ATHOL – Ten years ago, the town of Athol sought proposals for what to do with two vacant town-owned school buildings that had once been home to the Riverbend and Ellen Bigelow elementary schools.

A proposal from NewVue Communities to transform the schools into mixed-income housing was accepted, and on Tuesday, Oct. 14, a ribbon-cutting took place to officially open Residences at the Park. Residents will soon be moving into the 53-unit complex, which consists of the two renovated school buildings, along with a new structure which ties those buildings together.

Prior to Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, NewVue Executive Director Gonzalo Puigbo told the Athol Daily News, “Our goal is really to start supporting all of our communities. I think Athol is a great start for us, as we want to support all of north central Massachusetts.

“Creating housing is just one piece of the puzzle,” he added. “We’re also looking to cooperate on a lot of programs.”

Residences at the Park, said Puigbo, is meant to be more than just a place to live.

“This is a great example of what we can accomplish when local, state, and federal, and private partners work together; when we operate as a team and we actually prioritize things like housing. It requires everyone getting on board.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern

“We can provide space for community organizing, financial literacy, credit counseling,” he said. “We’re also looking at opportunities for small business technical assistance and really help to create more jobs. Housing stability is an important component, because it really keeps families together, but the next step is how do we help them grow? How do we help them thrive?”

Former Athol Select Board member Rebecca Bialecki, who was on the board when the request for proposals for the two schools was first advertised, said, “It’s been a whole decade. I’m so happy to see all carried through to the end and making the space available for people to live here.”

Bialecki, who has joined the board of directors of NewVue, added, “Being on the Select Board is a really thankless job, but seeing something like this made real makes it all worth it.”

Speaking to several dozen people crowded into the foyer at Residences at the Park, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern said, “This is a great example of what we can accomplish when local, state, and federal, and private partners work together; when we operate as a team and we actually prioritize things like housing. It requires everyone getting on board.

“Everywhere I go in my district, I hear from people who are struggling to find housing they can afford, or housing that is adequate, or housing is that good, that is clean, that is decent,” McGovern continued. “And Athol is no exception. This is just the kind of project I had in mind. It’s great to be here to celebrate good news.”

There are 20 one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units and nine three-bedroom units at Residences at the Park and there are income requirements for families applying for residency. Units are set aside for those making 30%, 50% and 110% of the area’s median family income.

Funding for the $32 million project has come from a variety of sources. These include a $1 million federal earmark secured by McGovern, state and federal tax credits, grants and loans. In addition, Athol invested $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds into the project.

“You really set a high bar for what it looks like to develop quality affordable housing,” said state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton. She said the new facility is “just exploding with hope and opportunity and Athol, as a community, deserves every bit of the promise of this building.”

“This is safe, accessible, affordable housing for generations of people to come,” said state Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol. “Quite frankly, any of the other towns peeking in on us today need to look at what we did here and know we need to model it in other places. This would work in Greenfield, this would work in Winchendon, this would work across the commonwealth.”