Presentation slides from the June 2, 2025 Community Information Session can be accessed here
In the fall of 2023, RDI was approached by Franklin and Main LLC, owner of several commercial properties on Main Street in Greenfield, about a potential partnership to develop housing downtown. Earlier in the year, the City of Greenfield connected the owner with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership’s (MHP) Complete Neighborhood technical assistance program to explore the feasibility of adding housing to the property at 176 Main Street. MHP advised Franklin and Main LLC to partner with a developer experienced in affordable housing development. Discussions with RDI lead to an agreement to purchase the property and develop 32 units of mixed-income housing on the site.
The project site includes an existing single-story commercial building (176 Main) and a 22,000-square-foot surface parking lot to the rear of the buildings. The project’s location is in the heart of downtown Greenfield, within walking distance of the JWO Transit Center, City Hall, Library, food coop, YMCA, parks, stores, and restaurants.
Early in the feasibility phase, the development team determined the most cost-effective approach to adding housing to the site is to demolish the existing single-story building at 176 Main, which previously had two additional floors removed in the 1960s, and replace it with a new four-story 24-unit building in roughly the same footprint. The first floor will include residential units along with multi-purpose community space, laundry room, and property management office. The upper three floors will accommodate a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The new building will connect to the second floor of 156 Main, providing tenants in that building access to an elevator.
Eight units of new one and two-bedroom townhomes are planned in the rear parking lot. The development will add landscaping, a small play area, and pedestrian access to the site, which currently is 100% impervious. The new buildings will be Energy Star and Enterprise Green Communities certified and include rooftop solar PV.
The unit mix is based on current waitlists and demand among other downtown apartment building owners and will meet the needs of seniors looking for greater accessibility and to downsize, provide affordable options for the downtown workforce, and for families generally looking to be close to all the amenities downtown offers. All units will be visitable; at least four units will be fully accessible, and one will be adaptable. Zoning for the project is by-right with Site Plan Approval. The Team received Site Plan approval at a January 2, 2025, Greenfield Planning Board meeting.
RDI is working with Austin Design Cooperative as a project architect and Valley Housing Consultants as a development consultant. The City of Greenfield supported early feasibility work for the project with a $50,000 CPA grant. Funding for predevelopment is also coming from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) and MassDevelopment. RDI is currently applying for development funding with a goal of completing the project by 2028.
Image Credits: Austin Design Cooperative