GREENFIELD — The Community Builders, in partnership with the Franklin Community Co-op, MassDevelopment and the city of Greenfield, will host a forum Thursday evening on the redevelopment of the former Wilson’s Department Store.

“This is an opportunity for the community to meet with project stakeholders and learn how we plan to reactivate this landmark downtown building,” said Julia Scannell, development project manager at The Community Builders, the housing partner for the redevelopment effort. “This will be an interactive forum, with the opportunity for the public to view and comment on our plans to bring new life to the Wilson’s building.”

The forum will take place at the John Zon Community Center starting at 6 p.m.

Wilson’s Department Store, which was one of the last independent, family-owned department stores in the country, closed in January 2020, shortly after Kevin O’Neil, former president of the 137-year-old retail store, announced his plans to retire. O’Neil started at Wilson’s in 1981, working his way up to the top position when his father-in-law, Robert S. Reid Jr., retired.

Mark Abramson, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Commercial Upton-Massamont Realtors, previously said the property, which includes the parking lot behind the building and two lots on Chapman Street, was priced at $3.95 million when it officially went on the market.

Mayor Roxann Wedegartner announced in November 2022 that the city worked in partnership with The Community Builders, MassDevelopment and the Franklin Community Co-op in the acquisition of the property. The redevelopment plan for the Main Street property involves relocating and expanding Green Fields Market — which is operated by the Franklin Community Co-op — into the building’s first floor and turning the upper floors into mixed-income rental apartments.

Though the city did not purchase the Wilson’s building, it will invest $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding and $300,000 from the partial sale of a lease governing the Mill House Apartments on Wells Street, as that money is required to be used for affordable housing.

The multimillion-dollar redevelopment project will include 65 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with a blend of workforce and income-adjusted apartments, according to Wedegartner. The redevelopment of the historic property will be financed in part by a combination of federal and state low-income housing tax credits, new market tax credits and historic tax credits, pending approval from state agencies.

Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams described Thursday’s forum as a “meet and greet” with The Community Builders, offering an opportunity for people to speak with developers and view site plans. Adams said there’s been “a lot of discussions” about the Chapman Street area and potential adjustments needed, in terms of parking and loading areas.

She also noted the proposal will soon come before the Historical Commission for a discussion on potentially altering the facade to “reveal the original brick building.”

“It’s a transformational project for downtown Greenfield,” Adams said. “The city stepped in and tried to encourage something to happen there because we knew we couldn’t leave the biggest building in the middle of our Main Street sitting empty long-term.”

Construction of the expanded Green Fields Market on the first floor is expected to begin later this year, with residential construction not beginning until 2025. With a year or more of construction anticipated, it will likely be four or five years before apartments will be available for rent.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne

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