Plans in the Works for Mansfield's Chocolate Factory Renovation

The Mansfield Planning Board heard plans on Wednesday from Joe Mulkern and his attorney Edward W. Valanzola concerning Mulkern’s idea to turn the now defunct Lowney Chocolate Factory into rental housing units.

Their plan at this time is renovate the building using Massachusetts Historical Commissions Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, as renovating without those credits would make the renovation untenable financially speaking.

Their would be maximum of 108 housing units, at about 800-1,000 square feet a piece, in the building. Surrounding buildings put in after 1913 for the factory would be torn down, as to adhere to tax credit regulations requiring the building to be as historically accurate as possible.  

“I really like what the counsel has proposed, and the presumption is that it’s legal,“ planning department head Shaun Burke said.

The renovation would require either a special building permit or a zoning change that Mulkern, and his partner Winn Development, would decide on later.

The building is supposed to have limited impact on traffic and commuting, as the units would be single bedroom, and would not accommodate families. It is also a quarter mile away from the train station, negating the need for residents to drive there and minimizing the impact on the already cramped parking lot.

At this time, there is no plan to add any kind of commercial or retail facilities to the  building.

“We’re just trying to get this through,” Mulkern said.  “I’m just not sure we could do that with the residences.”

Valanzola agreed, saying that in the historical renovations he’s been associated with, retail and commercial have not been included with a residential building.

Planning Board Chairman H. Thomas French said that he wants the building to be developed, in some way or another, because of the building’s age, it would deteriorate quickly without proper maintenance.

“Everybody’s been nervous about what’s going to happen to that building,” French said. “No matter what we want to see it developed.”

Mulkern said that he, Valanzola, Burke and Winn Developers would go over the plans for any problems and bring them before the planning board before March 1 to get the plan in the town meeting for voting.