Boston Real Estate Professionals Tour Key Sites in Downtown Northampton, Village Hill Northampton

September 22, 2011

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A group of real estate professionals based in the Boston area joined local officials and MassDevelopment staff for a tour of key development sites in Northampton, part of MassDevelopment's ongoing series of charrettes in communities around the Commonwealth. Many developers were impressed with the city's retailers, arts scene, and natural beauty as they visited Village Hill Northampton and saw Smith College and the city's downtown.

“Visiting these different communities around Massachusetts, such as Northampton, shows Boston-based real estate professionals the true gems that exist throughout the Commonwealth,” said MassDevelopment Executive Vice President of Real Estate Richard Henderson.

Those attending the tour viewed townhomes, single-family homes, apartments, and the Coach House, and toured the former male attendants’ building at Village Hill Northampton. Teri Anderson, director of the Northampton Community and Economic Development Office, provided many valuable facts about the city throughout the day and highlighted parcels near downtown Northampton, including the Wireworks building in the Bay State section, the former Honda dealership, and the former Kollmorgen plant.

“The City is pleased to showcase the Village Hill project and the community assets Northampton has to offer,” Anderson said. “We are proud that Village Hill is a smart growth mixed-use commercial and residential community within walking distance to downtown. Northampton offers a sophisticated rural lifestyle rich in cultural, academic, and business resources along with a diverse economic base and a superb quality of life. Northampton has more independent retailers, restaurants, art galleries, and performance halls concentrated in our downtown than any other community west of Cambridge and Boston. An ideal location to live and work, and we are within easy access to Boston and New York City.”

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2011, MassDevelopment financed or managed 277 projects generating investment of nearly $3.7 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create 10,291 jobs (2,507 permanent and 7,784 construction) and 1,350 housing units (336 new and 1,014 rehab).