ATHOL — Renovations to convert the former Riverbend and Bigelow schools into mixed-income and senior housing are scheduled to begin in early 2025.
On the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, Project Manager James Linfield and NewVue Communities Executive Director Marc Dohan provided an update to Athol’s Selectboard about the Riverbend/Bigelow housing project. Dohan announced that with the project’s financing now secured, construction on the former schools will commence in early 2025.
NewVue Communities, a nonprofit community development corporation based in Fitchburg, has been collaborating with the town for several years to bring the project to fruition. The organization responded to a Request For Proposals (RFP) issued by the town in 2019, following an initial RFP in 2016 that failed to attract potential developers.
Dohan provided an overview of the local housing market, emphasizing the importance of the Riverbend/Bigelow project in addressing the housing needs of Athol, one of the five largest communities in NewVue’s planning area, which extends from Athol to Harvard and Groton, according to the Athol Daily News. He highlighted that average single-family home prices in Athol rose from $170,000 in 2018 to $285,000 by late 2023, while the number of homes sold each year remained steady, with just over 150 homes sold last year.
Rent in Athol has also seen a significant increase, with the fair market cost of a typical two-bedroom unit rising nearly 60% since 2018. The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom unit was $922 in 2018, projected to reach $1,462 by 2025, according to statistics Dohan cited from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“So now is a good time for housing to come online. We’re in a good position to do that now,” Dohan said during the Selectboard meeting. Adding, “The project is now fully-funded. In [2023] we received special funding from the office of Congressman Jim McGovern for $1 million that really helped propel the project forward. We’ve also been trying to keep the building both from deteriorating and connected to the community through a special program with the schools, where they produced some art to place over the windows [at Riverbend].”
Dohan outlined the project’s impact upon completion, explaining, “This is what we will become. Fifty-three units: 20 one-bedroom, 24 two-bedroom, and three nine-bedroom units. About 20 of those apartments will be for seniors, 33 will be for families. There will be a wide range of incomes in the rent. The approximate rental range will be from about $1,065 to around $1,888.”
He also detailed the acquisition and construction timeline, “We plan to officially acquire the schools in January 2025 in line with the agreement we signed with the town. We hope to close in January, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that slipped to February. The state has a lot of closings that they’re doing right at the end of the year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that slipped a little bit. Construction will start sometime during the first quarter of 2025, and completion and move-in will be sometime in the second quarter of 2026.”
Board member Rebecca Bialecki expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating, “I’m just really thrilled to see the project and know that we’re ready to go. This is desperately needed housing for the area. And the reuse of that property is really critical to that whole neighborhood. It will really change things up there.”
Project Manager James Linfield echoed the positive sentiment, adding, “We are very excited to move forward. I also want to point out that the town has been amazing. Anytime I’m here, usually asking for something or with my hand out, people have been very responsive – every department. Our team – the architects the contractors – were very pleased that the town has been that responsive. We’ve been able to solve problems before they become problems.”
In addition to renovating the two existing school buildings, a third structure connecting the schools will be constructed to accommodate senior housing and community space. The project is being funded primarily through a combination of state and federal tax credits, with additional funds from grants, loans, and $400,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds received by Athol during the COVID pandemic.
