Editor’s note: To mark the start of a new year, the Greenfield Recorder is publishing stories about what Franklin County residents can likely expect to see happening in their towns in 2025.

New phases of ongoing projects involving infrastructure, municipal positions and redevelopment of vacant sites are on the horizon in Montague, Gill and Erving in 2025.

Montague

Town Administrator Walter Ramsey said Montague is entering the new year with strong financial health.

“The community is in a good position to continue investing in revitalizing infrastructure, our village centers, and our parks and open spaces,” Ramsey said.

One of the major projects that will enter a new phase in 2025 is the redevelopment of the former Strathmore mill complex at 20 Canal St., with demolition of the mill anticipated for the summer of 2025.

In 2024, the project received a major boost from both federal and state grants, with $4.92 million coming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and another $5 million from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for demolition and site redevelopment. Ramsey noted that the bid for demolition will go out sometime in the spring.

The demolition project will be a milestone for the Strathmore mill complex, which Montague acquired for redevelopment in February 2010.

Another ongoing project that Ramsey mentioned is the rezoning of the former Farren Care Center property on Montague City Road. The site, currently zoned as the Central Business District, would be rezoned to allow for both housing and commercial use. In October 2024, the town received a $62,000 state grant that allows for exploration of “possible zoning amendments necessary to redevelop the parcel in support of residential and non-residential uses,” according to Montague’s grant announcement.

As for new recreational opportunities, the Montague Center playground will be finished in 2025, with substantial progress already made. According to the Montague Parks & Recreation Department, the playground set is complete with a walkway paved, benches installed and an information billboard erected as of mid-December. The revamped park is expected to open in June.

RiverCulture Director Suzanne LoManto said cultural events in Montague are gearing up for 2025 as well, mentioning specifically the return of the Montague Shakespeare Festival with exclusive Zoom workshops starting in January, along with another opportunity for public art with a wheatpaste mural project. The murals are planned to be installed in May, then removed in September.

Gill

As the town enters the new year, the Gill Elementary School roof replacement project formally began on Jan. 2, following a December Special Town Meeting where voters approved the use of $50,000 to fund a feasibility study and schematic design.

This is the start of a project that the town has been eyeing since 2017, and Town Administrator Ray Purington said 2025 will be a planning year as this multi-year project starts.

“Projects don’t happen overnight,” Purington said of the roof. “[It’s] definitely a methodical process that gets followed, and we’re just beginning to learn and understand how that’s going to play out for our project.”

There will be some transition in the emergency services in Gill with the departure of longtime Fire Chief Gene Beaubien on Jan. 27. Purington said Beaubien has served as fire chief since 2001, and was able to extend his service as chief after turning 65 years old thanks to Special Town Meeting approval in 2019. Purington said as Gill is one of the only municipalities in the state with a board of fire engineers, the board will recommend a new chief, and he anticipates that transition will be solidified before Jan. 27.

Gill will also see the departure of longtime Selectboard member Randy Crochier this year. Crochier announced during a Nov. 18 meeting of the Selectboard that he would not seek reelection after serving for more than a decade. Purington said Crochier had indicated to him that he completed many of his goals as a Selectboard member, noting the French King Bridge barrier installation was an important project for him.

Gill will also have some additions to town government, including a five-member Sewer Commission that will help give residents within the Riverside neighborhood a better say in the workings of the system that impacts their sewer rates. Existing positions within town government are also being examined as part of a wage and classification study by the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management as it continues into 2025, and the treasurer’s position will be transitioned from elected to appointed.

Erving

Construction and personnel are the name of the game for Erving in 2025.

Town Administrator Bryan Smith said there will be progress on replacement of the Church Street Bridge in 2025, with the bridge entering the 100% design phase in October, according to the state Department of Transportation’s project page. Construction is anticipated to start in 2025 to replace the bridge.

Progress will also continue on the Swamp Road Bridge, with a 25% design phase expected to be completed this year, with construction in a few years time.

Another large-scale project entering a new phase is Route 2 from Farley east to Mountain Road. MassDOT plans to host a 25% project design hearing early in 2025 to engage the public and show refined designs for upgrades to the road. These improvements on the roadway are a “good milestone,” Smith said.

The ongoing affordable housing project at Care Drive in Erving is pushing forward as well. In November, Rural Development Inc. (RDI), a nonprofit created by the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority that is handling the $15.6 million housing proposal, received $227,553 in predevelopment funding for the affordable housing project — the greatest amount of funding for the project thus far.

The plan is to build 26 units of housing, including age-restricted senior housing for those 62 and up, while also providing multi-generational workforce housing in two other buildings. Residents will likely be able to move into the completed housing complex between 2028 and 2029.

“This is a huge project for us,” Smith said of the affordable housing project.

As the new year starts, Smith said the town is in contact with state legislators, including Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Susannah Whipps, about organizing a site visit at Care Drive to drum up support for the project. Additionally, the town plans to start appealing to the governor for support. Smith mentioned that Erving has no affordable housing or senior housing for residents to age in place, and this would offer those residents an option to stay in the town they know and take pride in.

As for the former International Paper Mill, the planned demolition has had delays throughout 2024, but plans to revisit it with MassDevelopment. Financing has been a large roadblock to progress, with the town having only $600,000 from a MassDevelopment grant at its disposal, when the complete demolition would cost millions.

Regarding personnel, the town is in the process of filling the vacant town planner position through a screening committee, and the principal assessor position currently held by Jacquelyn Boyden will be open at the end of 2025.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.