CHICOPEE, Mass. - The City of Chicopee unveils a plan for a nearly $40 million development at a four-acre Facemate lot along the Chicopee river.
The plan includes a 102-unit residential building, a 54,000 sq. foot multi-sports facility, and a 10,000 sq. foot restaurant, brewery and office space at the former Baskin warehouse.
Facemate Lot #1 is adjacent to the RiverMills Senior Center and is the last piece of land on the property marked for redevelopment by the City.
Mayor John Vieau said, "This is a significant and exciting milestone for the City of Chicopee. Generations of Chicopee residents have intimate memories and connections to the RiverMills sites and we are excited that future generations will again be able to leave their marks on these former industrial properties."
The project expects to create 52 new jobs.
Singing Bridge, LLC will develop the property. Singing Bridge, LLC is a partnership between ADC Communities (ADC), Brisa Development, LLC (Brisa), and Chicopee Sports Center, Inc. (CSC). ADC and Brisa are national developers of mixed-income, and mixed-use developments, and CSC is a local entity of long-standing Chicopee residents, sports coaches, and entrepreneurs.
"Our facility is going to be unique, in that in this day of EEE and people worrying about kids playing at a high temperature outside, we are going to air condition our facility, so younger kids, especially, are going to be able to practice and play for their team or club," said Billy Stetson, President of Chicopee Sports Center and Partner at Singing Bridge, LLC.
Hammad Graham, Co-Owner of Brisa Development, LLC, has ties to Western Massachusetts. He saw the potential in turning this space into something and said they are hoping to have the project complete in a couple of years.
"So first quarter of next year we are going to try to break ground on the Baskin building. Also first quarter of next year or second quarter of the beginning, we are going to do the sports facility and the phasing for the residential is going to be the last quarter of 2022 or first quarter of 2023," Graham said.
The Singing Bridge team is working to advance the conceptual site plans into final development plans to move through the local permitting process.
Images courtesy: City of Chicopee