WESTFIELD – A feasibility study for Westfield, conducted by a group of architects, community planners, and civil engineers from greater Boston, was released, with three potential development options for the riverfront section of the city which officials hope will continue the city’s downtown renaissance.
The 119-page study, was conducted by Paul Lukez Architecture of Somerville, McCabe Enterprises of Boston, and the Pare Corporation of Foxborough.
“This feasibility study provides us with a solid starting point so that we can begin discussions about how best to plan development on this site,” said Peter Miller, community development director for the city of Westfield.
Following the completion of the Great River Bridge Project in 2012, the feasibility study was hatched in an effort to evaluate the best possible uses for 4.21 acre parcel of riverfront space.
Focusing the study on the potential development of mixed-use development and recreational opportunities, the study views this section of the city as a “gateway to downtown Westfield”, and looks to rehab some existing buildings in the area, building new in-fill developments, as well as utilizing the presence of nearby recreational areas such as the Columbia Greenway and Westfield River Trails, which run alongside the site, and Whitney Field, the seventeen acre riverfront park seated less than three football fields west of the site.
All three proposals look to provide easy bus access on the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority’s route 10 and 23 buses.
“The report provides us with a very candid assessment of the challenges we will face attracting investment to this area,” said Miller.
The first of the three proposals, called “The Neighborhood In-Fill”, looks to be more of a recreation-based approach, with considerable space given to space designated as “recreation/cultural”, which will house the Westfield Whip Manufacturing Company museum, as well as space for a residential campus and another lot for mixed use.
At a prospective cost of around $13 million, the first approach would utilize 56,345 square feet of space, complete with 39 housing units to go with 114 surface and residential garage parking spaces.
A second approach, titled “The Village”, looks to leave more space for the development of a “village campus” further from the bridge, while still alotting space for recreation and another for cultural ammenities running parallel.
With a price tage of just over $16 million, “The Village: would have slightly less square footage at 52,760, housing units (30) and surface parking lots (109).
The third approach, “The Gateway”, would create a west-facing campus for residents which would insulate an open space green. This approach would also look to utilize the remaining land on the parcel for mixed use and recreation.
At $47 million and 126,173 square feet, the third approach is the most striking of the three potential setups, and features 51 housing units and 225 spaces in both surface and structural parking.
“We’ve begun, with the assistance of an EPA grant through the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, an environmental assessment on the site to quantify the level of contamination we would have to address should we move forward,” said Miller
“It’s going to be a long road, but this report provides us with some guidance and a starting line,” he said.
