Construction Archives - Page 20 of 53

SPRINGFIELD — The Loomis Communities’ annual spring reception will honor the founding board of directors of Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the senior living community on Thursday, May 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the retirement-community campus, 807 Wilbraham Road, Springfield.

The founding board of directors will receive the Elvira Whiting Ball Award for outstanding service to older adults. The reception will honor retired Michael Daly, Bruce Dewey, Jack Dill, Dr. Richard Flynn, John Gallup, Barbara Jefferson, Ronn Johnson, George Kuselias, David Longworth, John Mailhot, Keith McLean-Shinaman, Anthony Mott, Dr. Jill Russell, Scott Stearns Jr., J. Michael Wallace, Dr. Stephen Wittenberg, and deceased members Carl Breyer, Dr. Randolph Bromery, and John Mann.

The community opened in 1995 on the east campus of Springfield College on Lake Massasoit, the result of a collaboration between its founders, Baystate Health and Springfield College. When established, Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing became the first continuing-care retirement community in Springfield with independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing all on the same campus and under one roof.

According to David Scruggs, CEO of the Loomis Communities, “the establishment of the community 20 years ago was the result of a vision shared by leadership from Baystate Health and Springfield College, who were intent on building a first-of-its-kind retirement community in Springfield. There is no better way to honor these founders than with the Elvira Whiting Ball award, named after another visionary leader who, over 100 years ago, with a group of Holyoke women, established the first Loomis community to provide older adults a place to live ‘exempt from strife.’”

The award is presented annually to an individual or group for outstanding service to older adults who personify the spirit of Loomis’ founding leader.

The reception is open to the public. Tickets to the event are $35, with proceeds to benefit the nursing centers at Loomis House in Holyoke and Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. Reservations can be made by calling Carol Constant, director of community engagement, at (413) 532-5325.

The spring reception sponsors include benefactor sponsors Mountain View Landscapes and Peoples Bank; sustaining sponsors Goss & McLain Insurance and Health New England; patron sponsors Lyon & Fitzpatrick and Smith Brothers Insurance; and platinum sponsors Easthampton Savings Bank, Holyoke Medical Center, O’Connell Care at Home, Retirement Dynamics, and Specialized Construction.

Construction Industry “Hits Soft Patch”

By BusinessWest Staff April 22, 2015

Even as construction firms added jobs in 41 states between March 2014 and March 2015, construction employment declined in 29 states and the District of Columbia between February and March, according to an analysis today of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that ongoing D.C. gridlock over how to pay for needed infrastructure improvements and declining demand for oil-related projects likely contributed to so many states shedding construction jobs last month. “While the year-over-year data remains relatively positive, it is troubling to see so many states losing construction jobs during the past month,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “As energy firms cancel or delay projects and Congressional action on transportation and other infrastructure measures remains stalled, many construction firms appear to be reducing headcount, at least temporarily.”   California added more new construction jobs (46,300 jobs, 6.9%) between March 2014 and March 2015 than any other state. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months included Texas (39,300 jobs, 6.2%), Florida (37,400 jobs, 9.7%), Washington (18,900 jobs, 12.1%) and Illinois (16,600 jobs, 8.4%). Idaho (14.8%, 4,800 jobs) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by North Dakota (12.1%, 4,000 jobs), Washington and Colorado (10.4%, 14,500 jobs). Nine states shed construction jobs during the past 12 months while construction employment was unchanged in D.C. West Virginia (-2,400 jobs, -7.2%) and Mississippi (-2,400 jobs, -4.7%) were tied for the most construction jobs lost. Other states that lost a high number of construction jobs for the year were Indiana (-1,900 jobs, -1.6%), Ohio (-1,400 jobs, -0.7%) and Nebraska (-600 jobs, -1.6%.)   Texas (-5,800 jobs, -0.9%) lost the most construction jobs between February and March. Other states experiencing large monthly declines in total construction employment included Ohio (-4,500 jobs, -2.3%), Kentucky (-4,100 jobs, -5.4%), Georgia (-3,500 jobs, -2.2%) and Arkansas (-3,400 jobs, -6.9%). Arkansas lost the highest percent of construction jobs, followed by Kentucky, West Virginia (-4.3%, -1,400 jobs) and New Mexico (-3.0%, -1,300 jobs). “The construction industry has clearly hit a soft patch,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “Passing needed infrastructure measures will certainly help keep construction employment levels from backsliding.”

Briefcase

Briefcase Departments

Rapid Population Growth in State to Continue
HADLEY — Newly updated population projections by the UMass Donahue Institute say recent growth in the state’s population will be sustained through 2015, with the rate then slowing through 2035. The newly released report, “Long-term Population Projections for Massachusetts Regions and Municipalities,” was developed by researchers at the UMass Donahue Institute’s (UMDI) Population Estimates Program and Dr. Henry Renski, associate professor of Regional Planning and director for the UMass Center for Economic Development at UMass Amherst. It provides detailed projections, or expected populations, at five-year intervals through 2035 by age and sex for all Massachusetts cities and towns and eight distinct Massachusetts regions. This 2015 series updates the last set released by UMDI in 2013. The study, produced with support from Mass. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, forecasts 11.8% growth in state’s population from 2010 to 2035, with population increasing by 771,840 over the 25-year term to a new total of 7,319,469. “Massachusetts has been growing very rapidly in the past few years”, said Susan Strate, Population Estimates Program manager. “It’s been growing more than twice as fast as the Northeast average, and twice as fast as it had between Census 2000 and 2010 on average. The new projections pick up on this recent, rapid growth before the natural forces of an aging population eventually start to slow things down.” Among the study’s most significant findings, the population aged 65 and over will almost double in 25 years, increasing from 902,724 in 2010 to 1,679,917 by 2035 — changing from 14% of the state’s total population to 23% by 2035. At the opposite end, the population aged 19 and under is expected to decrease by 57,000 people, changing from 25% of the state population to just 21% by 2035. Some areas of the state — including the Greater Boston, MetroWest, and Central regions — are predicted to grow at rates well above the state average, while others, including regions in Western Mass., will experience only slow growth. The Cape Cod region is expected to lose resident population if recent trends in migration, fertility, and mortality continue. This projection series picks up on the recent, rapid growth experienced in Massachusetts through 2014, estimated at 3% cumulatively since the 2010 Census and averaging 0.7%, or 46,492 persons per year, according to U.S. Census estimates. According to UMDI projections, growth will be sustained at this rate through 2015, adding about 245,000 persons in the first five-year period, and then gradually diminish over time, slowing to 0.2% annual growth from 2030 to 2035. By comparison, Massachusetts grew by 3.1% cumulatively in the 10 years from 2000 to 2010.

State Announces $1 Million Expansion of AgEnergy Grants
BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker announced that Massachusetts farmers will soon be able to apply to the expanded Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) AgEnergy Grant Program, thanks to new funding from the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). As a result of the efforts of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matt Beaton, DOER Acting Commissioner Dan Burgess, and MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux, DOER will provide $1 million to support a two-year expansion of the existing AgEnergy Grant Program. “A vibrant agricultural community in Massachusetts is essential to building healthy communities and a stronger economy across the Commonwealth,” said Baker. “As we celebrate the impact agriculture brings to our economy and history today, the expansion of the AgEnergy grants will help our Commonwealth’s farmers address their energy needs and increase their future opportunities for competitiveness in the global marketplace.” Added Beaton, “the AgEnergy Grant Program is an important part of keeping Massachusetts farms operational and competitive, while ensuring safe, long-term local food production.” The AgEnergy initiative is an annual competitive program for Massachusetts agricultural operations seeking funds to build energy projects to improve energy efficiency and facilitate adoption of alternative clean-energy technologies. By implementing these projects, agricultural operations can become more sustainable, and the Commonwealth can maximize the environmental and economic benefits from these technologies. “Supporting local agricultural operations through clean-energy investments and equipment upgrades is beneficial for the Commonwealth’s farmers, local consumers, and our clean-energy industry,” Burgess noted. Since its inception in 2009, the AgEnergy program has helped 156 farms build a variety of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects, providing funding of more than $2.2 million toward $12.3 million in total project-construction costs, achieving more than $900,000 in either annual energy savings or energy generation. Projects have included installations of variable-speed-drive vacuum pumps and heat recovery for dairy operations; thermal curtains, biomass boilers, and high-efficiency heaters for greenhouses; cold storage and high-efficiency refrigeration for vegetable farms and orchards; high-efficiency arches, heat-recovery, and reverse-osmosis equipment for maple-syrup operations; anaerobic digesters; and a variety of photovoltaic projects for all farming sectors. “These new funds will provide a tremendous boost toward strengthening MDAR’s resources and our ability to serve the Massachusetts’ farm community in its own efforts to become more sustainable in their energy use and choice,” Lebeaux said.

Unemployment Holds Steady in New England
BOSTON — The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released New England and state unemployment numbers for February 2015. These statistics are supplied by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, which produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor-force data. Among the key points, the New England unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3% in February. One year ago, the New England jobless rate was higher, at 6.3%. Four New England states posted jobless rates that were significantly different from the U.S. rate of 5.5%. New Hampshire and Vermont (3.9% each) recorded lower-than-average unemployment rates. In contrast, Connecticut (6.4%) and Rhode Island (6.3%) had jobless rates that were significantly higher than the national average in February.

