North End apartments, once touted as Farm Workers’-led rebirth, foreclosed
SPRINGFIELD — Two partially renovated North End apartment buildings that were once part of the New England Farm Workers' Council's ambitious plans for neighborhood renewal were sold Friday in a foreclosure auction.
One of the buildings, 2718 Main St., still had posted a building permit from 2015 issued to Farm Workers' Council . The last notation on the form indicated an inspection of the fire alarms back in June 2024.
The 8-unit building at 17 E. Hooker St. and a parking lot to the rear sold for $635,000 to Marc Murphy, property manager with Patriot Property Management Group , of West Springfield. His company has recently expanded its residential portfolio in Springfield's inner city.
Another property, a building at 2718 Main St., also of eight apartments, sold for $800,000 to a buyer who declined to identify himself.
The sales have 45 days to close, in which time deed information will become a public record.
Both buildings had been owned by Memorial Square Apartments II Limited Partnership, a business entity led now by builder James Kearns, of Westwood, according to records at the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office. Kearns didn't return a call this week.
Heriberto Flores, former president of the Farm Workers' Council, was one of the organizers of Memorial Square Apartments II Limited Partnership, according to state records.
Flores was no longer involved with the two buildings, according to his attorney, William Bennett. Flores, who founded the council in 1971, didn't respond to a call.
Both buildings were closed upon by lender BFC Ventures, a Florida company that did not respond to emails this week.
Flores Development LLC bought the buildings as part of a larger land deal in 2004, selling them to the Farm Workers' Council in 2010 and transferring ownership from there to the Memorial Square Apartments Limited Partners and Memorial Square Apartments Limited Partners II, according to city records.
In 2017, Flores celebrated progress at 2295 Main St., a 40-apartment building also in Springfield's North End that was packaged with 2718 Main St. and 17 East Hooker St.
Auctioneer Paul Zekos of the Zekos Group in Shrewsbury prepares Friday, Oct. 24, 20205, to sell an 8-unit apartment complex at 17 East Hooker St in Springfield's North End. (Jim Kinney/ The Republican)The Republican
He said at the time that they were about to start rehabbing the apartment buildings at an expected cost of $3 million to rehab. The project was funded in part with money from the city and with historic preservation and affordable housing tax credits from the state and federal governments.
The building at 2295 Main St. has been sold to investors and is occupied.
Neither 2718 Main St. and 17 East Hooker St. is occupied, said Robert J. Depietri, vice president of Capitol Group Properties, a management company in Southbridge, that had been taking care of the properties. He said 17 East Hooker St. sustained water damage in its basement and has a bad roof, and its handicapped-accessible unit was never finished.
Potential bidders who toured 2718 Main St. on Friday said it would still indeed work to be made ready for renters.
Depietri said the current owners were partners who ran into roadblocks finishing the project. He doesn't understand why at least 2718 Main St. wasn't completed.
Auctioneer Paul Zekos described Friday's sale as a "friendly" foreclosure, one in which an owner voluntarily returns the property to the lender. That is why he was able to allow people to tour the buildings and grounds.
Stories by Jim Kinney
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