“That’s sort of where we’re at right now and we’re very excited,” Darche said.Īs an update on the project, Darche and Mazzaferro led multiple city and state leaders, including Mayor Stephen DiNatale and state Sen. While there is plenty of work to be done, the duo expect construction and restoration work to start soon and, barring further “monkey wrenches,” the property should be ready to occupy late in 2024. Now, the project has gained serious traction. “We’re persistent, we got through it and now we’re sort of on the precipice,” he said. “Aldo and I have been in the business world a long time,” Darche said, “and we weren’t going to let a few surprises here and there stop us from working on what we believe is going to be an awesome project.” “It was a lot more involved than we had expected - and then, of course, you have a whole pandemic which threw a monkey wrench into everything.” “We didn’t know at the time (of purchase) what the extent of environmental cleanup was going to be,” Darche said. Coupled with a pandemic that “sent them back to the drawing board” and, as a result, significantly increased costs, it took years to truly get the project started after they purchased it in May of 2018. Environmental concerns were “far beyond” what they expected. Unfortunately for the duo, the purchase came with some unexpected warts. “It would have been a crime to tear down a place like this, so we jumped in before that could happen,” Mazzaferro said. “Just a great opportunity to make that space useful again and bring back some of that old ‘grandeur’ to the city.” “We saw a chance to keep a piece of that history alive, that’s what drew us in,” Darche said. “We saw an opportunity to do these historic structures a bit of justice and make a huge difference in the community as far as housing opportunities.” “The property was an eyesore, just sort of ugly and falling apart,” Mazzaferro said. “ is a place that has undergone a major, positive transition in the last few years, and we wanted to be a part of that.” “To bring back such an old facility, a place that has such fantastic architecture and brickwork, to the city of Fitchburg was an awesome opportunity,” Darche said. Further, they plan to do so within the “good bones” of the property that largely remain, a fusion of “old and new” that the two hope will entice residents and have a lasting impact on the city.ĭarche described the chance to bring the property “back to life” as a “can’t miss” opportunity and said he and Mazzaferro were excited to take part in the city’s “revitalization.” Mazzaferro, a Leominster native, said he relished the opportunity to give back to the community. ![]() Partners at Iver Mills Residences, Darche and Mazzaferro are set to transform the former manufacturing space into 80,000 square feet of high-quality housing, including 44 one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom and six studio apartments with “all the modern amenities” one could want. Luckily, through the work of Rich Darche and Aldo Mazzaferro, the property is set to be reborn. But, since the company’s departure in 1971, the multifaceted manufacturer’s industrial River Street property has sat fallow. FITCHBURG - For nearly a century, the Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Works called the city home.
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