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Military houses will increase tax rolls |
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This is one of the five single-family homes, formerly known as "General's Row," that was transferred from the federal government to the city of Chicopee. The transfer also included 120 duplex housing units. The city plans to find developers to renovate and market the properties into market rate housing.
Reminder Publication photo by G. Michael Dobbs
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April 27, 2011
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
CHICOPEE — One year from now, Mayor Michael Bissonnette anticipates that at least part of the former Naval housing stock outside the perimeter of Westover Air Reserve Base will be available as market rate housing.
Bissonnette told Reminder Publications the 120 duplex units and the five single-family homes were transferred to the city by the federal government at no charge, other than an environmental study that cost the city $201,000. That cost will be recouped with the sale of the five single-family homes, he added.
The five single-family homes will be offered as a package to real estate developers through a Request for Proposals that was also issued last week.
There will be an open house to mark the transfer on May 6.
The mayor said in handling the redevelopment of the duplexes, the first job would be to subdivide the yards to sell the units as single-family housing.
He said he would require any development for the duplexes to be "consistent" with the other housing units in the area. He wants to avoid any low-income housing and said his idea would be a community for people 55 years old and older.
Not having low-income housing would minimize the impact the new housing stock and its residents have on the city's schools, Bissonnette explained.
The duplexes are in "remarkably good shape," Bissonnette said. He added the single-family homes might be viewed as "fixer-uppers," although much of the work that has to be done may be cosmetic. He explained military officials did much to maintain the building.
Bissonnette acknowledged the redevelopment of the duplexes might take longer than the single-family homes, but once they are sold would add $1 million of property to the tax rolls.
In a sale that was concurrent with the transfer of the homes, the city will receive $400,000 for 6.5 acres of land near the base. Bissonnette intends to add that sum to the city's stabilization funds.
"It's a financial boost to the rainy day fund," he said.
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