People on the Move

Departments People on the Move

Anne Paradis

The Professional Women’s Chamber (PWC) announced that Anne Paradis, Chief Executive Officer for MicroTek Inc. in Chicopee, has been named the PWC 2015 Woman of the Year. The award, given annually since 1954, is presented to a woman in the Western Mass. area who exemplifies outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment, and service to the community. A celebration in Paradis’s honor will be held on May 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield. “We are thrilled with this year’s honoree — a truly inspiring and accomplished woman like Anne Paradis,” said Janet Casey, PWC board president. “She is a domestic trailblazer among women in the high-tech industry, and the opportunity that she has provided to people with disabilities speaks so deeply to her sense of compassion. Her achievements are spectacular and her generosity admirable.” Microtek was founded in 1983 with the mission of integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce. The company provides custom cable and wire configurations, control panels, and enclosures for customers in the medical equipment, scientific test and instrumentation, life sciences, industrial, and retail industries. Paradis was tapped to lead the organization in 1987. Under her guidance, the company has grown an average of 15% each year, expanded its product lines and client base, and created more than 80 jobs. As well, Paradis has led the organization through construction of a new 22,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, obtained industry certifications as well as ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 registrations, and has been awarded the Massachusetts quality-of-service certification with distinction for employment services every year since 1996. Prior to joining MicroTek, Paradis served as a management and training consultant, served as the marketing director and employment design specialist for New England Business Associates, and spent nearly 10 years in the mental-health field. She is a member of the Baystate Health board of trustees and vice chair of its audit committee, past president of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts board of directors, corporator of the Wentworth Institute of Technology, and former president of the National Assoc. of Supported Work Organizations board of directors. She also served on the reference services advisory board for UMass and the electronic advisory committee for Chicopee Comprehensive High School. She is also active in the Social Enterprise Alliance, the Wire Harness Manufacturer’s Assoc., the Women Presidents’ Organization, and the Human Right Campaign, and in 2009 was named to the 21st Century Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame at Bay Path University. Tickets for the May 19 celebration, sponsored by BusinessWest, are $55. To register, visit www.myonlinechamber.com or e-mail [email protected].
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Paul Kleschick

Paul Kleschick has joined American International College (AIC) as its new Registrar. Kleschick recently performed consulting work for a variety of colleges and universities. Prior to working as a consultant, he was registrar at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He previously served as the associate registrar at Georgetown University and Temple University. Kleschick graduated from Cabrini College in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned his master’s degree from Temple University and his MBA from Philadelphia University.
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Melinda Graulau

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield announced that Eastfield Mall and Auburn Crossing General Manager Melinda Graulau has been chosen as its 2015 recipient of the Leadership Community Service Award. The award will be presented at the Leadership 2015 graduation ceremonies on April 16 at the Springfield Sheraton. Leadership 2015 is a unique collaboration between the ACCGS and Western New England University (WNEU) to teach middle- and upper-level managers the crucial thinking and problem-solving skills needed to prepare participants to be effective leaders in service to the community and their workplaces. Since 1990, the award has been presented annually to a citizen or organization that exemplifies the program’s values of leadership in the workplace and in the world and a commitment to community service. A 2012 graduate of the program, Graulau moved to Western Mass. in 2009 to take on the role of general manager at the two shopping malls for Mountain Development Corp. She leads a team of 40 and is responsible for temporary and permanent leasing, expense control, personnel development, contract negotiations, and community relations.
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J. Polep announced the promotion of Adam Kramer to vice president of Purchasing and Food Service. Kramer has been with J. Polep since 2006, most recently as director of Food Service. Over the past nine years, he has also been a field sales representative, district manager, and president of Grote & Weigel (a division of J. Polep).
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Country Bank’s annual meeting was held at the Worcester Art Museum last month. The evening’s agenda included the election of trustees, corporators, and officers, as well as a report of 2014 highlights and financials. The 10 new incorporators are: Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, Sheila Cuddy, Brian D’Andrea, Robert Dik, Mary Falardeau, Janice Kucewicz, Lauren Miller, Timothy Murray, James Paugh III, and Richard Poissant.
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The Westfield-based engineering firm Tighe & Bond announced the following:

Christina Jones

• The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) named Christina Jones, a project engineer in the company’s Westfield office, the recipient of the 2014 ACEC/MA Young Professional of the Year Award. The recognition took place during ACEC/MA’s Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala on March 18 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. Each year, this competitive award recognizes the accomplishments of one engineer, 30 years old or younger, based on their work and its societal impact. Jones, who is a licensed engineer in Massachusetts, was recognized for achieving significant successes within just five years of launching her civil- and environmental-engineering career. For the city of Chicopee, she provided construction administration and observation, research, and analysis for the first paving project in Massachusetts to implement cutting-edge intelligent-compaction technology. The result was a more streamlined, cost-efficient paving process, and better-quality pavement that is slated to have a longer life. Jones is also developing an integrated management plan for Chicopee, which will include working with regulators to advance green infrastructure as an alternative approach to separating combined sewer overflows. In addition, she is developing a unidirectional flushing plan for cleaning water-distribution pipes that will improve water quality and pressure throughout Chicopee. For two of Connecticut’s major water suppliers, Jones has developed hydraulic models of critical water reservoirs to assess the impact of new fish-habitat-friendly stream-flow regulations on reservoir management. This research enabled her to assist with reservoir-management decisions. Jones earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and environmental engineering, as well as her master’s degree in environmental engineering, from UMass Amherst. Her professional affiliations include the American Water Works Assoc., the New England Water Works Assoc. (where she is a programs committee member), and Engineers without Borders. She also previously served as a student activities committee member for the New England Water Environment Assoc; and

Michael Toto

• Michael Toto has been hired to manage the company’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) team. A senior electrical engineer with more than 21 years of experience, Toto has managed a wide range of commercial, industrial, and institutional engineering projects. He has provided engineering services to numerous well-known industry giants and prominent institutions. His expertise includes the study, design, permitting, construction management, construction administration, and startup of numerous building and infrastructure facilities. His portfolio of projects includes all phases of engineering for electrical infrastructure. As a project manager, he has led many project teams during various phases of projects simultaneously, and has been the leader on several jobs with multiple owners during his professional experience. Toto earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His professional affiliations include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power Engineering Society, the National Fire Protection Assoc., the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the Assoc. of Energy Engineers.
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The regional law firm Bacon Wilson, P.C. announced that Attorney Kenneth Albano was recently appointed to the board of directors of the New England Chapter of the March of Dimes. Albano is also currently serving a second term as board chair of Massachusetts’ Western Division Chapter. The March of Dimes is a national organization whose primary mission is to reduce birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Upon learning of his appointment to the New England Board, Albano noted that “I am very pleased to continue my service to the important mission of the March of Dimes. The good work of the March of Dimes improves the health of Massachusetts babies and provides support to their families.” Albano is a senior partner with Bacon Wilson and a member of the firm’s corporate, commercial, and municipal practice groups. Bacon Wilson is one of the largest firms in Western Mass., with a total of 40 lawyers and approximately 60 paralegals, assistants, and support staff.
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Beloved Earth, the Pioneer Valley’s first ‘green’ cleaning company, hired Andrew Sbrega of Chicopee as its first residential services manager for Hampden County. Over the past four years, Sbrega worked for Tropical Smoothies in Holyoke and oversaw a team of employees while keeping the shop space clean and building customer relations. Beloved Earth owner Terra Missildine said Sbrega’s leadership experience will positively influence his work as a services manager. As a residential services manager, Sbrega will oversee a cleaning team designated to the Springfield area. Since beginning the position in January, Sbrega has gained residential and office clients in West Springfield and Longmeadow. He and Missildine are currently in the process of hiring Sbrega’s team. Beloved Earth’s current teams focus on clients in Hampshire County and book an average of 250 hours of cleaning per week. Missildine wants to expand into Hampden County, and she sees Sbrega as an ideal leader to begin that outreach. “Andrew is committed to green living. He really walks the walk,” she said.
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The Dowd Insurance Agencies announced that Nadine West has joined the organization as a commercial-lines account manager. “We are very excited to have Nadine join our team of insurance professionals,” said John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies. “She has a great deal of industry experience and brings a lot of enthusiasm for customer service.” West has been specializing in property and casualty insurance since 1998. She is a licensed property and casualty producer and holds the Certified Insurance Service Representative designation. Prior to joining Dowd, West was employed by Borawski Insurance of Northampton. As a commercial-lines account manager, West will manage a roster of insurance clients at Dowd’s Holyoke office and support producers with business-development initiatives. She has a strong focus on customer service and is dedicated to continuing education opportunities as the industry advances. “I consistently challenge myself to stay on top of industry trends and learn all I can about my competitors and carriers to strengthen my industry relationships,” said West. “I have extensive training in sales, management, and customer service, and I look forward to applying these skills for the benefit of our customers at the Dowd Insurance Agencies.”
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Jonathan Soucy

