The Mason Infirmary at 69 Paradise Road will be replaced by a new health facility off Belmont Avenue near the Olin Fitness Center.
NORTHAMPTON – Smith College wants to demolish three buildings on Paradise Road to make way for new student housing.
The college has filed for demolition permits for buildings at 66, 69, and 70 Paradise Road.
The building at 70 Paradise Road, built in 1866, was the longtime home of Sunnyside, a day-care business that recently relocated to Route 10. Prior to that it was a residence for nurses who worked at the college infirmary across the street at 69 Paradise Road.
The house at 66 Paradise Road, built in 1887, had been used as a single-family residence. Although 69 and 70 Paradise Road are tax exempt, Smith pays taxes on the house at 66 Paradise Road.
The new student housing is expected to replace the Friedman apartment complex, which accommodates 52 residents, according to Smith spokeswoman Kristen Cole. The Friedman complex is located off Elm Street between Round Hill Road and Henshaw Avenue.
Construction of the new student housing is scheduled to begin next summer and be completed by August 2015, Cole said. Smith us currently doing a major renovation of Ziskind dormitory on Elm Street.
The Mason Infirmary at 69 Paradise Road will be replaced by a new health facility to be located off Belmont Avenue near the Olin Fitness Center. It is scheduled to open in August 2014.
The Northampton Historical Commission has approved the demolition of the Mason Infirmary but will hold a hearing on Monday to determine if it will invoke the demolition delay ordinance on the other two Paradise Road buildings.
The ordinance prevents the demolition of buildings deemed to have historic significance for up to a year. The ordinance was invoked in 2011 when the college sought to demolish two properties on Belmont Avenue where a parking lot is now located.
Smith has also asked to demolish a building it owns on 16 Arnold Ave. Currently a rental property, the site will be converted into green space, Cole said. Tenants have been given notice of the project and have the option to relocate to another Smith College-owned apartment. The Historic Commission has approved the demolition of 16 Arnold Avenue.
The demolition applications are the latest wave in a flurry of development activity by Smith. The college recently demolished a building it owned at 62-66 Green St., near Ford Hall, a new science building. Building Commissioner Louis Hasbrouck said the college has not filed an application to demolish other student housing it owns between Round Hill Road and Henshaw Avenue.
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