GREENFIELD — With a bid accepted from Oxbow Design Build, Community and Economic Development Director Amy Cahillane is hopeful the long-vacant First National Bank building on Bank Row is one step closer to being used again.
Carl Woodruff, a project manager with Oxbow Design Build, said the project is still in the early concept planning phase, but the accepted bid idea that the team will continue working on is to redevelop the bank into a community food hub and event space.
“Getting this bid awarded allows us to dive deeper,” Woodruff said. “The idea is to create a community food hub and event space. … We’re really trying to see how we support the city’s food systems and dining options.”
Woodruff, a Greenfield resident, said he frequents the Greenfield Farmers Market and has always looked at the bank, which overlooks Court Square, and considered the possibilities. When the city put out its request for proposals, the Oxbow Design Build team had an opportunity to take their dreams for the space and put them on paper.
“We’ve been thinking about the First National Bank for a while. … We’ve been brainstorming what it could be used for for years,” Woodruff said. “What feels important to us is that it’s a community space.”
The city only received one bid in its most recent request for proposals, which is “one more than we got last time,” Cahillane joked. The bid was reviewed by the quasi-public Greenfield Redevelopment Authority based on criteria such as the experience of the bidder and how well the proposal would revitalize the space into a “vibrant community hub.”
Cahillane said she appreciates that Oxbow Design Build plans to work with local nonprofits, and the plan for a food-centered space that can host community events perfectly aligned with potential uses that the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority had been eyeing. Those included retail, a food hall, an indoor marketplace, a makerspace, offices, or an arts and innovation space.
“I couldn’t have dreamt up a better project,” Cahillane said. “It’s exactly what the GRA was hoping for.”
Woodruff described transforming the old bank into a grand food court, with commercial kitchen spaces and large eating and gathering areas.
“We think Greenfield has a lot of opportunity for dining and expanding partnerships with local food systems,” Woodruff said.
Initial renderings of a community food hub and event space Oxbow Design Build is exploring for the former First National Bank building on Bank Row in Greenfield. Credit: CONTRIBUTED 
Initial renderings of a community food hub and event space Oxbow Design Build is exploring for the former First National Bank building on Bank Row in Greenfield. Credit: CONTRIBUTED 
Initial renderings of a community food hub and event space Oxbow Design Build is exploring for the former First National Bank building on Bank Row in Greenfield. Credit: CONTRIBUTED
The former bank could also include spaces for other small businesses, such as a coffee shop/cafe, bar or bookshop. Jean Wall, a member of the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority, said she believes these business spaces are a great inclusion to ensure the company can see a profit off the property.
“I think it’s fantastic, and having separate retailers in there is a great way for them to make money off the property,” Wall said. “I am excited beyond belief that someone wants to take on this project.”
The historic building was built in 1929 and was acquired by the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority in 2017. It has not been operated as a bank since 1976, and still features several elements of its earlier days, including a circular check-writing kiosk, doors to the bank safe and a corner-office fireplace. According to the request for proposals, the First National Bank building offers 6,600 square feet on the ground level and the same amount on the basement level, plus a mezzanine.
The building has an assessed value of $301,900, according to the property card. It is not yet known what Oxbow Design Build will purchase it for.
While much of the original finishing on the interior had been removed and has deteriorated over the years, Woodruff said Oxbow Design Build is committed to incorporating as many historic components as possible. He added that Oxbow plans to reinstall the original clock and maintain the grand open space in the bank.
“There’s a strong historic component, and we’re committed to restoring and incorporating that as much as we can,” Woodruff said. “The space has a very grand open feeling; we really want to work with that as much as possible.”
Woodruff said that, with the bid accepted, Oxbow Design Build will now enter a due diligence period, which is expected to last several months. Finalizing designs for the space will then take an additional one to three years. The property will then be sold to Oxbow, and construction will take approximately a year.
“It’s gonna be a complicated process and we want to do it right,” Woodruff said. “We want this to be a community-centered space. … We appreciate the city making this opportunity available and trusting us.”
“The city is incredibly excited,” Cahillane said, “and hopes the public will give them the time they need.”
