Belchertown Day School purchases land for new 8,600 s/f education center

Belchertown, MA MassDevelopment has completed the sale of a two-acre parcel at 90 Front St. in Carriage Grove to Belchertown Day School, Inc. (BDS), which will build an 8,600 s/f early-childhood education center and after school facility. This land sale coincides with the recent completion of Carriage Dr., a road that opens the Carriage Grove neighborhood for residential, commercial, and industrial uses and realigns Jackson St. to mitigate traffic impact to an established residential neighborhood. 

“MassDevelopment is proud to oversee the development of Carriage Grove from a former state school into a first-rate mixed-use neighborhood,” said MassDevelopment president and CEO Lauren Liss. “The addition of Belchertown Day School, Inc. and the recent completion of Carriage Dr. mark two exciting milestones in our redevelopment efforts, and create momentum toward the build-out of this community.”

Following the Belchertown State School closure in 1992, the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (BEDIC) purchased the Carriage Grove site from the Commonwealth. The main campus of the property contained 400,000 s/f of abandoned buildings and utility tunnels with significant environmental issues that required abatement and demolition. Serving as the BEDIC’s agent, MassDevelopment has worked with the town and the BEDIC since late 2012 to create a development vision and a pre-permitted master plan for the site, as well as implement the necessary demolition and infrastructure improvement program.

“This announcement is a very positive step in the efforts by the BEDIC, MassDevelopment, and the town of Belchertown to rebuild the former Belchertown State School campus,” said Gary Brougham, town administrator. “The new Belchertown Day School, Inc. facility will bring new opportunity to the site, create jobs, and add services to the town and economic returns to offset the significant demolition and infrastructure costs associated with redeveloping this Economic Target Area. Congratulations to Belchertown Day School, Inc., the BEDIC, and MassDevelopment for their ongoing efforts to bring another partner into this mixed-use development.”

“The town has worked very closely with the BEDIC and MassDevelopment to keep the development moving which has supported private real estate investment and created jobs,” said BEDIC chairman William Terry.

BDS currently operates out of leased premises at 432 State St. Construction of its new facility at 90 Front St. is expected to be complete this fall, and was aided by grant funding from the Children’s Investment Fund’s Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund and additional financing from Blue Hub Capital, the Children’s Investment Fund, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Program.

“This new facility will enable Belchertown Day School, Inc. to add a second toddler classroom and offer more days of care to families with school-age children,” said BDS executive director Pat Bruni. “The children, families and staff are very excited about the new school.”