Molding Business Services (MBS) announced it has taken on a new partner, Jonathan Soucy of Plymouth. He joins forces with partners Terry Minnick, Joel Minnick, and Andrew Munson, and will help bolster the firm’s M&A advisory and recruiting efforts. Soucy has more than 25 years of experience in precision injection molding and manufacturing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering UMass Lowell and an MBA from Suffolk University. For the past six years, Soucy served as the CEO of Plainfield Precision, a multi-national manufacturer of injection-molded components, metal stampings, and complex assemblies. During his tenure with Plainfield, he led a corporate-wide turnaround, developed and executed a strategic plan to build value, and successfully sold the various Plainfield companies to maximize shareholder return. Soucy’s move to MBS coincides with a Jan. 30 transaction that saw Plainfield Precision sell its final production facility — a precision automotive injection molder in San Luis Potosi, Mexico — to the U.S. subsidiaries of Nissha Printing Co. Ltd. Based in Japan, Nissha is a global manufacturer of printed films and owns Eimo Technologies, a Michigan-based manufacturer of decorative, injection-molded components. MBS advised Plainfield in the transaction. Soucy also spent nearly two decades with a Plainfield predecessor company called Pixley Richards. Pixley was a custom plastic-injection-molding company specializing in tight-tolerance parts. During his tenure there, Soucy held various roles in engineering and operations management until eventually leading a management buyout of the company and assuming the role of owner and CEO.
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The Springfield Falcons announced that Corey Cowick has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the Springfield community during the 2014-15 season. The Falcons’ left winger has gone above and beyond with his efforts to give back to the community. He constantly takes part in appearances and volunteer opportunities, meeting fans and doing his part to help improve the local area. The Falcons have a strong dedication to bettering quality of life in the Springfield community by promoting awareness of education, exercise, and health along with donating time and resources. Cowick has been at the forefront of these initiatives, making countless appearances in schools, libraries, and community centers. He became the main speaker for the Falcons’ Stick to Reading program presented by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, the Teamwork program presented by TD Bank, and the Play It Forward program. Cowick has spoken to numerous students and young fans around the Greater Springfield area about the importance of literacy, ways to stay active and lead a healthy lifestyle, and the qualities of leadership and anti-bullying. Cowick also frequented Friends of the Homeless and served meals to clients along with personally donating winter and toiletry items during the holidays. He visited patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children and donated his time to answer phones at the 14th Annual 94.7 WMAS Radiothon for Baystate Children’s Hospital. He also participated in the sale of team-signed ornaments and green mystery pucks with proceeds donated to Toys for Tots and Baystate Children’s Hospital, respectively. Additionally, Cowick visited the Pioneer Valley PSO, where he visited with military families and spent a great deal of time conversing and getting to know each family. Cowick is now one of 30 finalists for the American Hockey League’s 2014-15 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the AHL later this month.
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Florence Bank announced that Stephen Bourgeois Jr. of Amherst has been named to the President’s Club for 2015. The President’s Club affords employees opportunities to nominate their peers for the honor, which recognizes superior performance, customer service, and overall contribution to Florence Bank. Bourgeois was nominated by numerous colleagues at Florence Bank. He is a senior teller and customer-service representative at the bank’s King Street office, and joined the bank in 2012. John Heaps Jr., president and CEO of Florence Bank, said, “we received so many comments about Stephen — everything from ‘he is the first to volunteer to take on projects or help in any way’ to ‘he maintains the perfect balance of professionalism and friendliness with our customers.’ His commendable work ethic and genuine desire to contribute make Stephen an outstanding member of the President’s Club.”
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Dr. Laura Iglesias Lino

Praised for her leadership and for using her skills in geriatrics and palliative care to help Spanish-speaking and other immigrant populations in Springfield, Dr. Laura Iglesias Lino has been named a recipient of the 2015 Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award. Iglesias Lino, medical director for Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Baystate Brightwood Health Center/Centro de Salud and associate medical director for Hospice at Baystate Medical Center, is one of five physicians nationwide recognized with the award. The awards program honors leaders who advance palliative care in underserved areas and forge ties with various medical specialists to help people with cancer. “This cohort of physicians demonstrates that compassion, competency, and a healing presence are cherished by patients and their families and admired and respected by their colleagues,” said Dr. Richard Payne, chairman of the selection committee and the Esther Colliflower Professor of Medicine and Divinity at Duke University and the John B. Francis Chair in Bioethics at the Center for Practical Bioethics. “The awards will make a difference for their careers, and will assist them in building palliative-care programs in their communities.” Each of the five recipients was noted as being exemplary in one or more of four areas: medical practice, teaching, research, and community. Awards were made in three categories: senior, mid-career, and early-career. Recognized in the early-career category, Iglesias Lino will receive $15,000 to further her work in palliative care in Springfield. “Although I was her teacher and am decades older, I hope to match her dedication to patients one day,” said Dr. Maura Brennan, chief of the Division of Geriatrics, Palliative Care & Post-acute Medicine at Baystate Medical Center, and hospice medical director for the Baystate Visiting Nurse Assoc. & Hospice. “Dr. Iglesias Lino has an unassuming, gentle nature and is more likely to design programs for patents in need than write scholarly articles for publication. She has a beautiful soul and is precisely the type of physician our aging society needs. Dr. Iglesias Lino combines the best parts of a geriatrician and a palliative-care physician and is eminently worthy of this prestigious award.” Iglesias Lino received her medical degree from the Universidad Nacional San Agustin de Arequipa in Peru. She completed her internal medicine residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital/Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, followed by a geriatrics fellowship at Baystate Medical Center. She is board-certified in both geriatrics and palliative care. While at Baystate Brightwood Health Center, Iglesias Lino has developed a team-based program to ease caregiver stress and provide quality of life for patients with advanced dementias. Her knowledge and diagnostic abilities put her in high demand as a physician and consultant. Her teaching and caregiving skills have generated culture change in a clinic with little previous experience in geriatric or palliative care. The Cunniff-Dixon Foundation, whose mission is to enrich the doctor-patient relationship near the end of life, funds the awards. The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute that has done groundbreaking work on end-of-life decision-making, co-sponsors the awards. Duke University Divinity School’s Program in Medicine, Theology, and Culture oversees the selection process.

Community Spotlight: Belchertown

Community Spotlight Features

State School Project Tops Belchertown’s Priority List

Douglas Albertson says redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School — and other highly visible projects — are lending momentum to the town’s growth.

With equal amounts of anticipation and relief, officials in this Hampshire County community talked about how redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School campus is finally underway — at least in a way that’s visible to passersby.

“We’re obviously excited about it,” said Town Planner Douglas Albertson with a touch of understatement in his voice. “We just approved a site plan for an assisted-living facility that will be built by the Grantham Group LLC in Marlborough.”

The development will include 83 units, and 40 of them will be affordable housing, he went on, adding that the town has a large senior population and the project will be particularly advantageous to older people who need a place to live but can’t afford market-rate rents.

The three-story structure, which will be known as Christopher Heights of Belchertown, is expected to cost $15 million. However, the Grantham Group has applied for $5 million in federal tax credits and another $2 million in state subsidies. Albertson said the developer is also seeking $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funds from the town, and the Board of Selectmen will vote on the request in May.

“Town officials, MassDevelopment, and BEDIC [Belchertown Economic Development & Industrial Corp.] have all worked hard to facilitate this project,” he told BusinessWest, adding that MassDevelopment is in charge of overseeing the cleanup of the former state-school property.

The Grantham Group was chosen to build the senior-living facility from among three entities that responded after MassDevelopment issued a request of interest for the site.

“They’re known for their assisted-living communities, and ever since the school closed, residents have said they would like to see one built on the land there, so we are thrilled that this is happening,” Albertson said. “It has great potential to enhance the community.”

He said the Grantham Group has developed dozens of assisted-living facilities, including the $13.4 million Christopher Heights of Northampton, which is situated in the Village Hill neighborhood on the grounds of the old Northampton State Hospital.

Although the property has been vacant for decades, several studies have been conducted to determine options for its reuse. Albertson said the last one was completed in 2009, thanks to $100,000 the town received from the state after the campus was designated as a priority development site.

At that time, Belchertown officials hired RKG Associates to assess the land, buildings, and layout of the 85-acre campus. When they finished, Fuss and O’Neill, a civil and environmental engineering consulting firm, created a conceptual use plan based on RKG’s findings. The work was done in association with the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, and although they came up with two uses for the property, mixed-use development was seen as the most viable option.

“Our strength is that we are a residential community,” Albertson said, adding that the report stressed that any new residential housing should be targeted to fill gaps in Belchertown’s existing housing inventory, which includes housing for seniors.

The report also concluded that the western end of the property was the most suitable location for residential housing, and advised a gradual transition to mixed-use buildings, then to businesses on the eastern end of the campus near the railroad.

“We’re still using their concept in our work with MassDevelopment,” Albertson said, adding the state agency is developing a master plan for the property.

The report also found the town had enough infrastructure to support dense development on the campus, and Albertson told BusinessWest that Belchertown officials have kept the property in mind over the years as they upgraded and expanded sewer and water distribution lines.

“Provisions have been made to accommodate expansion in that sector of town,” he said, adding that, after the buildings are razed to make way for the new assisted-living complex, the town will seek to bond up to $1.2 million for road construction and utilities over a period of several years.

For this, the latest installment in its Community Spotlight series, BusinessWest looks at developments in Belchertown and how the state school project is expected to create momentum on several levels.

School of Thought

Belchertown State School for the Feeble Minded opened in 1922, had a storied history, and was closed in 1992 due to multiple lawsuits that cited inhumane conditions and poor treatment of patients. In 1999, the state turned the property over to the town, and the Board of Selectmen created the BEDIC to manage it and appointed a board of directors.

Although town officials did their best to secure the buildings, Albertson said, the structures have been vandalized over the years. And although a number of proposals were put forth for the site, none of them ever came to fruition.

However, that has finally changed, and the first signs of new life at the old state school could be seen last month when Springfield-based Associated Building Wreckers started working on the three acres where Christopher Heights will be built. The company removed asbestos and other hazardous materials from the area and will begin demolishing buildings in the section known as Pad I this month.

“The work is being paid for with state funding,” Albertson said, explaining that the Commonwealth has released $4 million of $10 million approved to conduct a comprehensive cleanup of the state school campus.

The town also instituted a special type of zoning for the site late last fall, and its Business Neighborhood Center District plan design will provide aesthetic consistency with the surrounding neighborhoods, while encouraging economic development. It will increase possible uses for the property, but site-plan approval by the Planning Board will be required for each development in the district.

“The one thing that was excluded is single-family housing because we didn’t want to compete with local builders who are finishing up subdivisions in town or hope to create new ones,” Albertson explained. “However, we do want to encourage housing for single people, seniors, and artists or artisans who want to create a studio and live and work in the same place. We would also like to have enough density so that people can patronize businesses on the property and work there.

“And now that the economy is improving, things are getting busy in other areas of Belchertown again,” he went on, adding that economic development has gained real momentum over the last year and many home-based businesses are also thriving. “It’s a hidden economy in Belchertown, and some of these businesses do expand.”

