Page 60 - BusinessWest August 18, 2021

addition, the National Park Service has commit- ted federal historic tax credits to the effort.
Support from the Baker-Polito administra- tion includes federal and state low-income hous- ing tax credits, as well as money from the state’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Housing Stabili- zation Fund, and HOME program.
The 95 apartments to be built inside Mill 8 will cater to a wide range of incomes, offering 43 affordable units for rent at 60% of area median income (AMI), 40 market units, and 12 extremely low-income units available at 30% of AMI. The first phase of the project, the Residences at Mill 10, is 88% affordable.
“The cost of housing is one of the single great- est challenges facing our Commonwealth, and that challenge has been amplified dramatically by the pandemic,” state Sen. Eric Lesser said. “This development will be a welcome addition to Lud- low with 95 new affordable housing units. It will unlock opportunity and alleviate some pressure for housing access right here in Western Mass.”
Gov. Charlie Baker added that “projects like Mill 8 that bring mixed-unit, affordable housing to the community are an important part of the solution required to address the Commonwealth’s housing crisis, and our administration is proud to support them. Unlocking additional opportuni- ties for community and economic development across the state will require more housing of all types in every corner of Massachusetts, and this project stands as an example of how we can con- tinue making progress toward our goals.”
Mike Kennealy, secretary of Housing and Eco- nomic Development, argued that the Common- wealth’s housing crisis will be resolved only by the production of more housing — and through more
projects like Mill 8. “Thanks to their many part- ners and the town of Ludlow, these new units will be specially designed for families of all incomes and with supportive services to help people stay in the community they call home.”
In addition to modern apartments, the project has partnered with WestMass Eldercare to create a 5,000-square- oot Adult Day Health Center inside the building that will provide on-site, enhanced supportive services to residents of Mill 8 and Mill 10, including nurse visits, a service
coordinator, healthy-living pro-
gramming, and transportation to
the nearby Ludlow Senior Center.
formation of this iconic building will be getting underway soon.”
Nearly 43,000 square feet of space on the first floor of Mill 8 will be available for lease to local businesses.
“As Westmass continues its redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills, we are excited to see the long- awaited Mill 8 transformation begin. Westmass will also benefit from this as we will retain the majority of the first floor for commercial develop-
“As Westmass continues its redevelopment of the Ludlow Mills, we are excited to see the long-awaited Mill 8 transformation begin. Westmass will also benefit from this as we will retain the majority of the first floor for commercial development.
“I am proud to see the public
and private partnership between
federal, state, and local govern-
ment with Westmass Area Devel-
opment Corp. and WinnDevel-
opment to breathe new life into
the iconic Mill 8,” state Rep. Jake
Oliveira said. “ As the project
enters its next stage, I’m excited to
see the clock tower mill building that adorns our town seal to finally become fully functional once again.”
The redeveloped property also will contain common area amenities, including on-site laun- dry facilities, on-site management, a fitness room, a resident lounge, and several outside recreation areas to serve future residents.
“Since Westmass began this project over 10 years ago, it has always been a priority to get Mill 8 redeveloped,” said Antonio Dos Santos, board chair of Westmass Area Development Corp. “This building has the marquee presence of the entire mill complex, and we are excited that the trans-
”
ment,” said Jeff Daley, president and CEO of West- mass Area Development Corp. “As we pull togeth- er different uses in the mills complex, housing is one of the priorities, and we are excited to partner again with WinnDevelopment with the continued support of the Baker-Polito administration.”
The design and construction of Mill 8 will meet the standards of Enterprise Green Communities (EGC), an environmental certification program for affordable housing that includes milestones for water conservation, energy efficiency, healthy materials, and green operations and manage- ment. u
— By George O’Brien
60 AUGUST 18, 2021
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