Jack Miller Contractors Purchase Williamstown Building

03:46PM / Wednesday, February 25, 2026Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Jan. 16, Jack Miller Contractors (JMC) acquired property at 824 Simonds Road in Williamstown.

Built in 1954, the business (formerly known as Express Mart and JJ's Coffee & Convenience Store) is located at the southeast corner of Sand Springs Road and Simonds Road (Route 7). The 0.39-acre site is set in the town's Planned Business Zoning District.

JMC worked with Maureen M. Dietze of Alton & Westall Real Estate Agency to purchase the property, now under the ownership of 824 Simonds LLC, from Reinland Property Management LLC. Prior to the purchase, SK Design Group of Pittsfield performed an Environmental Site Assessment for the vacant commercial property on behalf of the new owner.

"This move will allow us to better serve our clients in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont as well as Eastern New York State, and we're thrilled to soon occupy a strategic site for the integration and expansion of our business after many years in search of the right location," said Jack Miller, founder and principal of JMC. "The JMC team is eager to work alongside local trade partners and collaborators who will help bring our vision to life."

In January, JMC received Williamstown's approval to renovate and expand the convenience store property to serve as its new headquarters, which will be surrounded by a mix of commercial and residential properties in all directions. The Planning Board approved a redevelopment plan to add approximately 2,100 square feet to the 1,305-square-foot one-story building and to create 10 parking spots. The design plan includes green shielding and reduces the amount of impervious surface on the lot by about 2,700 square feet.

The conversion of the commercial retail space to professional contractor offices will allow JMC to locate all facilities under one roof including offices, meeting space and a small storage area, and to provide employees with a place to work. In addition, the building will energize the creation of a new home services branch. This concierge service will include both comprehensive proactive care for high-end properties, and management of select smaller projects to complement JMC's custom home building business.

"We're glad to be a part of the ongoing improvement to the northern entry to town," added Miller. "We look forward to unifying our field and office-based teams, and turning the current site into an attractive property for our community."

JMC has engaged the services of Burr and McCallum Architects based in Williamstown to develop plans for the property. The design will focus on utilitarian layouts and prioritize functionality, clean lines and natural light. The mid-century building will reflect the characteristics and style of a 1950s machine shop.

The addition of native plants and trees will further enhance the setting, which is now mostly asphalt. Completion of construction is expected in late 2026 with a move-in date around the same time.

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Discrimination Against Muslim Americans Persists 25 Years After 9/11

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
07:00AM / Saturday, September 12, 2026

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Dozens of Muslim Americans were among people killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Untold numbers of Muslim Americans have suffered countless acts of discrimination in their aftermath.

"Of course, you'll find several accounts of Muslims from all over the U.S. describing how they went from the unknown kids in the school to being stereotyped or ridiculed for their Muslim names," Sidra Mahmood recalled recently. "However, many Americans forget that the victims of 9/11 were also Muslim Americans.

"I can't forget the time when a classmate broke down in sobs when 9/11 came up in our classroom at the Islamic seminary I went to in Texas, because her father's best friend who was like an uncle to her, died on 9/11."

Today, Mahmood is a chaplain at Williams College. In 2001, she was growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, when terrorists forced two passenger jets into the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan and another plane into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. A third plane, which terrorists hoped to crash into a D.C. landmark, was brought down in western Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.

The attacks, which ultimately claimed 2,976 lives, horrified people around the world, including in Mahmood's native land.

"I remember being aghast like anyone who witnessed the fall of the Twin Towers in real time," she said. "However, even as a child, fear gripped me about the possibility of war, especially once we learned that Afghanistan, right adjacent to Pakistan, would be attacked by the U.S. My mother had told me about the 1971 war between India and Pakistan when she remembered hiding in the dark after bomb sirens would go off in Punjab after intentional blackouts.

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