Belchertown has two new restaurants that are doing well, he went on. Oneis Almeida’s Café, which was built on an empty lot last summer near the state school campus on Routes 202 and 21, “has been a real success,” Albertson said.

Antonio’s Pizza by the Slice has also gained a following since it opened late last spring in its newest location on 31 Federal St.; others are in Amherst, Easthampton, Rhode Island, Texas, and Illinois.

“The owners saw an opportunity for a sit-down restaurant here,” Albertson said, adding that the location was home to Saporito’s Pizza before it was purchased in the early part of 2014. “The parking lot was packed immediately after they opened, and they have been busy ever since.”

Nelson’s Barber Shop also opened on the first floor of a house on North Main St. that had been a poorly maintained rental property for decades. “The neighbors are happy about it,” Albertson said, noting that the upper story is still a residential rental, but the entire ground floor is occupied by the business.

In addition, Belchertown’s first tattoo shop opened in February in the same strip mall as Antonio’s Pizza, and Surner Heating Co., which provides fuel and service throughout Hampshire County, is expanding its Belchertown facility.

“They’re adding propane and putting in two large underground tanks; the city recently approved the site work, which began several weeks ago,” Albertson said, adding that the property includes a building that houses a mini-mart, several apartments, and a gas station on Federal Street. “Their heating-oil storage tanks are also at that site, and they lease one to Noonan Oil; the business expansion reflects the fact that fewer people want to heat with oil. Propane is another option, and many people like to cook with it.”

Looking Ahead

Town and state officials hope Christopher Heights will spark renewed interest in the Belchertown State School property.

“The redevelopment of the campus has been a long-awaited project, and we’re excited about it. When it is done, we anticipate growth in surrounding areas; we believe it could be a catalyst for the whole area,” Albertson said. “The campus has always been pretty, but it hasn’t been maintained — but that is about to change.”

He cited a small plaza across the street from the property as an example of a site with room for growth. “The complex could be expanded. Plus, there are several other parcels available nearby,” the town planner said, adding that Easthampton Savings Bank opened a branch last year at the entrance to the grounds of the former state school.

Christopher Heights will support 65 construction jobs and create 40 permanent positions, and when the assisted-living community is complete, a long-neglected area in Belchertown will finally begin to realize its potential.

“We believe that, once the Grantham Group develops a portion of the site,” Albertson said, “it will give others the confidence to follow.”

Belchertown at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 14,735
Area: 52.64 square miles 
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $17.89
Commercial Tax Rate: $17.89
Median Household Income: $52,467
Family Household Income: $60,830
Type of government: Open Town Meeting; Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Belchertown High School; Super Stop & Shop; Cold Spring School

* Latest information available

Tracking Progress

Construction Sections

Union Station Project Moves to Critical Next Phase

Bob Aquadro stands inside the gutted central concourse at Union Station. Inset: an architect’s rendering of the planned new concourse.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno had probably been inside the old terminal building at Union Station a few dozen times since he was elected in November 2007, for press conferences, meetings with state officials, and assorted other gatherings staged to inform the public about its pending revitalization.

He had become quite familiar with the dark, dank interior of the old station, which has sat vacant and unused for more than 35 years, and many of its features, such as the terrazzo floor, some relics from the golden age of rail, the central concourse, and the famous clock stationed at its south end, its hands seemingly frozen in time.

So the mayor was somewhat taken aback when he walked in the 89-year-old building earlier this month as BusinessWest was offered a tour and update on the ongoing construction there.

He barely recognized the place, and for good reason.

The interior had been gutted right down to the brick walls and the structural steel support beams. The skeletal steel frame of the concourse, with its various-sized arches, was all that was left of the once-proud centerpiece. The clock was gone, and the tunnel that connected the terminal with Lyman Street and the rail platforms above was open for the first time in what is believed to be three decades. The mezzanine and third floors, also gutted to the walls, were inaccessible because the stairways to them had been torn down.

“Wow … this is really opened up,” said Sarno as he walked in the front entrance with Kevin Kennedy, the city’s chief development officer. “This place is huge.”

The work to gut the interior, revealing just how massive the landmark on Frank B. Murray Way is, represents some of the still-early-stage work in a massive, long-awaited, $76 million project to convert the long-dormant station into an intermodal transportation center and, hopefully, revitalize the area surrounding Springfield’s famous Arch. For Sarno and Kennedy, this is a multi-faceted economic-development initiative, one designed to restore a landmark but also create momentum and spur additional activity.

But for Bob Aquadro, senior project manager with Holyoke-based Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, it’s merely the latest — and also one of the largest, most challenging, and most complex — projects in a long career in construction.

Indeed, this multi-phase endeavor entails both new construction — especially a six-level parking garage and adjacent bus terminal — and historic renovation of both the station’s interior and exterior. Meanwhile, it also involves a host of constituencies, especially the two railroads — Amtrak and CSXT — that own the rails above the station and run several trains over them each day at speeds sometimes exceeding 40 miles per hour.

This project also features some rather tight deadlines and extremely difficult work — with both of those elements in evidence with efforts to waterproof that aforementioned tunnel area, one of the next steps in this intricate process.

“This is one of the most complex processes that I have seen in many years — there are a lot of players, and there’s a lot to put together to make this come off properly,” Aquadro said, referring to the tunnel work specifically, but also the project as a whole. “And once we get the railroads on board, we have a detailed phase-in plan for going through their yard and digging up that tunnel.”

There will be many other challenges involved with this endeavor, and for this issue and its focus on construction, BusinessWest looks at how, collectively, they will make this project as intriguing as it is historic.

At top, Union Station not long after it opened in 1926. Above, an architect’s rendering of the renovated station, bus depot, and parking garage.

Platform Issues

Union Station wouldn’t be the first Springfield landmark that Daniel O’Connell’s Sons has constructed — or reconstructed, as the case may be.

Indeed, the company handled the massive rehabilitation of the of the Memorial Bridge in the early ’90s, and it also handled the $60 million initiative to build a new federal courthouse on State Street, a three-year project that was completed in 2008.

Aquadro served as project manager for the federal courthouse work, as he did for construction of the new, $80 million Taunton Trial Court, his most recent major assignment, and another endeavor that stretched through three building seasons.

“Projects I tend to get involved with are generally very lengthy,” said Aquadro with a laugh, adding that work to revitalize Union Station and build its related components will certainly continue that trend. By the time a ceremonial ribbon is cut in 2017, he will have spent close to four years on this assignment.

As he talked about the project, he and Clerk of the Works Leroy Clink stressed that there are many moving parts and a number of intriguing elements — starting with the station itself.

It is coming up on its 90th birthday, said Aquadro, and it is certainly showing its age — not to mention the fact that it has spent more than half its lifetime is serious decline or complete dormancy.

Indeed, like most all of the grand rail facilities, many of them called Union Station, built in the first two decades of the 20th century — many conceived to replace earlier structures that ushered in the era of rail travel — Springfield’s landmark fell victim to the rise of air travel and the nation’s interstate highway system, both of which began altering the landscape in the 1950s.

Changes in how Americans got from one place to another eventually led to the destruction of many of those stations, including, famously (or infamously as the case may be), New York’s Pennsylvania Station, torn down in the early ’60s. Others fell into serious decline and were eventually revitalized and often repurposed. That list includes Washington D.C.’s Union Station, New York’s Grand Central Terminal, Boston’s North Station, Worcester’s Union Station, and many others.

Springfield’s Union Station had to wait much longer than those facilities, but perseverance, especially on the part of U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Kennedy, who once served as Neal’s senior aide, finally paid off.

Plans to convert the station into an intermodal transit center and mixed-use facility, which have been on the drawing board for more than 20 years, are finally becoming reality, although most of those mixed uses proposed over the years — everything from an IMAX theater to a day-care facility to various forms of retail — have been shelved or scrapped altogether.

What survived were plans to restore the station to something approaching its former glory — at least in terms of aesthetics — and outfit it to accommodate expanded rail service within the region, and also build a new facility that would handle intercity, and perhaps intracity, bus travel.

Work at the station has actually been underway for well over a year now, with much of it focused on asbestos removal — an intricate and time-consuming effort — and then demolition of the station’s former baggage area to make way for the new bus facilities.

Given the station’s advanced age and decades of dormancy, crews spent considerable time assessing its condition and looking for possible surprises, said Aquadro, adding that designers and engineers needed to know what they were up against moving forward.

“That’s one of the reasons we did all this work early, to help the designers see what’s here, because it is very difficult,” he told BusinessWest. “We had to remove a lot of asbestos, and just removing the roof gave us an awful lot of information. There were some surprises, but it goes along with the investigation; this structure was built under different building standards than what we use today, and all of that had to be looked at.”

The $76 million Union Station project is a mix of new construction and historic renovation.

Dry Subject Matter

Until recently, most of the work at Union Station was conducted out of the public’s view, with asbestos removal and other steps inside the terminal, said Aquadro, adding that the physical landscape started changing with the demolition of the baggage building, which is not complete.

And it will continue to change in a number of ways over the next several months with the start of construction of the parking garage, the bus depot, and a new road that will connect Frank B. Murray Way with Liberty Street.

Still, much of the work will go on behind the scenes, said Clink, including the upcoming work to waterproof the tunnel area and safeguard the complex from rain water.

“The waterproofing that the original builders put on this facility has failed; for this to become a working train station, that water has to be stopped,” he explained, adding that decades ago there were efforts to restore the tunnel without dealing with the water problems, and they met with disastrous results.

“This passenger tunnel is such a challenging piece because there are so many parties involved,” he went on, listing Amtrak, CSXT, and the Mass. Department of Transportation as just a few.

Dealing with these parties has been time-consuming, frustrating, and, yes, expensive, he added, noting that rail officials charge the city (and therefore those budgeting this project) for the time and effort negotiating how the trains will continue running throughout this process.

