Maplewood Renaissance
Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff

PITTSFIELD -- Climbing a creaky 175-year-old staircase, Beth Pearson peers through the dust of the past, and from underneath her blue hard hat she can see the future. By transforming what used to be the dilapidated Maplewood Apartments building into 18 luxury condominiums, she also is building a testimonial to its elegant past as a resort hotel and educational institution.

With sounds of construction all around her and crumbs of ancient wallboard under her boots, Pearson's nervous excitement betrays her professional description of this monumental project.

$4 million renovation

The $4 million renovation is one of the projects that city officials point to as an indication of Pittsfield's urban rebirth. Ironically, it also has served as a catalyst for a rebirth of Pearson's life as a marketing manager for General Electric's plastics division into a full-time developer.

In 2004, when Pearson first toured the Maplewood apartment building on Maplewood Avenue, it had been vacant for about two years. Previously, it had housed apartments since the late 1930s.

It was pretty rundown, and there were personal items of previous trespassers, but through all that, Pearson saw potential.

"My initial thought was high-end apartments," she said. At the time, she was in the process of renovating another Pittsfield building on Bradford into high-end apartments.

"The Maplewood had a nice footprint, and a beautiful parklike setting, and I knew this city has a need for luxury living that is not being addressed," she said.

Brought in partner

But because of the enormity of the investment, she needed to partner with another developer, one who shared this vision. She brought in Kevin Bette, president of First Columbia LLC, a property development firm in Latham, N.Y.

"(The building) didn't look very good," Bette said. "But as we walked through, I realized how unique it is to find a structure of that quality, of that age, with such a historical nature and location. It was really a diamond in the rough."

Bette suggested high-end condos, and after Pearson's firm, Grace LLC, and First Columbia formed the Grace FCA partnership, they sought local funding.

They arranged traditional commercial financing through Berkshire Bank. "Berkshire is a competent lender, and we like dealing with local folks," Bette said.

They purchased the 1.3-acre property and building for $650,000. "It was a great opportunity," Pearson said.

They redesigned the building's interior to upgrade the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical and phone systems, and to install high speed Internet connectivity. Plans call for an elevator, the renovation of the original stairway and the installation of a second stairway.

The three floors have been divided into 18 one- and two-bedroom units and will sell for between $150,000 and $400,000.

Completion next spring

Pearson left her position with GE in March to work on this project full time. The groundbreaking was in June, and she expects the project to be completed in March 2006.

The first nine units will be done and ready for occupancy in November.

Using print ads and some direct-mail marketing, Pearson said, reaction to the concept has been good. She said she and her partner hope to attract buyers in the executive and management levels -- second-home owners, empty nesters and professionals.

Given the product, Pearson doesn't think it will be hard to attract buyers. There already have been 35 serious inquiries since June, she noted. And one large local company is even considering housing one or more of its executives at the Maplewood.

"There is lots of classic architectural detail that will show through," Pearson said. "People have the chance to own a piece of American history in a condo setting and, at the same time, enjoy the cultural richness of the Berkshires with the convenience of city living."

And there is plenty of history attributed to the site. Donna Kasuba is a local historical consultant who researched the history of the property for Pearson.

Her research showed that, before the Maplewood was constructed in 1824, the property served as a military barracks and prisoner-of-war camp during the War of 1812.

The existing building was one of four structures that became a boys' prep school known as the Berkshire Gymnasium in 1826. Later, it was transformed into the Pittsfield Young Ladies Institute, soon to be renamed the Maplewood Institute.

"For nearly 70 years, Maplewood had been an educational institution," wrote Anna L. Dawes, an alumna of Maplewood, in a column printed in Picturesque Berkshire. "Thousands felt its molding power, and all over the country today, matrons, young and old, testify to its great value, and dwell upon its power and influence for good."

Well-known resort

By 1887, after the school had closed, a former operator of the Red Lion Inn, Arthur Plumb, bought the property and turned it into The Maplewood, which became a well-known destination resort, where many famous personalities found their leisure.

But the Depression, and Plumb's death in the mid-1930s, led to the sale of the resort in a bankruptcy auction, and all but the remaining structure were soon razed. The Maplewood Apartments were launched in 1937.

"We have so little left from the Gilded Age remaining in Pittsfield, so it is good for the community to have this preserved," Kasuba said. "If Beth (Pearson) hadn't done this, I don't know what would have happened."

The Maplewood project is one of many similar efforts around the country in which old is made new, and ancient efforts, artistry and materials are preserved and reused.

"We've been investing in enough of these to have an eye for how they'll turn out," Bette said. "There is a trend for this kind of project, and the demand bodes well for us."

"We're hoping this project will open up housing opportunities," said Deanna Ruffer, Pittsfield director of community development. "I see a growing trend toward adaptive reuse of our older buildings with significant architectural character."

At The Maplewood for example, architectural features such as wall trim and five-panel doors are being reused, or re-created where needed, to give a flavor of an ambiance long since gone. Even the maple doorknobs and brass fixtures are being restored and reused.

And by finding renewed use for the fixtures, Pearson and Bette are doing the same for The Maplewood and downtown Pittsfield.

"We know that (The Maplewood) will add property tax value," Ruffer said. "And I think it will have a strong stabilizing impact on the surrounding residential properties."

In adding more residents to the downtown area, it enhances the economy of the area by increasing the amount of money changing hands and the ways in which it is spent, she noted. "We're adding to the socioeconomic mix of downtown residents and their retail needs."

'Bright future' for city

"It's a great opportunity for investors to take advantage of the revitalization of Pittsfield," Pearson said. "Pittsfield has a bright future, and it's already here."

As for Pearson's future, The Maplewood project has helped to shape it. "After this, I'm looking at several other properties. I love doing smart development -- the adaptive reuse of existing structures," she said. "But here is where I found my profession and my passion."

Scott Stafford can be reached at sstafford@berkshireeagle.com or at (413) 496-6240.