CitySpace Awarded $501,000 for Easthampton Old Town Hall Restoration

EASTHAMPTON — Gov. Maura Healey, alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus, announced more than $161 million in funding for local economic-development across Massachusetts, benefiting 313 projects in 171 communities.

Among these grants, CitySpace has been awarded $501,830 to complete the second phase of the Old Town Hall restoration, a project aimed at making this historic arts and culture venue fully accessible to all members of the community.

CitySpace is one of only 37 recipients statewide to receive the highly competitive Underutilized Property Program grant, further underscoring the significance of this project. This funding will directly support CitySpace’s mission to restore and revitalize Easthampton’s historic Old Town Hall into a 350-seat, fully accessible arts center, preserving a piece of the city’s cultural heritage while creating an inclusive venue for artistic expression.

“CitySpace’s commitment to the community is evident in their dedication to transforming Old Town Hall into a vibrant center for arts and culture,” Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle said. “This revitalization enhances Easthampton’s historic charm and serves as a beacon for creativity and collaboration.”

The second phase of restoration will introduce a new accessible entryway, an elevator serving every floor, and the repair and display of a historic stained-glass window on the building’s street-facing entryway. For more than a century, Old Town Hall housed municipal offices, and while its second floor served as a public performance and gathering space, it has been unusable since 2003.

CitySpace began managing the first floor as a multi-genre arts and community center in 2006, now welcoming more than 15,000 visitors annually. The organization cemented its commitment to the building’s restoration in 2019 by securing a 40-year lease from the city of Easthampton to fully manage Old Town Hall and restore the second floor, a project shaped by regional community input and the needs of the performing-arts community.

“This pivotal grant enables us to build on crucial investments from the Easthampton CPA, our community, local businesses, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural Facilities Fund to complete phase II of Old Town Hall’s restoration,” said Burns Maxey, president of CitySpace. “Together, we’re transforming historic spaces to be more inclusive, accessible, affordable, and impactful. We are so thankful for this generous award and its recognition of the economic-development opportunities this project will provide for both Easthampton and the wider region.”