Greylock Mill Project Awarded 2 USDA GrantsStaff Reports,
02:38PM / Thursday, October 22, 2015 | |
 The Weave Shed at the Greylock Mill is being redeveloped into a local foods production facility. The project recently received grants for a cheese cave and for training and marketing. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The owners of the Greylock Mill and city and regional development officials will be announcing nearly $200,000 in private and public funding next Tuesday toward the creation of a local foods production facility.
Latent Productions, an architectural and development firm out of New York City, purchased the century-plus mill this past summer as Greylock Works with the intention to transform it into a local produce market and processing facility, condominiums and a hotel.
The first phase is to be focused on the promotion of local food resources by transforming the former Weave Shed of the old textile mill into spaces for food production, sales and related events.
The project recently received two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through two of its partners — 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance Inc. and the city of North Adams.
The first, through 1Berkshire, will provide $75,000 in Strategic Economic Community Development Priority monies for the construction of a cheese affinage, or cave, at the mill. The second, through the city, is for $98,900 for the Western Massachusetts Craft Food Enterprise Community and Greenmarket. Those funds, and another $34,025 being matched by Greylock Works, will be used for training, technical assistance, outreach, marketing and distribution for craft food entrepreneurs.
Michael Nuvallie of the city's Community Development Office, said the USDA Food & Marketing program is only available through municipalities.
"Essentially, we're acting as a conduit," he said. "It's very similar to what the city did years ago when [Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art] developed the former Sprague Research and Development building."
Developer Latent Productions will sign a guaranty obligating it to cover the match grant. The city will be held harmless.
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