Posted on November 30, 2016
MIDDLEBORO --- In its heyday, the three-story wood-framed shoe factory on Peirce Street stood proudly next to the neighborhood’s single-family homes, employing a hundred workers, some of whom walked to work every day to make a living so they could feed their families.
As the shoe industry faded from Middleboro and many other working class towns across Massachusetts, the factory was sold to a company that made calendars, and again, a few years later, to Bay State Specialty, a company that sells everything from pill trays to rubber jar openers to silicone spatulas with your company name on them.
By 2001, Bay State had moved to Lakeville and the building was boarded up and left empty except for the housing developers, who came in with good intentions but could never seem to get the numbers to work.
Given this backdrop, it’s understandable why town officials were so effusive in their praise for the Shoe Shop Place at grand opening ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 10. Fifteen years after it had been shuttered, the building and a part of the town’s history had finally been saved.
“My mother used to work here so it’s great to see how it’s been converted from an eyesore into affordable housing,” said Diane Stewart, chair of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen. “Anybody who knows Middleboro knows we lack affordable housing so I’m very glad that were able to create this beautiful building and housing for the residents of the town. I’ve been inside and the apartments are beautiful and I was particularly excited to see that some of the units are handicapped accessible.”
“Shoe Shop Place is a true small town success story,” added Judy Bigelow-Costa, a board member of the town’s economic development nonprofit as well as The Neighborhood Corporation (TNC), the Taunton-based non-profit that co-developed the housing. “What was once a vibrant shoe factory and symbol of Middleboro’s working class character has been reborn.”
Shoe Shop Place was co-developed by TNC and the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing Inc., an East Boston-based nonprofit that has developed 300 units of affordable housing in East Boston, Everett, Beverly, Holliston, Carlisle, North Andover, Webster, and now Middleboro.
Shoe Shop Place features 25 affordable apartments for households at or below 60 percent of area median income. There are four one-bedroom, 18 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom. Two of the units are handicapped accessible.
A combination of federal, state, private and local support made Shoe Shop possible. The bulk of the financing was provided through federal and state housing tax credits awarded by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The state also provided historic tax credits as well as an $815,000 grant from its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is administered by MassHousing.
“Much of what we invest in and what gets built is for working families,” said Chrystal Kornegay, DHCD’s executive director. “We have to make sure that we maintain socio-economic diversity in our communities so that they continue to be places where working families can succeed.”
Bank of America provided construction financing and is the tax credit investor. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) provided the Project Eligibility Letter, which the developers needed in order to apply to the town for a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit, which allowed them to build multifamily housing in a neighborhood zoned for single-family homes. In addition, MHP is providing $1.6 million in permanent financing from its $1.1 billion bank-funded loan pool, which has now financed over 22,000 units of rental housing, including the 36 units at Middleboro’s Residences at the Groves.
“We are so proud to be part of this extraordinary team that worked together to transform this factory into beautiful homes for many families,” said MHP Senior Relationship Manager Nancy McCafferty, who first approached TNC about supporting their Ch. 40B application back in 2010. “Congratulations to NOAH and TNC for making this happen as well as the Town of Middleboro for its tremendous support.”
In addition to approving the Ch. 40B permit, the town also chipped in with $40,000 in Community Preservation Act funds. The Greater Attleboro HOME Consortium also supported Shoe Shop with $100,000 in federal HOME funds.
“We are grateful to the town for being such a strong supporter,” said Phil Giffee, NOAH’s executive director and the master of ceremonies at the grand opening. “The people who live here could be people who work in the local stores and people that work for the town. What you get out of a project like this is the restoration of an historic property, a building with good management, the creation of a number of jobs, and we pay taxes. So it’s no longer a blight on the neighborhood. It’s a good living space for residents and it is revenue for the town.”
For more information about Shoe Shop Place and MHP’s financing options, contact:
- Nancy McCafferty, Senior Relationship Manager, 857-317-8556 or nmccafferty@mhp.net
- David Rockwell, Director of Lending, 857-317-8550 or drockwell@mhp.net