Franklin County ‘has it all’

IF I NEVER SAY THE word ‘pivot’ again, it will be too soon.

Even now, nearly three years after the pandemic began, the word ‘pivot’ still seems to creep its way into almost every conversation I have with business leaders, most of whom, tend to share my disdain both for the word and what it represents.

And for good reason. With an economic winter in the forecast, an organization’s ability to pivot and adapt in 2023 will likely be as critical as it was back in 2020. Area small business leaders will need to strategically adjust products, services, practices and policies to stay relevant and competitive in an ever-evolving market.

This is especially true in rural communities across the United States. Many of us had not yet fully recovered from the Great Recession when the pandemic hit. Surviving businesses have been rewarded with inflation, staffing shortages, supply chain issues, an offensive lack of affordable child care (and fair wages for said child care workers), a housing crisis, an aging population, and transportation barriers, all of which have the individual potential to debilitate our small businesses and the communities they call home.

But, of course, with challenge comes opportunity and, in Franklin County, our ability to pivot is made possible by my favorite ‘P’ word — partnership.

Partnership is Franklin County’s superpower.

Arguably, access to a strong, local network has never been more critical to our individual or our collective success.

Franklin County businesses lean on local resources for locally sourced solutions and are supported by our chamber and our collaborative regional partners like the Franklin County Community Development Corp., the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, MassHire, Common Capital, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture and Greenfield Community College to name a few.

We are all welcoming 2023 with a steadfast commitment to our communities. At the Chamber, we ambitiously sought out to create even more marketing, networking, and educational opportunities to support our member businesses and nonprofits. We closed out 2022 with new leadership, new programming, and a new identity.

Our new Franklin County Chamber of Commerce logo is a visual reminder that our chamber connects the dots for all 26 of the Franklin County communities we serve.

As Franklin County’s Regional Tourism Council, we are attracting legions of firsttime Franklin County fans with our new “More to Franklin County” brand, which is the foundation for our new standalone tourism website debuting this February. In December, we received the exciting news that the state Office of Tourism and Travel awarded our fiscal 2023 regional tourism council grant application a 75% increase in funding over last year, allowing us to launch our most aggressive marketing plan to date. We are encouraged by the commonwealth’s investment in Western Massachusetts and the endorsement of our plan to increase the $79 million tourism brings into Franklin County each year.

With premier destinations like Yankee Candle, Historic Deerfield, Berkshire East, Crumpin-Fox Golf Course, the Green River Festival and Tree House Brewing Co., sprinkled in every corner of the county, there is always more to explore here for both visitors and residents alike.

Franklin County is also famously home to some of the most beautiful outdoor recreational parks in the state, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with our WMass Outdoor collaboration with Hampshire County and partnering with the newly-established state Office of Outdoor Recreation to enhance outdoor adventure opportunities locally and support the associated eco - nomic, environmental, and quality of life benefits they bring. Outdoor recreation creates healthier communities and healthier economies, and we are hopeful that the office will drive growth for the sector and for jobs across the region.

Franklin County has long been known as a great place to relax and unplug, but thanks to new broadband high-speed internet access, disconnection is now optional, not required. For decades, many Franklin County households and businesses struggled as they lived in towns without last mile broadband access. As celebrated by Gov. Charlie Baker in December in Ashfield, towns across north-western Massachusetts, including Franklin County, now have high speed internet access. In fact, out of the 26 municipalities in Franklin County, 10 have fiber-to-the-premise broad- band networks. This access to last mile broadband has removed a significant barrier for families, entrepreneurs, and businesses interested in Franklin County.

Franklin County’s beautiful farms, robust craft beverage scene, thriving arts and culture industry, and great restaurants and shopping only add to the attraction. Franklin County has it all. Healthy industries, a growing creative economy, a deep talent pool, golf courses, bike paths, river views, history combined with innovation, and unlimited market potential. Whatever 2023 holds, I know that Franklin County businesses will innovate, collaborate, and yes, pivot, to thrive in an ever-changing economic landscape.

The building was originally built on spec by an-out-of town investor during the 1980s with the now-defunct Bank of Boston becoming its major tenant. Current tenants include MassLive, the Spirit of Springfield, the University of Massachusetts Honors College students Art and City Program run by John Smith, and Palazzo’s Café.

Plotkin, whose building overlooks Court Square, is a Western Massachusetts history buff and art lover. Keenly aware of his family’s legacy of promoting the revitalization of the city, his business sponsors the annual Jazz & Roots Festival.

Both Dill and Plotkin have witnessed the ups and downs of the region’s commercial real estate market and are wellequipped to weather any headwinds on the horizon.

