PalomoCarolyn Misch <cmisch@northamptonma.gov>
Application to demolish St. John Cantius building
M. Francisco Palomo <mfpalomo3@comcast.net>Tue, Aug 3, 2021 at 2:17 PM
To: cmisch@northamptonma.gov
Cc: Jim Nash <jimnashcitycouncil@gmail.com>, janepotter@comcast.net
Dear Ms. Misch:
Please submit the following to the Central Business Architecture Committee in regards to the application by O'Connell
Development Group to demolish the St. John Cantius building.
Briefly, my wife, Jane Potter, and I support the application to demolish the St. John Cantius building. We have lived on
Phillips Place since 1982 because it is a quiet, residential neighborhood where we, and our neighbors, raised our children
without worrying about excessive traffic. Aside from the occasional tractor trailer avoiding the low underpass on Rt. 9,
the chief disturbers of the neighborhood’s tranquility were the weekly Beano sessions at the St. John Cantius Parish
Hall. When it was demolished and the Beano games ended, we breathed a sigh of relief.
The proposed conversion of the St. John Cantius building into either an entertainment or commercial venue would once
again threaten the residential nature of our neighborhood. Moreover, it is ludicrous to imagine that it could be
successfully converted to either purpose. Northampton’s Central Business District (CBD) already has an abundance of
entertainment/performance venues, including the newly completed arts center at 33 Hawley Street, across the street from
the St. John Cantius building. Similarly, the growing number of empty storefronts in the CBD begs the question of why
yet another commercial/retail space is needed. Although the construction process is a noisy disturbance, it is a
temporary issue and the proposed condominiums will enhance the residential nature of the neighborhood.
Very Truly Yours,
M. Francisco Palomo
42 Phillips Place
Northampton, MA 01060