Shovelshop Apartment Construction May Begin In October

The Easton Board of Selectmen passed several motions unanimously to move forward on the Ames Shovel Works approximately $43 million apartment project on Monday, Aug. 15. 

Howard Cohen, CEO of the developer Beacon Communities LLC, came before the board and announced that the architectural designs are finished. Cohen said they will be meeting with the Easton Historic Commission soon as well as submitting the designs to meet state and federal design standards.

He estimated the project to take 18 months and they will begin to move in residents in the spring of 2013. Currently, Beacon Communities LLC only has a Purchase and Sale Agreement, they will be closing on the sale on Oct. 17 and beginning construction soon after.

Cohen added, “The Historical Commission will review them fully in September”.

He stated that the Massachusetts Department of Housing Communities Development awarded state and federal low income house tax credits to the development. The National Park Service oversees historical sites in the U.S. and has been approving the designs as they move along.

Cohen said there will be seven buildings throughout the campus with no common areas.  He added that the condo fees will take care of building maintenance and the open space once the town allows them to be sold as condos in five years.

Cohen said the Bank of America is fully on board to finance the construction portion of the project. He said projected closing on the planning stages of the project will end in October and, “construction will begin immediately after.”

He added, “We will work as much as can through the winter”.

Colleen Corona, chair of the board of selectmen, said the Tax Incremental Financing  (TIF) agreement lasts for the next 10 years and during that time none of the condos may be sold, only rented, which works out well for Easton tax revenue.  “As part of the package, we approved a tax break on that property,” said Corona after the meeting.

She said the project has been in the works for two years. She said, “Those are the oldest factory buildings in the country”.  Corona added that they are on National Historical Registry. Shovel Works is where shovels were made during the Civil War and to aid in building railroads across the U.S.  “The town of Easton was built around that factory. It really is the heart of our community,” she said.