Pittsfield, MA
Client: North Street Cinema, LLC and the City of Pittsfield
www.thebeaconcinema.com
Project Type: Adaptive Use; Comprehensive Restoration
When the National Park Service rejected an urban renewal project in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the developers brought in John G. Waite Associates, working with Clark & Green Architectural Design, to restrategize the preservation plan for the historic storefront.
A six-screen cinema complex was built within the footprint of the 1918 Kinnell-Kresge Building, but instead of replacing much of the glazed terra-cotta façade, the developer stabilized and retained the tiles and restored the façade. JGWA prepared construction documents for the façade restoration and worked out new programming that allowed the developer to restore and reuse the intact historic offices.
The new cinema is bringing a much-needed amenity, along with retail, restaurant, and office spaces to downtown Pittsfield without detracting from the historic streetscape.
