Posted on December 1, 2015
GARDNER --- Of all the guests who came to the grand opening of The Lofts at 30 Pine, the most interesting ones to listen to were the ones who grew up in Gardner, the ones who could remember when these brick buildings were the lifeblood of the city and the home of Heywood-Wakefield Furniture.
"I remember when I was growing up hearing the whistles blow at noon meaning it was lunch time and I remember coming down here and seeing all the workers coming outside with their lunch pails," said Rachel Stephano, executive assistant to Mayor Mark P. Hawke. "My dad and uncle came up here from Philadelphia to work in 1936. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this place. Everyone in Gardner has a link to this place."
Stephano knows those days are long gone - Heywood-Wakefield closed its operations here in 1979 - but she and other locals in attendance seemed pleased that the place that holds so many memories has been rehabilitated into 55 affordable apartments.
The Lofts at 30 Pine is the fourth phase of a 35-year effort to transform one of the largest furniture factories in the world from vacant buildings into housing in downtown Gardner. This final phase consists of 12 one-, 36 two- and 7 three-bedroom apartments. All told, the Heywood-Wakefield urban renewal effort has resulted in 401 mixed-income apartments for families, 78 assisted living units and 48,000 square feet of commercial space.
The Lofts at 30 Pine was developed by EAFish Development with a mixture of public and private funds. It was financed primarily with federal and state housing and historic tax credits. Raymond James purchased both the historic and housing tax credits.
Additional public funding was provided by the state Department of Housing and Community Development, the state's Affordable Housing Trust Fund (administered by MassHousing) and the City of Gardner.
TD Bank provided construction financing. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) is using its bank-funded loan pool to provide a $1.8 million permanent loan.
"We congratulate the City of Gardner, EA Fish and its partners for a job well done," said MHP Director of Lending David Rockwell at grand opening ceremonies on Nov. 17. "We are excited to be a part of this effort to reclaim a symbol of Gardner's history and transform it into an asset that will serve the city and its residents for years to come."
In its heyday, Heywood-Wakefield was famous for initiating mechanized production and for pioneering trends in wicker and rattan furniture in the 1930s, and later designs based on French Art Deco.
In grand opening ceremonies before a tour of the building, EAFish Managing Director Matthew Mittlestadt said the old furniture factory would continue its stylish reputation, predicting visitors would be "blown away" by the interior design of the building. "It's the best we've ever done," he said.
Local residents seemed to agree as they toured the lobby area and apartments that featured a mix of modern furniture and lighting with exposed wooden beams and bricks from the old days. When they weren't complimenting staff on how the building turned out, they were looking at old factory pictures in the hallways or remembering where machines used to be.
"It's wonderful that these buildings have been reawakened as they have an incredible story to tell," said Stephano. "The retention of so much of the building's original woodwork and brickwork is remarkable. I'm sure my Dad is smiling."
For more information about this development and MHP's financing options, contact Senior Relationship Manager Nancy McCafferty at nmccafferty@mhp.net.