Page 8 - BusinessWest September 5, 2022
P. 8

 Community Spotlight
Ludlow and Its Mills Are a Developing Story
By George O’Brien
When Westmass Area Development Corp. and its board of directors went all in and acquired the mas- sive and environmentally challenged Ludlow Mills complex in 2011, Jeff Daley said, they did so with the understanding that they were embarking on a long and difficult journey.
“We’re certainly at a turning point, where we’re focusing our efforts on redevelopment as opposed to staying afloat and cleaning the site.”
But they probably didn’t know how long and just how difficult.
Indeed, the process of transforming the for- mer jute-making complex into a mixed-used property and destination has come complete with a number of challenges, many of them relat- ed to simply making various parts of the complex ready for redevelopment, said Daley, the execu-
tive director of Westmass since 2019.
But, in many respects, the Ludlow Mills rede-
velopment initiative has turned a critical corner, he noted, adding that much of the work to ready specific buildings and the property as a whole for development has now been completed, and the focus, increasingly, is on development.
“We’re certainly at a turning point, where we’re focusing our efforts on redevelopment
as opposed to staying afloat and cleaning the
site — it was a very dirty site back when they
first bought it,” he told BusinessWest, referring
to asbestos and ground contamination. “And there’s still a lot of cleanup left to do, but the focus is shifting from preserving and investing in the cleaning of the site to continuing that clean- ing, which we need to do, but also looking now toward projects that we can invest good dollars in and get good returns from.”
That is certainly the plan, and the hope, with Building 8, or what many refer to as the ‘clock- tower building,’ because it is home to the town’s most recognizable landmark.
With some imaginative financing assistance — Westmass will actually be taking an equity stake in the project — Winn Development will soon proceed with an initiative to transform the property into a 96-unit housing complex with
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  8 SEPTEMBER 5, 2022
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
BusinessWest
 Ludlow at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1774
POPULATION: 21,002
AREA: 28.2 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $19.99
COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $19.99
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $53,244
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $67,797
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Town Council, Representative Town Meeting
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Hampden County House of Correction; Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital; Massachusetts Air National Guard; Kleeberg Sheet Metal Inc.
*Latest information available






























































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