CHICOPEE — The Cabotville Mill property might land in the hands of the city because of unpaid taxes, according to Hampden County Registry of Deeds documents.
Chicopee officials were hopeful that the sprawling 700,000-square-foot property in the city’s center would be redeveloped to help revitalize the downtown.
Instead, John Vieau, the city’s mayor, said Friday, “We were forced to take (tax) title.”
The city’s liens go unpaid, it could force a foreclosure.
Recouping the lost taxes — which is about $750,000, with interest — might result in Cabotville being put on the auction block, said Vieau.
Documents show that 4 Perkins LLC, managed by Aaron Papowitz, bought the massive mill property in 2018 for $7.8 million.
After purchasing the building on Front Street, 4 Perkins received a $25.5 million construction mortgage from the Easthampton Savings Bank but “did little to improve or renovate the property,” according to a lawsuit filed by the city against the property owner last year over a lien for the city’s expenses in keeping the building secure. That cost the city $88,000.
The mortgage was discharged in 2021, according to the complaint. In March 2022, the city brought code enforcement violations against 4 Perkins after it failed to comply with state building and fire safety requirements.
The building’s tenants had to evacuate under court order after a judge deemed it unsafe.
Vieau said Friday that no one is occupying the building.
Papowitz, according to deed documents, did not keep the building’s fire alarm panel and fire sprinkler system up to code, incurring thousands of dollars that he owes to the city.
“The building is condemned,” Vieau said. “We gave him many chances to right these violations, but he did not.”
Vieau said it was in the best interests of the community to take back the mill property but noted that the city is not a landlord.
“We don’t want to own other people’s real estate,” he said. “We’re not in the business of taking titles or redeveloping properties.”
Vieau said he has not recently spoken with Papowitz, who did not return a request for comment Friday afternoon.
Last spring, Mark Yunger, a New York entrepreneur, filed a new special permit application with the City Council, renewing an interest in purchasing the mill property for redevelopment.
Vieau said the deal between Yunger and Papowitz had fallen through in the fall after a disagreement over the purchasing costs.
However, another prospective buyer might be in the wings, the mayor said.
“The small town feel I’ve been working towards is still in the works,” he said.
The former mill building, which was condemned in 2022, has been the subject of cautious optimism for many years, as interested parties have filed redevelopment proposals.
Older special permit proposals have been approved by the City Council to convert the building into about 600 units of housing, a continued vision of the mayor.
While it is not in Vieau’s purview to determine what comes of the property, he said he is well-aware of the shortage of housing units in Western Massachusetts, and how a repurposed Cabotville could have an effect on the region.
“I strongly believe this property is a key component of revitalizing our downtown,” said Vieau. “There are potentially 600 units of workforce housing that will offer a place for people to live near where they work.”
Vieau encourages potential buyers to reach out to the city if they are interested in redeveloping the property.
This story has been corrected to reflect that the Cabotville Mill building owner owes about $750,000 in back taxes, that $88,000 was the cost to secure the building, and that the process is beginning for the potential taking of the building by the city.
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