First floor of Test A concept by Utile Design for Elm St. Urban Renewal Plan.
WESTFIELD- The Westfield Redevelopment Authority (WRA) voted unanimously Thursday morning at City Hall to go public with the Request for Interest (RFI) for the Elm Street Urban Renewal Plan (URP).
The WRA is seeking investors for a possible building in the location of the parking area next to the PVTA station on Elm Street. Previously, the WRA had proposed a four-story building that would be a mixed use of residential and commercial spaces.
Jeff Daley, founder of CJC Development Advisors, LLC said that a developer from Boston took a tour of the site with him and said it may not be an easy project. He said that if the city were to consider putting affordable housing there, it would be easier because there would be more guaranteed money and guaranteed returns of investment.
“His final comment to me was that he would be surprised if the city got any responses just because it’s such a difficult urban development to do without serious incentives from the city and the state,” said Daley.
In last month’s meeting, Daley noted that there did not seem to be overwhelming excitement among possible investors at the developers preview. At the time, Daley said a couple of people had expressed interest in the project but that they would have to check their finances first.
Community Development Director Peter J. Miller said that if subsidized housing is the route they end up going, they should advise people to be aggressive with their requests for subsidies.
“If that’s the only way to get responses, if there is a need for subsidies, I would rather get responses that say how the project does work rather than not get responses and get no real feedback,” said Miller, adding that the WRA should not be scared away from investors that ask for too much.
Daley said he believes that the projected costs for development and rental were not calculated with Westfield’s market data in mind. He also urged against committing to certain incentives for developers, because the WRA does not have the authority to give them.
“People from the eastern part of the state live in a different economy than we do,” said Miller, “What works in Brockton doesn’t work in Westfield. What works in Lawrence doesn’t work in Westfield.”
Miller said towns in eastern Massachusetts would have to subsidize about 25 percent of a similar project, while in western Massachusetts it may have be subsidized close to 35 or 40 percent.
WRA board member Kathleen Witalisz said that she is seeing mixed reactions among people about the project.
“I’m not getting that warm and fuzzy feeling that we should go out there and promote this and get this going,” said Witalisz, “and yet I’m also hearing that we’ve got people that have called and inquired.”
Witalisz said there seems to be some interest, but the issue is how they have been going about the process. She believes that they have not effectively showcased the site for what it could really become.
Daley noted that in his conversations with developers, the problem seems to be the concept of urban development itself, rather than Westfield being an unattractive location.
“At some point in time there will be an opportunity here,” said Witalisz, “It’s just that we have to be positive, know that we have a good project, know that we have done our due diligence to get it to the point where it is right now, and know that between the city’s desire to see movement and growth in the downtown Westfield we will have a viable project in a short period of time.”
Following the vote, Miller will now go public with the RFI beginning next Wednesday.
The project is being proposed thanks to a technical assistance grant of $50,000 from MassDevelopment last summer. The WRA contracted with Boston architects and urban planners Utile Design to study the city block and utilization of parking. The current plan is to design and build a mixed-use residential and commercial building on the Elm Street lot next to the PVTA bus station, however, Witalisz said in past meetings that it could be subject to change.