But all that has occurred to date will likely be a relative walk in the park compared with what’s to come, said Clink, adding that the waterproofing work on the track level must be carefully orchestrated so as not to seriously disrupt rail service, while also keeping construction workers safe.

Elaborating, he noted, as Aquadro did, that all rail service cannot be halted while crews for the railroads essentially remove or raise track, and the construction company that wins the bid for this stage of the project builds what amounts to a waterproof membrane around the nearly century-old tunnel. Instead, the work will be done in five stages, one set of tracks at a time, with CSXT actually laying some new, temporary track — known as a shoo-fly track — so trains can effectively travel around the work in progress.

This work is called positive-side waterproofing, said Aquadro, and it cannot be done in cold weather, which means the clock is ticking. Winter is eight months away, but that time will go by quickly, and Aquadro estimates it will take perhaps five or six weeks to complete each of the five phases.

“It’s a very tight timetable — there is very little margin for error,” he told BusinessWest, adding that the original starting date was April 1, which is now well in the rear-view mirror.

On the Right Track

Making the terminal building itself more weathertight will be much easier, said Aquadro, adding that water problems there were caused by leaks in the roof which will soon be addressed.

“And once it’s watertight, it’s sheetrock and studs, and off we go,” he said, referring to work to build out the old train station and its central concourse, which will have new and appropriate finishes and of obviously a more modern look.

The exterior of the building, while it still appears solid, needs some work as well, he said, adding that, when this project is completed, Springfield will have a unique and functional blend of old and new.

Like the trains that run above it, this project is all about moving parts, he noted in conclusion, and making everything run on time.

It’s a challenge — actually, a series of them — that he’s attacking head on.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Floor to Sealing

Construction Sections

Safco Foam Insulation Helps Homeowners Fill In the Gaps

Stuart Fearn (center, with certified sprayers Todd Kinney, left, and Tyler Jenson) says customers see spray-foam insulation as an investment that pays off in lower heating and cooling bills.

Stuart Fearn was a mechanical engineer by trade, but when the plant where he worked closed 12 years ago, he decided to switch gears and try his hand at entrepreneurship, figuring the sky was the limit.

Well, the roof, anyway.

“I looked at a bunch of different fields I might get into, and I came across spray-foam insulation,” he told BusinessWest. “I had never heard of it before, and I looked into it and studied it for months. I talked to people in the industry — suppliers and contractors from other areas, all over the United States — and I found out this was the real deal. So I decided to start my own business.”

He launched his Hampden-based company, Safco Foam Insulation, in 2003, touting the product’s ability to seal buildings more tightly than with fiberglass insulation, thereby reducing customers’ costs for heating and cooling. The timing, as it turned out, was ideal because of what was happening with energy prices at the time.

“When I started, those prices had started to rise. So my first five or six years in business, I saw 30% growth every year. Now I have multiple trucks and full-time crews, certified sprayers who have been working with me for more than eight years. All we do is spray-foam insulation.”

The upside for customers, Fearn noted, is the quality of the product. “The only downside is that it costs more money — initially.”

However, he said, “we did a cost analysis, and the average payback time is three years. It’s a no-brainer; it’s money in the bank. I ask people, ‘what else are you going to spend money on in your house that’s going to pay for itself? Nothing.’”

About 75% of Safco’s business comes through building and remodeling contractors — with about a 50-50 split between commercial and residential jobs — and the rest of the Fearn’s clients are homeowners.

“I’ve insulated hospitals; last year, we did a brand-new hotel,” he said. “We did the Pine Point Library renovation on Boston Road in Springfield. And we’ve done five or six jobs for Kringle Candle, which is a super-green company.”

Fearn recently sat down with BusinessWest to explain how spray foam is creating more energy-efficient new homes — and perhaps extending the lives of some older ones.

Expansion Mode

Spray-foam insulation, he explained, is sprayed onto any open surface or studded wall after electrical and plumbing services are in place. In seconds, the product expands to 100 times its initial liquid volume, permanently adhering to the surfaces of the surrounding building materials and sealing all gaps. The foam takes less than one minute to cure, and can be covered with sheetrock boards within a few minutes.

Icynene, the specific spray-foam brand Safco uses, is ‘hydrophobic,’ drying quickly after contact with water and losing none of its insulating properties. But it’s also breathable, so any moisture in the building’s concrete or lumber escapes through the foam, thus eliminating any risk of mildew or mold.

“It’s a solid, so it controls air movement, and condensation is eliminated,” he explained. “When that happens, it prevents rot, mold, mildew, all kinds of bad things. And the building life is a lot longer.”

For those reasons and others, “it’s becoming more and more popular, not only here in Western Mass., but all over the country,” Fearn said. “In Eastern Mass., around the Boston area, inside of 495, spray-foam insulation is the rule right now. It has the majority of the market share in certain pockets of the country.”

He noted that, across the country, insulation sales overall went up 6% last year, reflecting an uptick in construction following several lean or middling years. “But Icynene sales and market share went up double that,” he said. “The spray-foam business is growing throughout the country, along with awareness of the product.”

That awareness is being driven partly by popular home-improvement shows on the HGTV and DIY networks, he said. “About 50 people at the Home and Garden Show told me they saw this on Holmes on Homes, which uses it almost every week. They’ve used spray foam on This Old House. It’s becoming mainstream, and building codes are now encouraging it.”

When Fearn launched his enterprise, there were spray-foam insulators in Pittsfield and Charlton, but the field has since become far more crowded as the product becomes more popular with contractors and homeowners.

“We’re in a good place right now, but it is a very competitive environment. That means everyone has to be cost-competitive — and I haven’t raised my prices in probably seven or eight years,” he told BusinessWest. “At the same time, we’ve invested in the best equipment so my guys can work more efficiently, so we don’t have to raise prices.”

That’s the same kind of long-term cost analysis that consumers and contractors bring to the spray-foam decision, he noted, understanding that the initial cost up front is eventually surpassed by lower heating and cooling costs.

Keeping Cool

The proof, to Fearn, is in satisfied clients, noting that his company has completed more than 2,000 jobs. He ran into many of them at the recent Western Mass. Home & Garden Show at the Eastern States Exposition, and counted at least 24 fellow vendors through which his company had obtained work.

Indeed, spray foam saw an explosion in popularity over the past decade; in 2008, it represented about 3% of all new-home insulation but rose to 11% in 2012, riding a tide of stricter home-energy codes, according to a report by Home Innovation Research Labs.

But that figure fell back to 8% in 2013, and it may have to do with cost, the report noted. “Home builders are economizing across multiple product categories, using fewer and less expensive materials. This was seen in porches, decks, windows, flooring, and other product categories.” Meanwhile, with spray foam more common in higher-end homes, the market shift toward multi-family homes, currently accounting for one-third of all new home starts, might be keeping spray-foam sales down.

Still, Fearn continues to make inroads with the product, recounting a customer he saw at the show, a homeowner from Enfield. “He said, ‘thank you, thank you … you insulated my Cape, and it’s unbelievable; it’s super warm up there. I don’t even run the heat on the second floor anymore; I just heat it from the first floor, and the second floor stays warm, within two degrees of the first floor.’

“He was ecstatic,” Fearn went on, “but I said, ‘if you think you’re happy now, wait until the summer.’ Customers notice an even greater improvement in the summer, especially in a two-story house. Because of the foam insulation against the roof, it stops heat from coming in in the first place.

“Most people in our neck of the woods, when they think about insulation, they think of the terrible winter that just ended, and everyone thinks about heating,” he added. “But when are all the electrical brownouts? In the summer.”

Simply put, he argued, a product like spray-foam insulation reduces dependence on air conditioning, which reduces the load on the entire electrical grid. “The peak load on the grid comes during the summer. If we want to lower electrical demand in the summer, most of it comes in the form of AC. If we could minimize that, it would go a long way toward helping out our entire electrical infrastructure.”

Fearn noted that homes don’t have to be small or aesthetically dull to save on energy.

“These buildings insulated with foam are super-efficient, and they’re going to be affordable to keep around,” he said. “There are large, Victorian houses in Forest Park and Hill-McKnight in Springfield, and they’re beautiful. But if there’s a little more price increase in energy, those may be extinct because people just cannot afford to live in them and heat them.

“A large portion of the existing housing stock that is like that,” he went on. “That’s very worrisome to me. But it’s also market possibility for me.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Expanding Horizons

Landscape Design Sections

Landscapers Transform Backyards, Public Spaces into Recreational Areas

Stephen Roberts shows off a gas firepit that Elms College recently installed in a courtyard.

Last summer, a successful businessman asked Stephen Roberts to construct an edible forest on several acres of his backyard property.

“He said he wanted to go home after work and have a place where he could ‘devolve.’ He grew up on a farm and loves gardening and the outdoors,” said the owner of Stephen A. Roberts Landscape Architecture and Construction in Springfield.

The design Roberts created includes fruit trees, a trail, and a woodland area with plants that range from elderberry and pawpaw to wild ginger and wintergreen, that can be picked throughout the growing season.

Although the request was unusual and most people aren’t looking to create their own forest, local landscapers say a growing number of clients are spending money on backyard retreats that provide them with a place to entertain and enjoy the outdoors.

“Nature is very important to people’s well-being, and they travel great distances to experience mighty landscapes with mountains and oceans,” said Roberts. “But travel takes a lot of time and energy, and since people can create attractive spaces in their backyards where they can relax and spend quality time with families and friends, they are continuing to invest in outdoor rooms with amenities.”

Justin Pelis agrees.

“People are bridging the gap between their home and the outdoors,” said the co-owner of North Country Landscape and Garden Center in Westhampton. “Years ago, people simply planted shrubs and mowed their lawns. But today, they want to spend more time outdoors and are moving away from aesthetics to the experiential.”

Justin Pelis says people want the experience of growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs in their backyards with their families.

He added that an increasing number of young families want to grow vegetables and fruits with their children, watch birds and feed them, and cook outdoors in spacious kitchens boasting built-in, stainless-steel appliances.

