Opal Real Estate Group to break ground for 16,300 s/f building

Opal Real Estate Group, Northampton mayor David Narkewicz, and Wright Builders, Inc. will host a groundbreaking ceremony marking commencement of construction of the first commercial building approved for the North Campus of Village Hill Northampton. The event will take place November 15th at 11 a.m. at the site of the Gatehouse project on the northeast corner of Rte. 66 and Village Hill Rd. Invited to the ceremony are governor Deval Patrick, state senator Stanley Rosenberg, state representative Peter Kocot, U.S. representative James McGovern, U.S. representative Richard Neal, U.S. representative John Olver, and MassDevelopment CEO Marty Jones. The public is also welcome to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Light refreshments will be served following the event. Demetrios Panteleakis, co-founder and chief operating officer of OPAL Real Estate, said, "Opal Real Estate Group is excited to be part of this important development for the city of Northampton. We feel fortunate to participate in anchoring the commercial component of what is ultimately a model community development project. We look forward to working with the city of Northampton, MassDevelopment, and our partners at Wright Builders in expanding the commercial potential of the Village Hill project." Wright Builders, which has developed the state's largest neighborhood of LEED-certified residential units on the north campus, will construct the two-story, 16,300 s/f building. Upon completion, targeted for early 2013, the new mixed-use facility will provide office space for Fazzi Associates, a national home care consulting firm, with additional available leased space suited for retail, office space or a food service establishment. Named for its location at the gateway of the Village Hill north campus, the building will be built with energy-saving and green construction methods. In addition, the original 19th century East Lake style gate posts, adjacent to the newGatehouse, will be restored. The Gateway commercial project marks two significant goals for both the city of Northampton and Village Hill Northampton. The building will add another commercial building to the mix of housing and businesses at Village Hill, while providing Fazzi Associates, an existing Northampton employer, the opportunity to expand without leaving the city, and it will enhance further appeal of the hilltop development for future commercial expansion. "We're very excited that Fazzi Associates will remain in Northampton and grow its excellent business at Village Hill," mayor David Narkewicz said. Jonathan Wright, founder and co-owner of Wright Builders, is proud to begin construction of this first commercial building on the North Campus. "Village Hill is a terrific location for any business - employees can walk into town or on the beautiful four-season trails along the Mill River at lunchtime." Bringing the Gateway project to fruition required the collaborative effort of a number of Valley-based firms including Berkshire Design Group, Kuhn Riddle Architects, Lindgren and Sharples, and Hellwig Engineering. MassDevelopment is the project's managing partner overseeing the development effort of the 126-acre Village Hill Campus; working closely with the city of Northampton's economic development team, and continuing to oversee future building phases planned for Village Hill.