NORTH ADAMS — Michael Nuvallie’s heart sank when someone sent him a photo of a tree protruding from the nearly-finished deck outside of the Mary Spitzer Senior Center and the Council on Aging.

“I might’ve said some choice words, too,” said Nuvallie, the recently retired North Adams Director of Community Development, who was soaking up a vacation when he got the message in early November. He is now the city's part-time community development specialist.

A contractor from Salco Construction, the firm hired by the city to build the deck, sent him the photo. The project was funded through a federal Community Development Block Grant and is part of a decades-long renovation of the senior center. This phase of work also included renovations to the basement and kitchen, new fencing along the building’s north side, a sidewalk leading to the updated accessible ramp and an exterior sign highlighting the center’s history.

The Ashland Street entrance at the newly renovated Mary Spitzer Senior Center in North Adams.

“The deck is such a great addition to the Council on Aging to provide outside space for the customers at the council,” said Mayor Jennifer Macksey.

But what happened to it?

Salco was about three weeks away from finishing the deck for spring use when a neighbor’s “very diseased” tree split in half and fell through it, said Nuvallie.

“The part that fell [on the deck] was the size of a tree in itself,” he said.

Seniors play Musical BINGO in the activity room adjacent to the brand new kitchen at the newly renovated Mary Spitzer Senior Center in North Adams.

Repairing the deck is on pause until the weather warms. There was a brief thaw in January, but Nuvallie said it was not long enough for the contractors to schedule the fix.

“If you've moved into another job that’s interior work, it’s hard to react to a January thaw because it probably won’t be that long,” said Nuvallie. “Usually, March is when things start to thaw.”

Although they can’t use the deck yet, the center is already putting the newly revamped kitchen to use. Seniors also have an easier and safer route walking into the center with the help of the new ramp and sidewalk. Previously, there was no sidewalk between the parking lot and the center, so seniors had to walk back into the lot or walk on an uneven surface to reach the ramp up to the entrance.

The handicapped entrance at the newly renovated Mary Spitzer Senior Center in North Adams.

Nuvallie has led the phases of construction on the senior center since it started in the 2014 block grant cycle, when it first received funding for architectural and overall design development that was then used to identify suggested phases of work.

The 2017 block grant term secured funding for Phase 1, including major roof replacement, new HVAC and electrical service upgrades and design funds for Phase 2. The second phase secured funding to start work on interior issues like new windows, a motorized partition door and new flooring and ceilings for the kitchen and offices. The recent phase, including funding for the deck and interior work, was awarded in the 2024 grant term and will be complete in the spring.

Nuvallie is not new to this phased-approach of work at a massive scale, though obstacles like a giant falling tree still catch him by surprise. He started as Housing & Projects Coordinator in 1987 before becoming director of the community development. He has led the phases of many block grant projects, including five phases at the Noel Field Athletic Complex that created the city's first-ever skateboard and BMX bicycle park and splash pad and six phases at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink.

A plaque on the newly renovated Mary Spitzer Senior Center on Ashland Street in North Adams.

In December, North Adams was awarded funding for the fourth and final phase of the senior center project that will construct a small parking lot for four to six cars on the north side of the facility near Chestnut Street. The center currently shares a lot with the adjacent Housing Authority, and daily it fills up quickly with staff, volunteer and customers’ cars.

The lot will go out to bid before the winter is over and is slated for Fall 2026 completion, said Nuvallie.

The brand new kitchen at the newly renovated Mary Spitzer Senior Center in North Adams.

“After Phase 4, the facility will have been substantially renovated and brought up to date,” he said.

In North Adams, where the municipal budget leaves limited room for project spending, the city relies on funding from sources like the block grant program to complete many improvement projects.

“This is the nature of the beast,” said Nuvallie. “There is never enough money to do anything at once, so you’ve got to be strategic, plan your priorities, manage your budget, go after the money and then build that project.”