GREENFIELD — It’s still unclear when construction will begin again on two properties on the Mohawk Trail.
Greenfield’s Planning and Development Director Eric Twarog said Shardool Parmar, the man who owns hotels throughout the Pioneer Valley (Hadley, Springfield and Ludlow) and the property that formerly housed the Rodeway Inn on the Mohawk Trail, received the special permit he needed a couple of years ago to build a 90-room hotel — a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott — and 8,500 square feet of retail space. He then received an extension on that special permit so that he now has until December 2021 to begin construction on the estimated $14 million project.
Parmar razed the former Rodeway Inn, which had been used to house homeless families from about 2014 to 2016, but then construction came to an abrupt halt. Still, late last year, Parmar, who could not be reached for comment this week, said he was “still committed” to building a hotel there. At the time, he said the project had “hit a few snags,” but nothing would stop the project completely.
“The special permit would have expired this year if he didn’t get the extension,” Twarog said. “The pandemic had an impact, like it has on everything, on him getting financing, and his tenants who wanted to move in there backed out for the same reason.”
Twarog said Parmar will have to find new tenants and a way to finance construction. He said the city will remain in touch with Parmar to follow his progress and plans.
If the special permit extension expires next year, Twarog said Parmar would have to start over with a major development review with the Planning Board.
“He could ask for another extension, if he doesn’t let the current one expire,” he explained. “He could also do things in stages. If he started construction on the property, no matter how much, he wouldn’t have to obtain an extension or start over.”
Twarog said there also hasn’t been any activity on the site of what originally was supposed to be where Athens Pizza on Main Street in Greenfield was going to move to.
“We haven’t heard anything about it,” he said.
The owner of Athens Pizza could not be reached for comment this week.
“Athens has done all it needs to do at this point,” Twarog said. “The Conservation Commission allowed a redo of the building.”
Twarog said the former building, which had housed a detailing shop at one point and a linoleum store at another, was razed to the foundation and rebuilt.
Currently, it sits unoccupied, and the windows and doors are boarded up. There has been no activity there since before the pandemic hit.
“The city will be contacting the owner to see what they plan to do there,” he said. “We’ll have to follow up with them to make sure whatever they decide to put there meets the parking requirements and other regulations.”
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.