Page 11 - BusinessWest September 18, 2023

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Jeff LeSiege, left, and Jeff Daley stop by one of two large parking lots being created at Ludlow Mills.
Ludlow
Continued from page 9
set aside for commercial development, Daley said, noting that this commercial space, to be built out to suit the needs of tenants, would be appropriate for
a number of uses, including as home to support businesses for the growing number of people living in the mill as well as the surrounding area.
The apartments will be available for lease next July, he added, noting that there should be considerable demand for the units given both a regionwide housing crunch and a six-year waiting list for units in nearby Building 10,
the first of the mill buildings to be redeveloped into housing.
Other developments at the mills include $2.1 million to replace water and sewer piping to connect to the two dozen old stockhouses on the property, all of which are sporting new roofs, he said, as well as con- struction of two new, and sorely need- ed, parking lots.
One of these lots, with 150 spaces, is nearing completion, with landscap-
“A change in government is much needed. We’re no longer a town; we’re a 21,000-person city.”
ing and other finishing touches to be completed, while the other, located across Riverside Drive from the car- pentry building and expected to fea- ture another 75 spaces, is in the early stages of construction.
“These parking facilities are for tenants and visitors alike,” Daley said, adding that parking is a critical need as more of the spaces within the com- plex are developed.
Meanwhile, work continues on the carpentry building, a 13,200-square- foot brick structure between River- side Drive and the Chicopee River. Crane told BusinessWest it had prob- ably been on the market for 20 years, and really came onto his radar screen four years ago.
He described it as a solid invest- ment opportunity — albeit one requir- ing a large investment on his part
— but also a chance, as he said, to be part of the larger story of the mill’s transformation into a community, and a destination.
“I couldn’t afford any of the larger buildings, so I bought a smaller build- ing that I thought could be an impor- tant part of what we’re doing here,” he said. “It’s exciting to be part of this.”
Every day, he said, dozens of walk- ers, joggers, and runners on the river- walk will stop and ask him about the building’s next life. He tells them he’s
not sure, but he’s anxious to find out. Crane said he has replaced the roof
and is currently putting new windows in. When that work is completed, he will begin entertaining options to lease the property, with a restaurant certainly among those options.
“I’m open to ... whatever,” he told BusinessWest. “I bought the building knowing you could never build that building again so close to the water.”
There are many spaces still to be developed, Daley said, including the
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