“People are also looking to create wildlife habitats, and many want to grow wine-bearing grapes and hops,” he said. “Due to the large number of local microbreweries, people are being inspired to produce their own wine and beer, so we have been holding seminars in our garden center to teach people how to grow grapes.”

He noted that participants are taken on a tour of the nearby Blackbird Vineyard, where all of their questions are answered.

“Organic gardening and composting is also becoming popular, and we get many requests from people who want to grow their own food,” Pelis continued. “They are looking for an experience that begins with planting seeds and ends in harvesting what they have produced.”

Steve Prothers, who owns Amherst Landscape & Design Associates and has designed more than 3,000 commercial and residential landscapes, agrees that people want their backyards to be as pleasing, attractive, and fruitful as possible. Natural landscapes are in style, and he said swimming-pool areas are being updated by replacing concrete with natural stone or Travertine tiles, which come in white, tan, cream, and rust-colored varieties.

“They give the area an Old World look,” Prothers said, adding that his company specializes in hardscapes that includes patios, retaining walls, walkways, and pool surrounds. Many clients ask for a pergola, because its mini-roof gives an outdoor space the definition of a room.

“It’s a very decorative feature that frames in an area and creates an intimate space. But a pergola can also be functional because it can provide shade,” he said, noting that roof rafters can be placed close together to block the sun, or the structure can be planted with scented vines, such as wisteria or bougainvillea, that give it a tropical feel.

Pelis has built pavilions with roofs over patios that people use as sitting areas. “They put TVs in them, and the patio can extend beyond the sitting area,” he said.

In fact, patios are becoming more popular than decks because they require less maintenance. “Patios give people more flexibility to expand and can be built with pavers, which come in a wide variety of contemporary styles. Some look like wood, others look like granite, and some are very modular,” Pelis said.

Since landscaping is an ongoing process, many people have their yards done in phases and add a new area each year. However, the work often begins with creating new entryways to the house.

“Permeable pavers are being used to replace concrete,” Prothers said. “They have a softer look than concrete and allow water to be absorbed and carried away from the home.”

Nic Brown and Steve Corrigan say many towns and cities are adding spray parks for children and adults to enjoy.

Plans with a Purpose

The desire to create a backyard oasis gained momentum in 2008 when the economy tanked and so-called ‘staycations’ became a household word. But local landscapers say many people held off on projects due to uncertainty over jobs, and pent-up desires are more apt to be realized this summer than they were in the past.

“The recession impacted landscaping projects, but now that the economy is improving, I think we will get more requests,” Roberts said.

Coveted plans typically include backyard areas designated for specific activities. “It’s not unusual for a family to want a cooking area with a built-in grill, a place to sit and eat, a firepit, and another space with an outdoor couch and a coffee table,” Roberts said.

Stephen Corrigan agrees. “More and more people are spending money to create outdoor kitchens and living areas with TVs in a protected area,” said the owner of Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare in Chicopee.

In fact, interest in outdoor cooking is heating up, and Roberts said his firm has built outdoor kitchens that include granite or faux-stone countertops and built-in appliances such as refrigerators, grills, and rotisseries. “People are taking grilling to the next level.”

Firepits have burned brightly for some time, but today, many people are turning to gas to light up the night. “People love to gather around a fire, and if they use gas, all they have to do is press a button,” Roberts said, adding that Elms College recently had his firm redesign a central courtyard that now includes a large gas firepit with Adirondack chairs. “It is turned on every afternoon and has become a popular gathering place for students and staff members.”

Another advantage of a firepit is that it can create a focal point in an outdoor living room. “People put furniture around it in the same way they would put it near a fireplace inside their house,” Prothers said.

Steve Prothers says many homeowners and businesses use pergolas to create an outdoor room, which can be aromatic if covered with flowering vines.

Water features are also in demand, but instead of swimming pools, most people are choosing simple but soothing options such as waterfalls. “They are beautiful and attract birds, but don’t require much maintenance,” Roberts said.

One client with a back problem installed a hot tub surrounded by beautiful plants with a waterfall a short distance away that could be lit up at night. “He could sit in the hot tub in the evening, enjoy the sight and sound of the waterfall, and get relief from his pain,” he noted.

Roberts added that small ponds or plunge pools are still popular. “But people don’t want to use chemicals in them. They want biological filters,” he said, explaining that the ponds he installs are typically four to five feet deep with ledges that people can sit on.

Pelis said his clients are getting away from ponds, but do want water features that look natural, and often choose a fountain or pondless waterfall that pours into a rock filtration system. “They want the sound and sight of water without having to do a lot of maintenance,” he explained, adding that another option is to have water flow from the undersides of raised patio walls into a decorative bed of stone, which filters it into a concealed basin, where it is recycled.

Plantings play an important role in landscape design, and Prothers said ground covers and plants that provide seasonal interest throughout the year are in fashion.

“But landscaping is an ongoing process, and many people do their yards in phases,” he said. “They establish an area, live with it, and then grow their plan. A good landscape design takes into consideration what things will look like five to 10 years down the road.”

Pelis added that native plants such as milkweed, which attracts Monarch butterflies, along with wildflowers and species that attract bees, have become popular as people seek to create natural environments.

Natural Alternatives

Local landscapers expect the season to begin late this year due to the volume of snow. “Spring is in the air, but people have just started to come out of hibernation,” Roberts said.

Corrigan agreed. Although his company is often working by mid-March, this year, the timeline will be pushed out until mid-April.

Most of his business is commercial, and trends are also emerging in that arena, with water conservation and stormwater runoff among the ingredients that weigh heavily in public projects today.

“Permeable pavers are an attractive, green solution that take the place of concrete and asphalt; they allow as much water as possible to be kept on the site,” said Project Manager Nic Brown.

In some cases, it is funneled into rain gardens, said Corrigan, adding that Mountain View has built parking lots with rain gardens at the perimeter where very porous soil absorbs and holds water before any overflow goes into the sewer system.

He cited the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke and a new science building at UMass Amherst as examples of structures where water drainage has been curtailed, and said some systems are designed so rainwater and melting snow from the roof are channeled into a filtration system of tanks that feed rain gardens.

His company recently won a regional award for its work on the town square in Mansfield, Conn., in conjunction with the architect who designed it. The area is the focal point of a newly created neighborhood that contains four five-story podium buildings with 414 rental units and 101,553 square feet of commercial and retail offerings at street level adjacent to the University of Connecticut.

“We used gray and black permeable pavers in the park,” Corrigan said, showing off a photo of the attractive design. “Traditionally, pavers are installed tightly together over a gravel base with two inches of sand. These were placed three-eighths of an inch apart over a 12-inch base of crushed stone.”

Another growing trend is spray parks, and new ones will be built this year in Agawam, Springfield, Greenfield, and Northampton.

“Cities and towns are replacing swimming pools and wading pools with spray parks; they have become more and more popular in the last three to five years,” Corrigan said, adding that they provide safe, cost-effective areas where people can congregate and relax during the hot summer months.

The spray features can be programmed to go off during times set by the town, city, or organization that builds them. When someone presses the mechanism that activates the system during the specified time, the features begin to spray water in a preset sequence, and children quickly learn to run from one station to another.

“Some sprays come up from the ground, while at other stations, buckets set ten feet in the air fill with water and dump it on people beneath them,” said Corrigan. “There are hoops with water sprays that kids can run through, sprays that spurt like a geyser, and ones that look like flowers. They have come a long way in recent years.”

Growing Desire

The desire to spend time outdoors in public and private spaces continues to grow, and whether someone is planning a commercial or residential project, environmental concerns are taking an expanded role in today’s landscaping projects.

Roberts said his customers are requesting blueberry bushes, strawberries, and herbs as well as small plots where they can grow vegetables. Other landscapers report similar requests and agree that enjoying a backyard involves far more today than it did a decade ago.

“Whether people are outside watching birds, picking berries, or watching TV with their friends, they want an experience,” Pelis said. “It’s been a long, cold winter, and although we may get a later start on landscaping than we have in the past, we expect these trends to become more prevalent than ever.”

Cost and Effect

Landscape Design Sections

Sustainable Building, Remodeling Is an Investment in the Future

Andrew Crane says some clients are more environmentally sensitive than others, but they typically appreciate the long-term cost benefits of sustainability.

Andrew Crane says homeowners love the idea of energy efficiency and green construction — it’s the price tag they don’t always like.

“Whether building or remodeling, as far as energy efficiency and sustainable building, people all care about it; they all mention it, they’ve heard about it, and it’s advertised like crazy — ‘save this, low-flow that,’” said Crane, president of A. Crane Construction in Chicopee. “But it comes with a big cost. Everybody wants to include it, but many times, cost will prevent them from actually doing it.”

It’s true that, in most cases, switching from traditional to energy-efficient products will save money over time, the initial cost can be an obstacle to homeowners remodeling on a budget.

“One example would be LED lighting,” Crane said. “LED is great — it lasts forever, and it uses very, very little electricity, but the products themselves oftentimes are cost-prohibitive. The cost of regular incandescent lightbulbs might be 87 cents, fluorescent might be $2.50, but one LED bulb might be $22.50.”

Nick Riley, president of N. Riley Construction in Chicopee, agreed, but added that some energy-efficient home improvements are already becoming standard, including Energy Star-rated appliances and insulating window glass.

“As you get more in depth into remodeling, as far as ripping down walls and reinsulating, people are concerned about it and ask about ways in which they can do it — but cost sometimes can be a pretty big factor in whether they decide to do it or not,” Riley explained.

“We’re definitely seeing more people interested in ways they can make that happen,” he added. “But you want to be more energy-efficient, there’s going to be a little more cost, obviously.”