In the post-COVID world, they are sizing up what customers want and need. In many cases, they said, tenants are seeking a smaller office imprint, new space configurations and improved amenities.

Plotkin said the hybrid workplace — working from home and spending a few days a week in the office — is still common, although one of his tenants has closed an office altogether because the company’s workers have been more productive at home, he said. In an unconventional move, he added, Plotkin helped two tenants merge into one space because one had too much space and the other didn’t have enough. “Employers are more sensitive to employees’ needs,” Dill said, adding that his company is undertaking a new design for its second floor of its six-floor building.

With more people working from home, space that employers once occupied is no longer needed, Dill said. “The jury is out on the open floor plan,” he added. “We are going to see smaller meeting rooms and more windows that bring natural light into the building.”

The ebb and flow of activity in office market in Western Massachusetts mirrors statewide trends identified in the Future of Work Report commissioned by the BakerPolito adminstration to evaluate the ways COVID-19 has changed work habits across the commonwealth.

The June 2021 state study, prepared by McKinsey and Co., found that around “a third of Massachusetts residents can work remotely — a higher percentage than other states — because of a high share of jobs in sectors lending themselves to remote work such as technology and professional services.”

The report also found that remote workers could continue with hybrid work going forward. “The impact to urban cores will depend on the extent of this hybrid work. A day of remote work per week could have modest impact, while an average of three days or more of remote work per week would have more significant impact,” the report said.

While the Greater Springfield commercial real estate market faces some of the same influences as the market in larger national markets, including Boston, Dill said the local market is smaller and more manageable. “All real estate is local,” he said.

Class A office space in Springfield now commands about $20-a-square-foot, compared to comparable buildings in Greater Boston that rent for between $70and $80-a-square-foot.

The shrinking in-office workforce will impact how much space employers need, posing a challenge for commercial real estate professionals whose profitability is tied to low vacancy rates.

“It’s all supply and demand,” Plotkin said.

Two unpredictable variables that could impact the office rental market this year are the recent climb in interest rates — and rising reconstruction costs due to supply-chain problems, Plotkin said.

Dill said he expects more activity in the office market this year. “I expect that workers will spend four days a week in the office and one day at home,” he said. Plotkin also believes the lure of the office will also draw workers back to downtown offices. “Working at home at the kitchen table can get pretty stale,” he said, adding that he thinks working remotely is a temporary situation. When workers come back in full force, they will be greeted with the dynamic downtown streets filled with coffee shops, restaurants and retail stores. support.

We are also fortunate to have Witalisz Real Estate and Park Square Real Estate; whose agents are very active in the charitable and community endeavors of the various city organization, including Westfield on Weekends largest event, PumpkinFest. Westfield strives to provide the business market with a safe place to live, work and play. In partnership with the Westfield Chamber of Commerce, led by Eric Oulette, and Peter Miller’s community development office at City Hall, more than a dozen new businesses opened their doors in 2022, with several more due to open in the first months of 2023.

Mina’s Wine and Spirits continued its sponsorship of a weekly concert series organized by Artworks of Westfield, and a few retailers on School Street, including Hillside Chic and Be Bella Boutique, are gaining popularity with the help of cross promotion and marketing campaigns and special events.

Other businesses hit significant milestones. It has been 40 years since Pinsley Railroad acquired Pioneer Valley Railroad, and they are still on track.

North Elm Butcher Block celebrated its 75th anniversary, and is going strong, thanks in part to the innovation of adding a food truck to their list of services.

Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, in its 99th year of operation, is continuing to grow.

While the Bismarck was originally a hotel in the 1860s and throughout most if its life, it has evolved over its 160 years and is now home to several small retail businesses, including Pilgrim Candle, which has been in operation for more than 30 years. These, and many other longstanding businesses have navigated tough times before, and their resilience is once again proving itself in these challenging times. Columbia Manufacturing is more than 150 years old!

During the height of the pandemic and in the months since, several of our wonderful service organizations stepped up to partner with the Westfield Public Schools to help feed children, seniors, and families when there was a need.

Tina Gorman and her team at the Westfield Senior Center, Bill Parks’ and Bo Sullivan’s team at the Westfield Boys and Girls Club, Andrea Allard and her team at the YMCA and Rebecca Hart, of the

Westfield Food Pantry, are at the forefront of these efforts and they have done their best to ensure that those who suffer food insecurity have a reliable source of nutritious meals.

A healthy local economy is driven by a healthy community that takes care of each other and supports our local businesses. By weaving charitable efforts and fostering a sense of community with solid, innovative business practices, Westfield has survived the last few years of a difficult economy.

