Published: 3/16/2021 4:24:19 PM
NORTHAMPTON — A former nursing center building on Bridge Road is set to be auctioned off next month.
The building at 737 Bridge Road has long been empty. It was home to the Northampton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, which closed in 2011 amid financial troubles.
The auction for the 6.2 acre property starts April 5 and ends April 7, and the starting bid is $800,00, according to Ten-X, a commercial real estate website where the auction is listed. The building was constructed in 1971 and has 84 rooms, according to Ten-X.
The nursing home was open for nearly 40 years and amassed debt with the state. When it closed, it was home to the only pediatric unit in western Massachusetts.
The building is now owned by Bais Pinchos of Lakewood, N.J., according to the city assessor’s office.
Currently, the building’s zoning wouldn’t allow it to be turned into an apartment building, said Wayne Feiden, director of the city’s Planning and Sustainability, but his department has said it would consider recommending that the property be rezoned so it could be used for apartments.
“Reusing the building would be wonderful from an environmental standpoint," Feiden said, “but I don’t know to what extent there’s been leaks and water and mold damage.”
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.