Still, sustainable building is on the rise. The National Assoc. of Home Builders (NAHB) recently surveyed members about the features they’re most likely to include in new homes this year, and the top 10 included Energy Star-rated appliances and windows and programmable thermostats. Meanwhile, the organization reports an overall uptick in construction that incorporates energy, water, and resource efficiency; improved indoor environmental quality; and sustainable and locally sourced products.

“More people care about the footprint, so we kind of have to feel that out,” Crane said. “Many clients come to us as environmentally sensitive people, and others don’t care. But there is a growing passion for protecting the environment, and they’re not afraid to spend more up front if that’s what it takes.”

Energy Stars

John Majercak understands sustainable building and remodeling. As president of the Pittsfield-based Center for EcoTechnology (CET), he helps clients — who include both contractors and homeowners — go green in their projects.

For example, “we do what’s called a home energy rating for homeowners; we work with builders and architects and try to figure out how we can make a home the most energy-efficient it can be,” he explained. “We predict how the home will perform from an energy perspective and whether the work being done will qualify for different code requirements or certifications, whether LEED or Energy Star or others. It really depends on the scale; a lot of those programs are set up for new construction, but they can be appropriate for remodels as well.”

Another resource is CET’s EcoBuilding Bargains store in Springfield, which sells reclaimed building materials.

“We have a lot of folks who — when they’re remodeling and need to throw away a lot of materials from their home — can donate them here and keep them out of the landfill, which is a very green thing to do,” Majercak said. “We’re also seeing more home builders and architects reusing green materials in their building and remodeling. It can be both visually appealing and green.”

Nick Riley says today’s contractors feel a responsibility to explain sustainable options to customers.

Another resource, he noted, is the Mass Save program, which provides energy audits for homeowners and introduces them to incentives and rebates available for certain sustainable upgrades, from boilers and appliances to insulation and windows.

Those incentives make a difference in decision making, he added. “People are concerned — ‘what is this going to cost me? Is this super expensive?’”

But as more contractors become skilled in sustainable construction and building codes begin to move in that direction, growing competition should bring up-front costs down for customers, he said. “Everyone is paying attention these days. It’s a big concern for people; they want their home to perform in a way that uses a lot less energy. That’s a good long-term investment, and homes that are built better will last longer and have fewer problems.”

The NAHB survey revealed that nearly 25% of home builders have installed alternative-energy-producing equipment in new construction, including geothermal heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels. The current 30% tax credit available for homeowners who install this equipment is set to expire at the end of 2016, which makes this a good time for interested buyers to consider purchases.

“Our builder members are telling us that more and more buyers are looking at new homes for their efficiency in design and functionality,” notes NAHB chairman Tom Woods. “Whether it’s improved insulation or sustainable building materials, today’s new homes can reach higher energy performance and greater durability than was possible even 20 years ago.”

Millennial buying trends suggest that sustainable building options should outlast any expiring rebates. Another NAHB survey revealed that Energy Star certifications are a priority for these young home buyers, and 84% of this group is willing to pay 2% to 3% more for an energy-efficient home as long as they can see a return on their power bills.

One example is spray-foam insulation (see related story, page 23). “Generally, it’s twice as expensive if not more,” said Crane, whose company uses the product in 90% of its residential projects.

“It adds a substantial cost — in a 2,000-square-foot home, it could be $5,000 just for insulation in the walls,” he said, noting that expenses like granite countertops are easier purchases for some people because they can see and enjoy them every day. “Insulation is behind the walls, so you don’t notice it once you pay for it. But when your house becomes energy-efficient, you notice it in the monthly bills.”

Code Green

There’s no doubt in Majercak’s mind that sustainable building and remodeling is poised for continued growth, if only because building codes are increasingly reflecting green priorities.

“That’s just upping the game for everybody, the same as if you or I buy a car or appliance, and it’s more energy-efficient because the standards are making it happen,” he told BusinessWest. “That’s what’s happening with building codes. I think a lot of requirements in codes are improving, and building contractors are complying with these. We offer a few workshops to builders about energy-efficient codes, what the changes are, and how to comply with them.”

At the same time, Majercak said, more homeowners today are doing their own research and recognizing the value of sustainable choices.

“I think there are a lot of reasons people want to build green,” he said. “One of them is to help protect the environment, but they also like the durability, having the house last longer, using better materials that resist moisture. Then there’s the comfort and performance inside the home, where it really feels comfortable in summer and winter. Another thing is indoor air quality and health. A lot of people want to make sure the house is successfully ventilated. So it’s not just environmental benefits.”

Reflecting that public mood, Riley said, builders today feel a greater responsibility to inform customers of ways they can make their homes more green and energy-efficient.

“I think it’s our responsibility as contractors to educate the homeowner and then leave it up to them,” he said. “The initial conversation usually includes something about how to make it happen.”

Meanwhile, even homeowners who aren’t remodeling can take steps to cut into their utility bills, Crane said.

“There are some simple things people can do, like wrapping heating pipes with insulation. That can be done by anybody. Or wrapping duct work for the bathroom fan, which is basically a hole in the ceiling letting heat out. You can get a little bit of energy savings there. Or low-flow showerheads and faucets.”

When remodeling homes, Crane said, his company donates as much “gently used” product as it can to organizations that recycle it. “Tubs, walls, recycled countertops, cabinets, flooring — they can be recycled, and you wouldn’t even know the difference.”

Meanwhile, “we’re careful about what we buy and where we buy it. We want to be that person that cares about their environment.”

At a time, it seems, when homeowners increasingly want to do the same.

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions

Departments Real Estate

The following real estate transactions (latest available) were compiled by Banker & Tradesman and are published as they were received. Only transactions exceeding $115,000 are listed. Buyer and seller fields contain only the first name listed on the deed.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

CONWAY

99 Orchard St.
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Jennifer L. Smith
Seller: Kirsten L. Chervinsky
Date: 02/27/15

2739 Shelburne Falls Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $236,000
Buyer: Candida Canepa
Seller: Pixie J. Holbrook
Date: 02/27/15

304 South Deerfield Road
Conway, MA 01341
Amount: $468,500
Buyer: Elizabeth Stowe
Seller: Heidi L. Hobby
Date: 03/02/15

DEERFIELD

62 Eastern Ave.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $159,000
Buyer: Susan S. Lundrigan
Seller: Lacoille, Edward N. Jr., (Estate)
Date: 03/06/15

155 North Main St.
Deerfield, MA 01373
Amount: $226,500
Buyer: Amie L. Clark
Seller: Susan T. Hudyma
Date: 02/25/15

GREENFIELD

8-10 Grant St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $174,000
Buyer: James E. Filipkowski
Seller: James E. Filipkowski
Date: 02/27/15

38-46 Greenfield St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $1,410,000
Buyer: Store Master Funding 7
Seller: Channing L. Bete Co. Inc.
Date: 02/23/15

252 Log Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $177,000
Buyer: Michael H. Barnard
Seller: Daniel P. Field
Date: 03/05/15

229-231 Main St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $290,000
Buyer: Rachael Seven LLC
Seller: Rooney & Sons Inc.
Date: 03/06/15

27 Smith St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Dorina Placinta
Seller: Stephen D. Gibowicz
Date: 03/02/15

33 Sunrise Ave.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Jennifer J. Austin
Seller: Lorraine C. Ferrante TR
Date: 02/27/15

LEVERETT

4 Number 6 Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Jean Sherlock
Seller: Daniel McIntire
Date: 02/26/15

MONTAGUE

80 4th St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $133,404
Buyer: 80 on 4th LLC
Seller: USA HUD
Date: 03/06/15

19 L St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $170,000
Buyer: Kara Mulligan
Date: 02/26/15

18 High St.
Montague, MA 01376
Amount: $123,000
Buyer: Gregory R. Haas
Seller: FNMA
Date: 03/04/15

ORANGE

13 Dewey Conrad Ave.
Orange, MA 01364
Amount: $134,000
Buyer: Kelly M. Sevigny
Seller: Reginald Haughton
Date: 02/26/15

SHUTESBURY

19 Weatherwood Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Amount: $234,000
Buyer: Shana Anolik
Seller: Susan J. Russell
Date: 02/23/15

SUNDERLAND

57 North Plain Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
Amount: $295,000
Buyer: Jennifer A. Murphy
Date: 03/05/15

WHATELY

Christian Lane (SS)
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Caroline C. Pam
Seller: Ralph K. Farrick Funding TR
Date: 02/27/15

21 Poplar Hill Road
Whately, MA 01093
Amount: $181,000
Buyer: Maxwell W. Bland
Seller: Pamela A. Dickinson
Date: 02/23/15

HAMPDEN COUNTY

AGAWAM

8 Barry St.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $328,500
Buyer: Judith A. Piper
Seller: Jaclyn M. Belland
Date: 02/26/15

44 Colonial Ave.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Patrick H. Cullen
Seller: Jeffrey J. Benoit
Date: 03/06/15

43 Cooper St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $196,000
Buyer: David W. Elliott
Seller: Jill M. Tower
Date: 03/04/15

35 Hayes Ave.
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $228,000
Buyer: Margaret J. Dane
Seller: John J. Negrucci
Date: 02/27/15

425 Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $175,000
Buyer: Alan W. Bozak
Seller: Carole J. Calabrese
Date: 02/27/15

209 Pineview Circle
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: David W. Hamel
Seller: Julie A. Fife
Date: 03/06/15

417 Shoemaker Lane
Agawam, MA 01001
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Ellis L. Langone
Seller: Langone Plumbing 7 Heating
Date: 03/04/15

129 Tobacco Farm Road
Agawam, MA 01030
Amount: $370,000
Buyer: Joseph T. Martin
Seller: Robert A. Desimone
Date: 02/27/15

CHICOPEE

54 2nd Ave.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $785,000
Buyer: Keith Laflamme
Seller: Chicopee Partners LLP
Date: 03/05/15

40 Belmont St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $123,100
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: Tammy-Lynn Gadouas
Date: 03/06/15

