EAST HAMPTON – Part of the former Manchester Hardware Center was razed to make way for a behavioral health and support center on Friday.
Originally established in 1911, the hardware store was located on Liberty Street before moving to Union Street, which closed in November 2020.
The Center for Human Development purchased the 55-69 Union St. building last June for $1.4 million to redevelop it into a behavioral health clinic for children and adults.
With offices at 332 Burnie Avenue in Springfield, the human services nonprofit operates programs in parts of western Massachusetts and Connecticut, including Amherst, Chicopee, East Hampton , Greenfield and Northampton.
Earlier this month, the organization opened a new community behavioral health center in Chicopee. The center serves individuals in Chicopee, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Monson, Palmer, Southampton and Ware; and any area already receiving coronary care services.
Once the new Easthampton building opens, all services will move from CHD’s existing clinic at 179 Northampton St. to the new Union Street centre.
Ben Craft, vice president of community engagement at CHD, said the new outpatient behavioral clinic will provide counseling and treatment services by standard appointments as well as urgent mental health care.
“The new center will also serve as a community hub for children’s behavioral health services that will be delivered to homes,” Kraft wrote in a statement. “We anticipate that this location will allow us to significantly increase access to mental health and support services for children in the East Hampton, Hampshire and Hampden County communities.”
The new center will provide prescription services and nursing services, but will not currently dispense medicines there.
The center will also provide rehabilitation support, including clinicians and rehabilitation coaches who provide on-site and mobile consultations.
Services do not include any overnight or inpatient treatment services. Methadone will also not be dispensed.
The 17,900-square-foot commercial building has undergone several renovations over the years. Before becoming a hardware store, Massachusetts Historical Commission records show that the demolished two-story brick portion was originally built in 1909 as the home of FC Haynes Hack and Livery Stable, according to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Stables owner Frank • Frank Hayes left the company around 1917.
A decade later, Frank Manchester built the annexe, Manchester Hardware, records show.
Following public hearings, the city’s historical commission approved demolition of the front and rear sections of the building in November 2022. In a letter dated November 1, 2022, project architect Alfonso Nardi of Uncommon Architectural Places described the building as having no “unique architectural character”.
According to urban planner Jeff Bagg, the Center for Human Development is expected to approve its site plan in February before the planning committee.
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.
