Fitchburg State University is planning an "Ideas Center" in a downtown theater building it is renovating. Photo courtesy of Fitchburg State University.
Fitchburg’s public and non-profit sectors are preparing to roll out a $100 million red carpet to entice private developers, retailers and restaurateurs to join in revitalization efforts of the city’s downtown area.
There have already been a number of encouraging private-sector initiatives in the once-booming mill city along the Nashua River, mostly on the periphery and well outside the downtown area: the recently converted Yarn Works mill into 96 residential units by WinnDevelopment, and development of the massive Fitchburg Game On Sports and Performance Complex.
This central Massachusetts city has also seen, or will soon see, other private-sector developments, such as the recent $10 million renovation of the Sanitoy Mill into office and industrial space and AVJ Group LLC’s planned conversion of the former Iver Johnson firearms and bicycle mill into a mixed-use residential, commercial and retail complex.
But Fitchburg’s tired downtown, where even the old City Hall has temporarily closed up shop, is where public and nonprofit officials are now focusing their attention in the hope of spurring private development in the city’s core district.
The downtown projects include the planned conversion of the old BF Brown School and two adjoining buildings into artist live/work residences and studios, in coordination with the Fitchburg Art Museum; renovation of the Main Street Theater Block by Fitchburg State University, including restoration of a now-vacant 1,200-seat theater; and rehabilitation of the old City Hall, which had to be abandoned a few years ago due to a fractured roof truss.
Combined the downtown proposals, many of which are still awaiting word on various state and federal tax credit approvals, add up to about $100 million in public and nonprofit investments, officials say.
“We’ve got a lot going on,” said Mayor Stephen DiNatale, noting the city’s recent designation by the state as a “Transformative Development Initiative” (TDI) district, entitling Fitchburg to state assistance on its downtown redevelopment efforts. “Our goal is to make the downtown noticed as a place to go and we want to be known as a business-friendly city.”
Locals hope to spur private development in Fitchburg’s tired downtown, where even the old City Hall has temporarily closed up shop. Photo Courtesy of Nick Allen / CC BY-SA 4.0
From Schoolhouse to Creative Economy Housing
NewVue Communities, a nonprofit community development corporation, is spearheading the more than $20 million BF Brown redevelopment project, across the street from the Fitchburg Art Museum on Elm Street. The goal: Turning the boarded-up historic buildings into 62 residential units and work spaces for artists and others within the “creative economy,” such as graphic designers and video technicians. The ground floor of the “Fitchburg Arts Academy” will likely include exhibition space for artists.
“It’s going to be a real attraction for artists,” said Marc Dohan, executive director of NewVue. “Many artists in Cambridge and Boston are getting priced out of their market and there’s fairly high demand for artist housing [in the region].”
Nick Capasso, director of the Fitchburg Art Museum, said his institution will coordinate artist programs and is currently consulting with NewVue on what might be needed to make the center more artistically vibrant and attractive.
“We think it’s going to be a real shot in the arm for Fitchburg’s downtown,” Capasso said of the center, which is still several years away from getting off the ground.
The planned Main Street Theater Block is being spearheaded by Fitchburg State University, which three years ago purchased the abandoned, 1,200-seat theater across from the old City Hall for $350,000.
Curtain Going Up on Downtown
The planned Main Street Theater Block is being spearheaded by Fitchburg State University, which three years ago purchased an abandoned, 1,200-seat theater on Main Street across from the old City Hall for $350,000. The first phase of the project – a $3 million renovation of adjoining space into offices and classrooms – has already been completed and school officials and student have moved in, said Jay Bry, FSU’s vice president of finance and administration. The new space will also host a new “Ideas Center,” aimed at helping small businesses and entrepreneurs get off the ground.
The project’s second phase, renovation of the now-vacant theater at an estimated cost of $35 million, is still in the design stage, but Bry said FSU envisions the theater being used by the school for performing arts and school events, with retail space on the ground floor. The project would be paid via state and federal tax credits, private donations and possibly some borrowing.
“We want it to be a catalyst for the economic revitalization of the downtown,” said Bry.
As for the old City Hall, originally built in 1853, officials hope to start on its $23 million renovation this spring. It sat empty for four years due to structural problems, including a fractured roof truss that forced the city to evacuate the building in favor of temporary offices.
Boston-based ICON Architecture is involved in both the BF Brown and City Hall projects – and Janis Mamayek of ICON said she sees their rejuvenation as vital components of redeveloping downtown Fitchburg as a whole.
“We’re very excited by the momentum we’ve seen in Fitchburg,” she said.
Email: jayfitzmedia@gmail.com
An earlier version of this article contained an incorrect reference to Framingham State University as leading the Main Street Theater Block project.
