Hadley Registry Plaza sold at auction for $1.5 M

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

HADLEY - The Registry Plaza on Russell Street, which the town's assessor valued at $3.5 million, was auctioned off Thursday to a local accountant for $1.5 million.

John P. Regish, who operates an accounting office on River Drive, purchased the building for far less than it was actually worth, assessor Daniel H. Zdonek said. Calls made to Regish's office for comment went unanswered Thursday.

Bidding on the plaza began at $2 million, Zdonek said, and was overseen by an auctioneer from the auctioning and appraising firm Paul E. Saperstein Co.

Zdonek attributed the low price tag to a number of structural problems with the plaza's main building, which led to the permanent closure of the Registry of Motor Vehicle's office on Tuesday.

"I would assume that it was because people weren't sure what needed to be done to the building," Zdonek said.

Along with the former registry, the Route 9 plaza is also home to a Subway restaurant, a U.S. Department of Wildlife office and the adjacent Butternuts restaurant. The nearby Sears Hometown Dealer, which shares the plaza's parking lot, was auctioned last fall, Zdonek said, for $1.05 million.

According to published reports, the property was owned by developer Kevin A. Michelson.

Earlier this week, Ann C. Dufresne, spokeswoman for the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, said the decision to permanently close the registry office was driven by bankruptcy proceedings and Michelson's noncompliance with repairing structural problems that included a lack of handicap accessibility, flood damage, pipe bursts and issues with the building's heat and air conditioning.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.