Northampton Community & Resilience Hub
The City of Northampton seeks to establish a Community Resilience Hub to support Northampton residents who face chronic and acute stress due to climate change and social vulnerability.
Jones Whitsett Architects was hired in 2020 to determine the space needs for the proposed Hub, facilitate a planning process, and assess possible locations with the City’s Department of Planning and Sustainability. In 2023 the City purchased the former First Baptist Church at 298 Main Street to house the Hub, and rehired JWA through a competitive process.
298 Main Street is a three story historic structure, built in 1905. It contains a vaulted ceiling sanctuary space, three towers, restored stained glass, accessible entrances at two levels and over 14,000sf of space to support the Community Resilience Hub and other community uses.
The project is currently in design and development. JWA has hosted three community meetings during schematic design to share the program goals and project details with the residents of Northampton and will continue to facilitate the design of this important public building.