Architecture Commons^™

Middlefield Open Space And Recreation Project, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

Over one thousand acres of farmland, open space, and wetlands are converted to residential or commercial development each week in New England. In Massachusetts, nearly two acres of open space land is lost to development every hour. Current development trends suggest that this building pattern, referred to as sprawl, is likely to continue into the near future. Because the negative consequences of sprawl development are highly visible, residents of Massachusetts are becoming increasingly concerned about its impact on their communities. Residents see the unique character of their communities being transformed by uncontrolled residential and commercial development. Green fields and open …

The Usher Plant Review And 8-Point Action Plan, Center For Economic Development

Center for Economic Development Technical Reports

The Usher Plant is located on Arch Street off of Route 2 in Erving, Massachusetts in the center village of the town. The plant is a rich part of the social, economic, and cultural identity of the town and its residents. The Erving Paper Company occupied this plant from 1964 to approximately 1990, when the company consolidated and moved its operations leaving over one-hundred workers either displaced or unemployed and the Usher Plant vacant.

The closing of the Usher Plant approximately 10 years ago has had a tremendous impact on the community residents, as well as Erving's center village merchants …