Image courtesy of OpenCape
HYANNIS – OpenCape Corporation has signed a letter of commitment with CapeBuilt Development, LLC to provide 100 percent fiber residential internet service at its 255 Main project in Hyannis.
CapeBuilt is completing its renovation of the Hyannis Board of Trade building at the intersection of Center Street and Main Street.
On schedule for a June 1 ribbon-cutting, the building will include 10 residential units on the 2nd and 3rd floors, above 3,500 square feet of office and retail space on the 1st floor that is slated for CapeBuilt’s offices and a new neighborhood café.
OpenCape is working with CapeBuilt to outfit and enable fiber connectivity throughout the building.
“It is incredibly fitting that 255 Main will be the very first fiber enabled residential units on Cape Cod,” said OpenCape CEO Steven Johnston, who added that the Hyannis Board of Trade building and its tenants played key roles in the evolution of modern-day Hyannis in the early 1900’s.
“As we looked for ideal locations to pilot residential service, this location was an excellent fit based on our goals and objectives for the Hyannis downtown area.”
Johnston noted that CapeBuilt Development is the type of forward-thinking partner OpenCape regularly seeks to collaborate with, as the redevelopment of 255 Main and CapeBuilt’s upcoming launch of construction for Sea Captains Row is part of a downtown revitalization for Hyannis that now extends to East Main Street.
“The plans that Rob Brennan and his team at CapeBuilt have for connecting 255 Main to OpenCape will ensure that the residential and commercial spaces in the building will have access to one of the most sophisticated networks on the planet,” said Johnston.
Reflecting on how access to the internet has emerged as a critical necessity during the stay at home advisory recently implemented in Massachusetts, Johnston feels that the past few weeks have shown that it will be imperative for individuals to be able to effectively work remotely in the future.
“The only way that becomes truly possible is to ensure that they have access to robust, reliable and affordable internet connectivity in their homes,” he said.
For CapeBuilt President Rob Brennan, the redevelopment of 255 Main is as much about the future of Cape Cod as it is about preserving a Hyannis landmark.
“We describe 255 Main as being at the Cape’s intersection of hip and historic,” Brennan said.
He describes the layout, finishes and technology in each unit as being akin to new developments in Boston, Providence or Brooklyn.
“With the addition of OpenCape’s 100 percent fiber internet, residents at 255 Main will access the fastest internet on Cape Cod, on top of being able to walk to 40 food and beverage destinations, living just steps away from Island ferries, and enjoying easy access to some of America’s top-rated beaches,” continued Brennan.
“This project meets the needs and desires of young professionals and folks of any generation who are looking for a Cape-urban existence in which to live, work and play.”
OpenCape has been planning the 255 Main pilot project with CapeBuilt for the past few months.
“From the technical aspect, the equipment that we will be installing in Hyannis at 255 Main is exactly the same type of equipment that we are using on the Falmouth Main Street Initiative,” Johnston said, referring to the recent roll-out of an affordable shared gigabit business project in downtown Falmouth, a partnership with the Falmouth EDIC and Chamber of Commerce.
In a similar service structure to the Falmouth project, residents at 255 Main will have access to a shared Gigabit for less than $68 a month, and will also have the ability to utilize VOIP phone service and the ability to stream any digital media service.
This collaboration is the beginning for OpenCape in terms of supporting Fiber To The Home initiatives on the Cape, the Islands and in Southeastern Massachusetts.
“Our goal is to pick a handful of projects like 255 Main to use as examples for towns who are considering building their own fiber networks and connecting them to the OpenCape Network,” said Johnston.
For more information on OpenCape, visit Opencape.org.
For more information on CapeBuilt, visit Capebuilt.com.
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