Looking ahead, I know that by continuing to do so will carry us through whatever challenges we face. In recent months, a new initiative to improve relations between Westfield State University has emphasized this sentiment. Residents and representatives from the business community, the city, the university, and several community cultural partners have united to carve out ways to build mutually beneficial relationships that will impact economic development, and quality of life. This effort captures the spirit of Westfield. Together we are better, and we are better together. we are actively working on implementing the projects, programs and initiatives that have been awarded funding.

Michael McCabe is mayor of the city of Westfield. To learn more about the city and its economic development plans, go online to cityofwestfield.org.

Springfield will have all of its funding committed well before the federal deadline of December 2024, and I am confident our funding will be fully allocated by the stipulated 2026 deadline.

Construction activity continues in Springfield despite the pandemic-related supply chain issues and increased cost of materials. Big Y’s work on their new downtown location at Tower Square has commenced and, once completed, will end the food desert condition that has challenged those living in downtown for decades.

A true dining district is taking root around Worthington Street with the addition of three fantastic new restaurants in the past few months alone with more to come.

The demolition of the old Civic Center garage has been completed and the construction of a new state-of-the-art garage has now commenced.

The new garage will be so much more than just a garage. It will have significant amenities, including ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The garage will look out on to active open space that will be programed with entertainment and retail uses. Further, Bruce Landon Way will also become activated programming space for the MassMutual Center, as needed.

All of these efforts are to enhance the connections between the city’s museums and the cultural amenities in the heart of downtown. Highlighting this is the city’s significant investment in open space and public infrastructure in and around Court Square, Main Street and Court Street, which will further enhance public engagement with the park, allow for larger public events on Court Street and stimulate additional economic development within the area. Construction on that project will begin this coming spring.

The redevelopment of 31

Szynal

CONTINUES FROM PAGE B1 with the chamber and its vast accomplishments for the region since its opening. We’re looking forward to shining a light on the various industries in the new year, including nonprofits and tourism.

We were also thrilled to host our dynamic, signature events, such as Fire & Ice, highlighting the region’s diversely talented restaurant industry. Last year, our Annual Meeting spotlighted members’ contributions to the region, including our Richard J. Moriarty Citizen of the Year, Evan Plotkin. We connected with our incredible legislative delegation and other government officials at our government reception, heard directly about the local economy of neighboring communities at our Mayor’s Forum and celebrated the success of our region’s most successful businesses at our Super 60 Luncheon. These events brought people together in a room full of energy and enthusiasm made even more vibrant by years apart.

This coming year will be one of connection. I have made it my top priority to meet as many members as possible, to learn about their business or organization and begin building strong collaborations throughout Hampden County.

Most notably, I am endeavoring to work closely with the other chambers in our area, knowing that partnering will benefit all our members. We sought to deepen relationships with existing members, celebrated the commitment of long-time members’ anniversaries, and welcomed many new members into the Springfield Regional Chamber fold. This, in part, is due to our re-established Ambassador Program. We’re thrilled to extend our reach through our Chamber Ambassadors.

Elm St. as market-rate housing continues in earnest as does the redevelopment of the Knox Building in Mason Square as affordable housing.

Springfield continues to rebuild and renovate its schools with construction advancing on the new state-of-the-art

$95 million DeBerry-Swan School. A request for proposals has gone out to the real estate development community, both nationally and locally, regarding the redevelopment of the Colonial Block and the Masonic Building on Main and State streets and a third, smaller office building on Stockbridge Street. Bringing economic life back to these buildings through adaptive reuse which is complementary to the Main Street Convention Center District is a key priority of my economic development team in the coming year.

The city’s neighborhood commercial districts were significantly impacted by pandemic. As we come into spring residents will see millions invested into planned improvement projects throughout the city. These improvements include infrastructure, traffic controls, open space, lighting, tree planting and trimming, just to name a few. Reinvestment in neighborhood commercial districts and the small businesses within

In the coming year, the Springfield Regional Chamber will once again amplify the voices of the local business community by setting a member-driven legislative agenda and tapping the resources of our Legislative Steering Committee to advocate on behalf of our region. We will focus on healthcare, workplace and workforce, budget and tax policy, energy, infrastructure and environment.

Additionally, the chamber recognizes that workforce issues will continue to be the biggest challenges for our member businesses. We will convene leaders in education, training, employment, and rehabilitation with local industry leaders with an eye to breaking down barriers to employment and creating a provides residents with direct access to goods and services and enhances neighborhood identity.

