State Senator Adam Gomez, City Councilor Kateri Walsh, STCC President Dr. John Cook, and officials from MassHousing were also in attendance.
Mayor Sarno states, “Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan and I are proud to join with DM Renaissance Development, a minority developer, for this special groundbreaking ceremony to reactivate the long vacant old Kavanagh building on State Street into a mix of commercial space and apartments. The project is funded, in part, thanks from $2.8 million from my administrations ARPA grant funding as part of my 8th round of ARPA announcements back in December 2022. Special thanks to MassMutual Life Initiative, New Valley, MassHousing and other stakeholders for their belief and investment in this capital project.”
Today is an exciting day for the Kavanagh Furniture Building which for so many years stood proudly at the crest of State Street since the late 1930’s. The business itself was testament to two Irish immigrants who started the business in 1873 and they and their family continued to do businesses on this very site from 1890 until 2009. At the time the business closed it was recognized as the oldest business in Springfield.
Today, this building gets the opportunity to be reborn as a mixed-use development project with 35 housing units and roughly 10,000 square feet of active commercial space on the ground floor. The City of Springfield is pleased to support Donald Mitchell and Renaissance Development by committing over $2.8 Million of City ARPA funding for its redevelopment, with an overall development cost of $8.5 Million.
Housing, is critically important to any individual or family’s economic and mental health. Housing, often provides the gateway for access to employment, education, health, and social services. This is why housing is a central part of the City’s economic development agenda and that of Governor Maura Healy’s administration.
The 28,000 square foot building, vacant for 15 years, will be the future home of 35 one/two-bedroom apartment units and approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of rentable office and retail space.
Redevelopment will take place in two phases with the first involving the demolition of the unstable rear portion of the building and renovation of the façade and front lower and street levels. Once completed (slated for Summer 2024), phase one will comprise 10,000 square feet of retail space for several commercial tenants ranging in size and use, coupled with fifteen units of housing, and 43 parking spaces.
Phase two (slated to commence for Winter 2024) will complete twenty additional one- and two-bedroom units throughout the entire second floor. These units will be set-aside as permanent supportive housing units for people who have experienced homelessness. Through partnership with the non-profit MHA, tenants who qualify will receive a variety of support and wraparound services.
Donald Mitchell, Renaissance Development, expressed his excitement for this revitalization of a now vacant, historic commercial property. “We’re moving beyond the successes of the downtown [Springfield] area and bringing exciting new opportunities to another underserved Springfield neighborhood.” Mitchell further highlighted job creation, both temporary during construction and longer term; development of quality housing and support services; and the establishment of an “incubator” for small business, particularly women and minority owned.
Renaissance Development, LLC is a western Massachusetts based real estate development and investment group, specializing in urban redevelopment. Whether you want to build, lease, purchase, or develop commercial real estate, Renaissance Development, LLC’s team of seasoned real estate and property management professionals are ready to help.
Funding for this project was made possible by the generous financial support of the City of Springfield (ARPA), Massachusetts Alliance for Supportive Housing (MASH ARPA), Springfield Community Preservation Committee, MASSHousing, the Life Initiative, Inc., and New Valley Bank.
