what 2023 might bring for Easthampton MA:

A new solar array construction at 10 Gosselin Drive

Redevelopment of Old Town Hall (43 Main St.) which includes construction of a new ADA accessible entrance and redevelopment of the 2nd floor of the building which will allow for events to take place there

Easthampton MA may become a Xerxes Bee City

Continued redevelopment of the Ferry Street mills (One Ferry Project) with 7 Ferry Street (the next building to be redeveloped) likely starting construction in 2023 with completion and opening by 2024

(For more info on this project, visit https://oneferryproject.com for the general project of all building or https://7ferry.com for info specifically on 7 Ferry Street)

Continued redevelopment of the Pleasant Street Mills, with 25-75% design proposals for remodeling of the largely vacant or semi-vacant buildings (such as 142 Pleasant St, a 7-story structure, the highest amount of floors in a structure in Easthampton MA, that is largely unoccupied, the only exception being Abandoned Building Brewery or businesses that closed their doors there due to COVID-19; beyond Floor 4, the building is practically abandoned, with most windows boarded up, however there is electricity on the top floors but it is very dark beyond the 4th floor, technically the 5th) Redevelopment will likely begin 2024 or later, with redevelopment proposals to take place throughout 2023. Also, the websites for the Pleasant Street mills are largely outdated, which info stating that construction for apartments would begin Spring 2017 with a typo copyright date of 2106 (it's supposed to be ©️2016), which is 7 years ago. Also, Mill 180 Park, which was regarded as the first ever indoor hydroponic park upon opening in the 2010s, had been shuttered since August 2021 due to COVID-19 and had shown no signs of reopening; however, this place has apparently changed names, now called CFE Farmstead, with hours shown as only being open Thursdays and Fridays from 5-9:30pm, which may be why I haven't seen it open since at least 2019-2020. It is a nice space for kids and adults (my old school visited the site during a 1-hour field trip from their old location in Holyoke MA during Spring 2019 as a yearbook/photography club trip, and could only stay very briefly due to it being about 15-20 minutes away from Holyoke, and it was a nice space) However, their website lists no upcoming events, which is somewhat skeptical to it being open once again, so I haven't been able to verify it being open once again. However, there WAS an event there in December 2022, which means that it is very likely in operation once again!

And, 2023 may also mark the start of construction of Easthampton MA's MOST AMBITIOUS project since One Ferry Project started in 2018 (construction started August 2019), at 93-97 Northampton St, which will basically be a city within a city.

Before we talk about what's coming here, let's talk about what was SUPPOSED to come:

Late 2000s-early 2010s: A new Stop & Shop

2020: New cannabis manufacturing facilities

Now, here's the 2022-2023 plans for this site:

Here's what's SUPPOSED to come:

(Project name: Sierra Vista Commons)

TEN 3-story buildings, mostly mixed-use, with apartments, stores, and restaurants

Construction of 2 pad sites which will likely be used as sit-down restaurants

Community garden, pool, and a couple stores

Commercial use as well (offices?)

And a daycare and gymnastics center!

AMBITIOUS!

Also, it is expected to be a 5-year project with 4 phases. So, if construction starts this year, then the project will be completed in 2028. It will likely complete around the same time as One Ferry Project will (their projected completion: 2029. However, even though the last 10 years have been empty handed regarding this site, fall 2022 did mark the demolition of the Tasty Top and Easthampton Golf site, (for Starbucks, likely opening Summer 2023, personal prediction based on construction progress) which marked the beginning of construction on any part of this site. So, work has started!

Which IS great news!

So, to conclude, if all goes well, Easthampton MA is in for one of its MOST AMBITIOUS YEARS in quite awhile for 2023!

Anyways, The 01027 Minute and TR27 wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023, and we'll see what comes or leaves Easthampton MA this year or any year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!!! 🥳🥳🥳😁😎

UPDATE 1/14/23 6:07PM EST: The City Of Easthampton has confirmed that half of the building will be demoed, and that CHD (Center for Human Development) will indeed be the future use of this site, after they purchased it in 2021. Apparently, this building (and the others being demoed on site) were unsafe and unsalvageable, and had no historical significance, despite being built in 1909, which lead to this demolition of the over 100 year old structures on site. CHD will build a new behavioral health clinic and urgent care center at this site. Construction timelines are unknown at this time, but I project it will be open by mid to late 2024, possibly as early as fall 2023 to early 2024. 55 Union St (TrueValue) is now expected to remain standing as well. (which signifies why the lights are still on there) Floor quantity and height are unknown, but it will likely be a 1 story building from current architectural plans devised in October 2022. Anyways, redevelopment is finally occurring at this site that was vacant for just over 2 years.