NY developers to build affordable housing at former Facemate building in Chicopee

Yahoo

29-04-2025

CHICOPEE — The former Facemate property is getting a facelift.
On Monday, a handful of contractors were at work on the property at 75 West Main St., cutting down trees and eyeing blueprints.
The property, which sits on 4 acres, will be redeveloped into 105 mixed-income affordable housing units, to be called the Singing Bridge Residences.
'This property is a part of our River Mills redevelopment project that we've been working on since 2010,' said Lee Pouliot, director of Chicopee's planning department. 'This is another milestone, and we're really excited it's moving forward.'
The site was jointly purchased by Brisa Builders Developers LLC and Sydney Capital Group LLC. Both companies are based in Brooklyn, New York, and work on affordable housing projects.
In a phone interview with The Republican on Monday, Hammad Graham, the manager of Sydney Capital Group LLC, said this is his first affordable housing project in Western Massachusetts.
'I knew the area better than other New York developers and have a vision for the site,' said Graham, who is originally from Springfield.
Graham is also the manager of BD Singing Bridge LLC, the subsidiary he used to purchase the property for $438,890, according to the deeds.
The developers are borrowing $37.3 million from MassHousing, which provides financing to affordable housing projects across the commonwealth, for the rehabilitation of the former industrial complex.
The housing project will offer 16 studios, 21 one-bedroom apartments, 57 two-bedroom apartments and 11 three-bedroom apartments, according to a statement from MassHousing.
The building, which is one of the 'largest ground-up mixed-income properties' in Western Massachusetts, Graham said, is being constructed to meet green standards, meaning it is environmentally friendly.
'We will approach net-zero annual energy use as a fully electric building,' said Graham. The building also will include a community kitchen and lounge, an outdoor patio space overlooking the river, laundry facilities and a small commercial space, the statement said.
Housing construction is set to be completed by summer 2027.
The property, which is next to the Chicopee River, is the third project that the city has undertaken to revitalize the Chicopee Falls area, said Pouliot. The first two were the River Mills Senior Center and an assisted living facility down the road.
Access to public transportation is a key factor of the project, Pouliot explained. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has bus stops near the building, and it's also near Chicopee center, only 2 miles away.
'We're actively expanding the riverwalk,' he said.
The apartment building also will have parking for vehicles and bicycles.
The remaining parts of the property include separate proposals for an indoor sports facility, a brewery and an office space, the MassHousing statement said.
The project is also a low-income housing tax credit development, having received $31.6 million in state and federal funding.
It also received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Citizens Bank and nearly $1 million in grant funding from the city.
Prior to the sale, the city owned Facemate for 15 years. It was a part of a collection of parcels taken on by the city after there was no longer a need for factories and manufacturing sites.
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Read the original article on MassLive.
Read the original article on MassLive.
Read the original article on MassLive.
Read the original article on MassLive.