Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts on the banks of the
Green River, Cable Mills is the adaptive reuse of the former General Cable
factory. This undertaking seeks to convert a historic but
blighted property to new economic uses, as well as improving public
access to the river. The development team is a joint venture
between Keen Development Corporation and Pittsfield-based
Berkshire Housing Development Corporation who have successfully
collaborated in the past on housing in Berkshire County.
The Cable Mills site has a long history of industrial use,
starting with the manufacture of twine by the A. Loop Company in
1873. After that company folded in 1883, the site was dormant for
nearly ten years until the Boston Finishing Company opened a
bleaching and dyeing business. The company substantially expanded
the physical plant until it also closed in 1906. The mills
reopened in 1912, housing the Boyd Corduroy Company, further
expanding the complex until forced out of business by the Great
Depression. Cornish Wire acquired the mills in 1936 for the
manufacture of wire and cable products, which continued under
various company names for the next 40+ years. General Cable
Industries, Inc. bought the complex in 1984 and fabricated wire
insulation until it ceased operations in the late 1990's. Cable
Mills LLC acquired the site in 2003.
The joint venture has master planned this site for 83 for-sale
homes through rehabilitation of the existing structures and through
new construction infill. This master plan was warmly embraced by
the town, which approved a very friendly Chapter 40B rezoning.
The first phase will create 64 condominiums in the historic mills
and the second phase will construct 19 duplex cottages on the river
as well as a 12,000 square foot commercial building. Nineteen of
these homes are reserved for households earning 80% or less of the
area median income.
The Cable Mills masterplan
Selective demolition and site cleanup is underway as of the
fall, 2005, with an expected construction start in spring,
2006. The first homes are expected to be ready for occupancy in
the spring of 2007. A complete Cable Mills website with photos,
floor plans, and more will be available later this summer. For more
information, please contact Lisa Wright of Berkshire Housing at
lwright@berkshirehousing.com.
Development Team
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