REVITALIZE & RENEW:
Partnering for Commercial Conversion Success
Licensed Professional
Architectural Firm in Massachusetts
Our Services:
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Comprehensive Planning
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Feasibility Study
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Residential Unit Design
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Historical Preservation
The experienced professionals at VALERE Architects are ready to assist you in your commercial to residential conversion project in Massachusetts. Our design team unlocks the potential of underused commercial spaces, transforming them into sought-after residences or mixed-use properties, fostering a vibrant atmosphere on your city streets.
Partner with VALERE Architects for your Commercial Conversion Initiative Project.
What is the Massachusetts Commercial Conversion Initiative?
The Commercial Conversion Initiative, launched in 2024 by the Healey-Driscoll Administration in Massachusetts, aims to address housing shortage by providing planning grants to municipalities for converting vacant or underutilized commercial buildings into residential units. This initiative focuses on revitalizing downtowns and creating housing in underused commercial buildings.
Here's a breakdown of the program:
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Targets: Downtowns with vacant commercial spaces (at least 3 stories)
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Funding: Planning grants up to $1 million from MassHousing
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Goal: Overcome technical and financial challenges of converting commercial buildings to residential units
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Application Deadline: May 1, 2024
This program is separate from Boston's Office to Residential Conversion Program, which offers tax breaks to developers converting office buildings to residential use.
Who is eligible for the Massachusetts Commercial Conversion Initiative?
Municipalities must meet the following criteria to apply:
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Have a population of under 250,000
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Have downtown areas that feature three or more commercial buildings of at least three stories, located in close proximity to other active uses, and with pedestrian access to local amenities
WHO WE ARE
VALERE, a team founded in 2021, fosters growth through collaboration. With a combined 25+ years of experience. Their expertise spans light commercial, restaurants and cafes, community-focused projects, residential design, and multi-family housing.
VALERE’ mission is to create value throughout the design process, seeking to grow alongside their clients, employees, and the community. Their designs are driven by inspired aesthetics, uncompromising quality, a focus on technical efficiency, and incorporating sustainable practices.
Matthew O'Boyle, RA, AIA
CEO + Founder
James B. Sowell
Vice President
Andrzej Skonieczny
Marketing Manager
LET'S TALK
Are you ready to begin working on your project? Maybe you're still in the early stages of planning.
No matter how far along in the process you may be, VALERE is ready to help your project become a reality.
Complete the contact form to get started.
We look forward to hearing from you!
VALERE really did cover all the bases and took everything into consideration that we wanted and didn't add anything we didn’t, which to me is almost even more important.
Rich Ferrara,
Founder,
Greenerside Dispensary
We rely on VALERE to not only bring our architectural vision to reality but also to identify things which we would otherwise not have thought to consider.
Aaron Marks,
Owner,
Aurum Botanics
When choosing an architect, it's important to find someone with the experience and the eye for design, and with VALERE, it's the complete package.
Mike Albert,
Owner,
Pioneer Valley Trading Co.
WHAT WE DO
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING
Crafting a vision for your building or campus is key in defining goals, establishing timelines, securing funding, and crating a plan for your team to follow. VALERE Architects can work with you to identify your goals and needs and create a long-term, forward-thinking plan for the development of your building.
Why is a comprehensive plan important?
With an established strategy in place, high-level decision making early on guides project decisions for months and years to come reducing the design and planning phase of future projects. From utilities to egress requirements, a thoughtful big picture plan helps save on infrastructure costs, decision making timelines, and making sure the end goal does not get lost in the process.
RESIDENTIAL UNIT DESIGN
Regardless of how many residential units your building can support, there are always unique spaces that require a skilled team to design. We pride ourselves on efficient designs with a repeatable kit-of-parts that we use to craft a unit typology while embracing unique conditions as a positive instead of a negative. A living space is more than a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. A thoughtful design can impact people’s lives in beneficial ways. Material selection, natural lighting considerations, and intention choices all share a role in crafting living spaces that will attract the tenants you need.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Understanding the realities of your project is no small step to take. A feasibility study includes enough detail to gather information on cost, project timeline, structural repairs, utility upgrades, landlord/tenant space rations, and other items needed to understand the funding requirements of the project. Feasibility studies can also include documentation useful for community outreach and engagement as well as municipal feedback.
102 Elm Street, Suite 8
Westfield, MA 01085
413.642.5485
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