The ‘Depot Square’ Redevelopment project area consists of Depot Square bordered by Appleton Street to Lyman and Race Street, to Main and Bowers Street.  Within the project area there are 14 parcels of vacant land and  8 vacant buildings. The project area is adjacent to many new and important developments.  It is adjacent to the $9 million Canalwalk project of which $5 million has been secured through a federal earmark.  It is adjacent to the new Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, where MIT, Boston University, Harvard, UMASS, Northeastern University, Cisco and EMC have partnered to build a world-class research facility. Each of the colleges are investing $10 million and the State will be investing $25 million. Although the ‘Depot Square’ holds a superior location in the downtown it is fraught with abandonment and blight which has resulted in a lack of development interest from the private sector. The Silvio Conte building is the anchor of this ‘Depot Square’ and it is a blighted, bank-owned vacant building.

The City is working on many initiatives surrounding this area that work to leverage this project.  These activities include the Urban Renewal Plan that is being completed for the entire Center City; the Innovation District Task Force Market Study that is being complete and will examine how to leverage the GHPPC for the City and Region; the Canalwalk that is being completed and will create a 2.1 mile pedestrian path along the historic canals and which is a part of the Connecticut River Greenway; and the Transportation Connections Project that is working to create pedestrian improvements to connect the Holyoke Transportation Center with the future passenger rail.  All of these projects are working together to create a synergy of redevelopment activities in public investment that will support private redevelopment investment projects to create a more sustainable Holyoke.

Major Activities (with responsible party):

1. Development of Requests for Proposals and selection of project consultants.  (City of Holyoke)
2. Engineering and structural analysis of the Silvio Conte Building to bring it up to code.  (consultant to City of Holyoke)
3. Redevelopment scenarios and conceptual drawings of H.H. Richardson train station and Silvio Conte Building by UMASS Architectural and Design students.  (consultant to City of Holyoke)
4. Depot Square development scenarios by UMASS Center for Design & Civic Engagement.  (consultant to City of Holyoke)
5. Depot Square master plan by consultant.  (consultant to City of Holyoke)
6. Design and engineering for a rail station platform and canopy.  (consultant to City of Holyoke)

Products/Outcomes:

1. Engineering and structural analysis report for the Silvio Conte Building
2. Redevelopment scenarios and conceptual drawings of H.H. Richardson train station and Silvio Conte Building
3. Depot Square development scenarios
4. Depot Square master plan report
5. Rail station platform and canopy engineering and design plans