The housing development pipeline in Springfield is strong with 424 housing units expected to be developed in the city in 2023, with 22 home-ownership units and 402 multifamily residential rental units.

In 2022 the Baker-Polito Administration closed the book on a gubernatorial administration that was marked by outstanding leadership and significant accomplishment, especially for our Springfield. Throughout their tenure they kept a close eye on the often-forgotten needs of Western Massachusetts, particularly Springfield. 2023 brings new, but highly experienced leadership at the Statehouse. The election of Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll was indeed historic and consequential. I look forward to working with them in addressing the needs of Springfield at the state level such as east-west rail, econom-

Left, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, left, joins then-Gov. Charlie Baker, first lady Lauren Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito as they tour progress on the 31 Elm St. project in Springfield’s Court Square on Sept. 22, 2022. The $62.8 million project will see the 13-31 Elm St. property transformed into housing, office and retail space. Additional streetscape and sidewalk work is planned.

(DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO) more prepared and resourceful workforce.

All these initiatives, partnerships, and exciting programs are imperative to continue to allow us to do what we do best: serve our members and provide them with the tools they need to navigate recovery challenges. We’re thrilled to continue our work in the coming year and look forward to advocating on behalf of our members to make the Greater Springfield Region a stronger, health- ier, and brighter place.

Diana Szynal is president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about the chamber and its work, go online to springfield regionalchamber.com.

Above, officials smash concrete during a ceremony to decommission the old Civic Center Parking garage in downtown Springfield on Aug. 29, 2022, to make way for a new facility. From left are state Rep. Bud L. Williams, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, then-Gov. Charlie Baker, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, state secretary of administration and finance Michael Heffernan, then-Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and David M. Gibbons, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.

Left, former state Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, left, gets set to attach the steel beam for the topping-off ceremony at the new Deberry-Swan School on Union Street in January 2022. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is on the right. (DON TREEGER / THE REPUBLICAN FILE PHOTO) ic development and infrastructure investment.

In closing, I wish you and your families continued good healthy. After what our community has endured together these last few years, I encourage all of us to keep our families and loved ones a little closer, embrace each other a little tighter and to be more thankful for the things that enrich our lives each and every day.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Springfield’s residents, busi-

Jackson

CONTINUES FROM PAGE B6 and (2) reinvest in Northampton as a regional destination for entertainment, shopping, and dining. The project focuses on five key areas to support job growth, promote downtown activities, encourage new business development, build buzz about events, and identify new funding sources for downtown activity. With a Travel & Tourism Recovery Grant by the state Office of Travel & Tourism when the Vibrancy Project was launched last May, the Greater Northampton chamber partnered with the Easthampton chamber to promote 27 summer festivals, outdoor dining pavilions and premier performance venues.

Based on tax receipts reported by the city of Northampton through the first six months of fiscal 2023 (May-October 2022), meals tax revenue grew 11.3% and lodging tax revenue increased by 12.9% in comparison to the same six-month period in the prior year. We believe the next phase of the Vibrancy Project

Reichelt

CONTINUES FROM PAGE B4 nesses and employees for their continued belief, investment, dedication and commitment to our city. I recognize and appreciate that Springfield would not be the great city that it is without the contributions made by each and every one of you. Thank you. can help generate the same kind of growth despite the current economic headwinds. And, finally, building community will matter just as much in 2023 as it has in previous years. We’re stronger together when we work collectively to keep local dollars local and build coalitions across neighboring communities. The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce will continue to work with our elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels to advocate for small businesses and non-profits, our travel and tourism economy and economic development in our city and county. The 2023 outlook may not be rosy, but the Northampton business community has demonstrated the grit and resilience necessary to navigate any challenges that may lie ahead. After all, resilience is the essence of being able to survive and thrive.

The city continues to pursue efforts to modernize and enhance the services we provide to the public, including our school department’s continued emphasis on social emotional learning programs. Both the community and the school district have seen a significant influx of migrant and refugee families and we continue to work to ensure their needs for assistance and services are being met.

Domenic J. Sarno is mayor of the city of Springfield; to learn more about the city and its economic development initiatives, go online to springfield-ma. org.

Vince Jackson is executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about the chamber and its work, go online to northamptonchamber.com.

In West Springfield, we continue to pursue all efforts and initiatives to ensure that West Springfield remains a community where it is desirable to raise a family, own a business and age with dignity. We are excited for everything that 2023 has in store for the community and hope to continue to thrive post-pandemic.

William C. Reichelt is mayor West Springfield. To learn more about West Springfield and its economic development initiatives, go online to townofwestspringfield.org.