GREENFIELD — The medical marijuana dispensary moving into the former American Legion building behind Green Fields Market will open later than expected due to extensive repairs that have to be made to the building.
Dennis Kunian, spokesman for Patriot Care Corp., which will run the dispensary, said the nonprofit plans to open some time before the end of the year, with delivery service potentially becoming available before then. Originally, Patriot Care had hoped to open last fall, but that date was pushed to Feb. 1 because of the renovations that had to be made, and because the nonprofit’s cultivation facility had to be relocated from South Hadley to Lowell.
“The building was in a terrible state of disrepair and it took really a horrible beating over the winter of last year and this year,” Kunian said. “It’s just a tremendous amount of work that has to be done and we’re still pricing out a lot of different options for how we’re going to build it out.”
He said Patriot Care, which owns the building, has already put in new windows and is currently doing remediation work to remove asbestos.
“There were a lot of frost heaves on the bottom floor,” he added. “It was like mountain climbing, so we’re in the process of getting all that straightened away.”
Kunian said he isn’t able to give an estimate of what the repairs will cost at this time, but said it’s far beyond what the nonprofit had planned on. Although it’s been a challenge, he said Patriot Care has been able to work through the problems.
“The people of Franklin County — especially the people of Greenfield — need this service and we are going to make sure we’re going to make it happen,” he said.
Patriot Care has already signed a host agreement with Greenfield that will benefit the town, veterans, the elderly and other local nonprofits. It includes a promise to contribute $10,000 to the Greenfield Education Foundation and to pay $25,000 a year in lieu of taxes — 50 percent of which will support local drug abuse prevention, treatment and education programs veterans organizations, local food pantries and more.
The agreement also includes Patriot Care’s commitment to give priority to local businesses for its heating and air-conditioning needs, trash and waste removal, flooring and carpeting, phone systems, plumbing and other services.
Kunian said the dispensary has the permits it needs to operate but will undergo permitting for occupancy as well as state and local inspections as the repairs progress.
You can reach Aviva Luttrell at: aluttrell@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 268
On Twitter: @AvivaLuttrell