EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A new development of housing and retail is coming to Easthampton.
What was once the very popular ‘Tasty Top Ice Cream’ site off of Route 10 has been vacant the last few years, but it now looks like it won’t be vacant anymore.
This location from 93 to 97 Northampton Street in Easthampton won approval on Tuesday night from the city’s planning board for a multimillion-dollar retail and housing development.
The construction would include an apartment building, the Sierra Vista Commons with over 200 units, with at least 37 of them being affordable.
Some Easthampton residents have raised concerns that this development would cause more traffic in the area, but Mayor LaChapelle tells me that she believes the pros outweigh the cons, “More dense housing coupled with basic services and job opportunities is a resilient, sustainable way to keep a local economy going with the ups and turns of the bigger economy.”
The proposed project would also include a 9,000-square-foot learning center, a 7,000-square-foot gymnastics center, one restaurant, one bank, and three mixed-use retail and office buildings and two mixed-use warehouse buildings.
Even though the plan was approved last night, the construction isn’t projected to begin for at least half a year and would take over 6 years to complete.
Heath Kalb is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Heath on X @HeathKalb and view his bio to see more of his work.
