Renovated Medical Arts Entrance, Parking Lot Open
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After six months of closure, the Medical Arts Complex's second-floor entrance is restored, and the parking lot has dozens of additional spaces.
On Monday, an expanded and repaved parking lot and entry opened at Berkshire Medical Center, operated by Berkshire Health Systems. The about $1.2 million project aims to expand access and convenience for patients.
"The project saw an expansion of access and convenience for patients utilizing the BMC Medical Arts Complex," Director of Media Relations Michael Leary explained via email on Monday.
"This included over doubling the number of parking spaces compared to the original lot, leveling the grade of the lot to make it easier for patients with mobility issues, as the previous lot had a steady rise on the east end, and expanding the size of the spaces to better meet the needs of today's vehicles."
The facade has been modernized with a gray, monolithic design, and BHS reports adding "dozens" of wider parking spaces. During construction, which began in early March, the lot across Charles Street was opened to patients, and a shuttle was provided from there to the front of the MAC's first-floor entrance.
Leary reported that the lot still needs some minor work, such as decorative brick, "but both the lot and second-floor entry are now open."
Part of the project included the demolition of a more than century-old building at the front of the property. In January, the Historical Commission approved leveling 769 North St., a 1920 building on the BMC campus. The commission first approved its demolition in 2015.
The building hadn't been a home in 70 years. BHS owned it since 1974, using the first floor until it became "uninhabitable." Coupled with surrounding changes, BHS decided it had no use for the structure.
Running alongside the hospital's renovations is the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's installation of a roundabout and road widening around the property.
MassDOT reports that the nearly $7.5 million project is 89 percent complete. A Project Need Form was filed in 2010.
North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue was converted to one-way southbound traffic only, and a roundabout near Stoddard Avenue sorts traffic from all directions.
The project also includes intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, and 5-foot bike lanes and sidewalks with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps.
Tags: BMC, parking,
