Date: 9/15/2022
Project Title: Peirce Block Housing Expansion, Accessibility, and Historic Restoration
Applicant/Contact Person: Richard Oakley
Name of Organization/Department: Cranberry Collaborative
Address of Organization/Department: 670 Plymouth Street, Middleboro, MA 02346
Address of Project Site (if different): 1 Center Street, Middleboro, MA 02346
Select one primary category and one primary purpose for your project:
CPA Category: ☐ Open Space
☐ Recreation
☒ Historic Preservation
☒ Community Housing
CPA Purpose: ☐ Acquire
☒ Create
☐ Preserve
☐ Support (Community Housing only)
☐ Rehabilitate/Restore
CPA Funding Requested: $16,650
Total Project Cost: $22,200
Project Description: Cranberry Collaborative seeks to fund a feasibility study to investigate the possibility of adding affordable housing AND historic restoration to the Peirce Block building at 1 center street at the four corners. Much of the beautiful, original structure of this building still exists, formerly of the Peirce Estate and the old Middleboro Post Office (with intact safety deposit vault!), but is obscured by drop ceilings and wall-to-wall carpets. In addition, there are ways to reconfigure this building to create more affordable housing in the downtown of Middleboro. Finally, this feasibility study would investigate the opportunity for an elevator to allow for accessible housing, something that Middleboro has even less of than affordable housing. We seek to preserve the history of this iconic building while bringing affordable, accessible housing to the center of town once again.