107 Columba St.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $165,900
Buyer: Todd N Beattie
Seller: David J. Guertin
Date: 02/25/15

296 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: City Of Chicopee
Seller: Peters Josephine, (Estate)
Date: 03/04/15

456 Front St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $167,000
Buyer: Petros Mirisis
Seller: Lawrence A. Maziarz
Date: 03/05/15

18 Gagne St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $166,000
Buyer: Alysha M. Lewis
Seller: Chase A. Standre
Date: 02/27/15

N/A
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $134,300
Buyer: Bank New York
Seller: Gayle Arsenault
Date: 03/03/15

104 Lauzier Terrace
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Rui M. Mendes
Seller: William T. Lavelle
Date: 03/06/15

274 Narragansett Blvd.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $120,389
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Raul Hernandez
Date: 03/05/15

7 Overlook Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $169,900
Buyer: Aneta Temple
Seller: Roxanne Ferretti
Date: 02/25/15

24 South St.
Chicopee, MA 01013
Amount: $152,500
Buyer: Coleen S. Nauman
Seller: Martha H. Shea
Date: 02/27/15

77 Westport Dr.
Chicopee, MA 01020
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Timofey Adzhigirey
Seller: Nancy R. Forni
Date: 02/25/15

EAST LONGMEADOW

97 Barrie Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Shawn G. Santanello
Seller: Shelby P. Marrin
Date: 03/06/15

330 Chestnut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $900,000
Buyer: M&A Longmeadow LLC
Seller: Modak LLC
Date: 02/26/15

119 Colony Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $329,900
Buyer: Nicholas R. King
Seller: Kristin Blakeslee
Date: 02/27/15

37 Holland Dr.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Marco Scibelli
Seller: Gioio Scibelli
Date: 02/27/15

N/A
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Michael D. Collura
Seller: John A. Collura
Date: 02/25/15

89 Rogers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $215,000
Buyer: Matthew D. Lloyd
Seller: China Access LLC
Date: 02/25/15

40 Shawmut St.
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $240,000
Buyer: Steven Kofsky
Seller: Theresa J. Cloonan
Date: 02/24/15

30 Somers Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Odres Nuevos
Seller: Shiloh Church
Date: 03/05/15

HOLYOKE

37 Francis Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $152,000
Buyer: Daniel M. Murray
Seller: Provident Funding Assocs.
Date: 02/27/15

37 Lindbergh Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $256,500
Buyer: Arrow Worrall
Seller: Elizabeth E. Barker
Date: 02/27/15

224-226 Lyman St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $342,000
Buyer: Naviah Investments LLC
Seller: 4306 3rd Avenue LLC
Date: 02/25/15

254 Main St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Caroline I. Cotto
Seller: John J. Hanley
Date: 02/26/15

430 Pleasant St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $125,750
Buyer: Stephen Parmenter
Seller: Wells Fargo Bank
Date: 03/05/15

98 Ridgewood Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Michael A. Chatel
Seller: James L. Mooney
Date: 03/06/15

20 View St.
Holyoke, MA 01040
Amount: $149,261
Buyer: Deutsche Bank
Seller: Marie Cintron
Date: 02/23/15

LONGMEADOW

63 Crestview Circle
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $320,000
Buyer: Jack V. Grassetti
Seller: Gloria I. Durpe
Date: 03/05/15

37 Greenwich Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $492,000
Buyer: Stewart A. Mackie
Date: 02/27/15

152 Hawthorne St.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $200,000
Buyer: Sandra Kenefick
Seller: Leonard Lotito
Date: 03/06/15

123 Homestead Blvd.
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Lynn L. Wagman
Seller: Stephen P. Wagner
Date: 02/27/15

99 Silver Birch Road
Longmeadow, MA 01106
Amount: $315,000
Buyer: Kimberly A. Bucknor
Seller: Joseph J. Egan
Date: 03/05/15

LUDLOW

27 Americo St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Atwater Investors Inc.
Seller: Roland P. Savoie
Date: 02/27/15

95 Coolidge Ave.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $127,750
Buyer: Brenda L. Shields-Dean
Seller: Frank A. Murray
Date: 03/05/15

Parker Lane
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: David Cote
Seller: Whitetail Wreks LLC
Date: 02/24/15

269 Ventura St.
Ludlow, MA 01056
Amount: $359,900
Buyer: Kathleen E. Fleming
Seller: Michael A. Perry
Date: 02/27/15

MONSON

13 Flynt Ave.
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $169,000
Buyer: Tracy L. Davis
Seller: Kristen Beaulieu
Date: 02/25/15

250 Woodhill Road
Monson, MA 01057
Amount: $194,900
Buyer: Richard W. Lamb
Seller: Denning, Elizabeth F., (Estate)
Date: 03/04/15

PALMER

14 Rockview St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Steeven Magan
Seller: Lynn M. Plotczik
Date: 03/04/15

23 Ware St.
Palmer, MA 01069
Amount: $180,790
Buyer: Bayview Loan Servicing
Seller: William F. Murray
Date: 02/24/15

SOUTHWICK

70 Congamond Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $140,000
Buyer: Mark Provost
Seller: Norman H. Storey
Date: 03/06/15

129 Hillside Road
Southwick, MA 01077
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Jaydub LLC
Seller: Eileen L. Horkun
Date: 02/27/15

SPRINGFIELD

416 Allen St.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $143,500
Buyer: Everton G. Senior
Seller: Global Homes Properties
Date: 02/26/15

281 Ambrose St.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Ronald J. Charles
Seller: Kerrian A. James
Date: 03/06/15

Armory St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: Buckeye Pipe Line Co. LP
Seller: Boston & Maine Corp.
Date: 03/02/15

93 Balfour Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $143,000
Buyer: Dion E. Barron
Seller: Richard Garcia
Date: 03/05/15

18 Beaufort Circle
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Karen R. Waterman
Seller: Sabrina M. Gross
Date: 02/27/15

129 Bellevue Ave.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $213,325
Buyer: Bank of America
Seller: Joan T. Byrnes
Date: 02/26/15

73 Ellsworth Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $127,000
Buyer: David A. Brehaut
Seller: Mya Realty LLC
Date: 03/03/15

Garland St. (ES)
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alfonso E. Acuna
Seller: Weissman Realty LLC
Date: 02/27/15

178 Gillette Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $173,300
Buyer: Andrew J. Normand
Seller: Stephen M. Ellis
Date: 02/26/15

65 Glenvale St.
Springfield, MA 01119
Amount: $130,000
Buyer: Danette L. Krushel
Seller: USA VA
Date: 02/26/15

21 Herman St.
Springfield, MA 01108
Amount: $129,500
Buyer: Joyce T. Ramos
Seller: James W. Fiore
Date: 02/27/15

280 Lexington St.
Springfield, MA 01104
Amount: $119,012
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Luis F. Rodriguez
Date: 02/25/15

70 Martone Place
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $450,000
Buyer: WBGLA Of Westfield MA LLC
Seller: Keith A. Laflamme
Date: 02/24/15

60 Northampton Ave.
Springfield, MA 01109
Amount: $116,000
Buyer: Zachary E. Rec
Seller: Galin Joseph
Date: 03/05/15

23 Old Brook Road
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $155,000
Buyer: Heather M. Sanford
Seller: 855 Liberty Springfield LLC
Date: 02/27/15

488 Porter Road
Springfield, MA 01128
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Elizabeth Merrill
Seller: Brian J. Wallace
Date: 02/26/15

27 Pratt St.
Springfield, MA 01107
Amount: $185,000
Buyer: Baystate Medical Center
Seller: Alfonso E. Acuna
Date: 02/27/15

Quebec St.
Springfield, MA 01101
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Wilfredo J. Semprit
Seller: Vyacheslav A. Kuzmenko
Date: 02/26/15

980 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $205,000
Buyer: Dieu H. Pham
Seller: Stephen C. Lafever
Date: 03/02/15

1197-1201 Sumner Ave.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Alfonso E. Acuna
Seller: Weissman Realty LLC
Date: 02/27/15

73 Talmadge Dr.
Springfield, MA 01118
Amount: $146,500
Buyer: Rosa I. Torres
Seller: Christopher Plewa
Date: 03/06/15

102 Tamarack Dr.
Springfield, MA 01129
Amount: $180,500
Buyer: Kenneth Ramos
Seller: Michael T. Wayner
Date: 02/26/15

WEST SPRINGFIELD

1228 Amostown Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $260,000
Buyer: Inna Gargun
Seller: Joseph A. Brosseau
Date: 03/06/15

17 Angeline St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $188,000
Buyer: Melany Laroe
Seller: David J. Paier
Date: 02/27/15

71 Austin Lane
West Springfield, MA 01013
Amount: $480,000
Buyer: Prasanth Prabhakaran
Seller: Frank J. Morassi
Date: 02/27/15

446 Brush Hill Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $115,150
Buyer: Daniel J. Deluca
Seller: Morganford Holdings LLC
Date: 02/26/15

714 Dewey St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $180,000
Buyer: Whitney Salvatore
Seller: Elizabeth R. Clark
Date: 03/04/15

104 Hillcrest Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $137,000
Buyer: Aric A. Nunes
Seller: Angela M. Nunes
Date: 02/27/15

61 Homestead Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $223,000
Buyer: Ashleigh Chrusciel
Seller: Crossroads Property Investors
Date: 02/26/15

56 Kent St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $135,000
Buyer: Denise Dumont
Seller: Thaddeus S. Saj
Date: 03/06/15

182 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $276,000
Buyer: Ryan E. Finn
Seller: Charles D. Carpino
Date: 02/27/15

197 Monastery Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $224,000
Buyer: May E. Mangalili
Seller: John A. Perez
Date: 02/27/15

44 Pine St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $124,900
Buyer: Angela R. Stone
Seller: Laurie A. Cassidy
Date: 02/24/15

386 Prospect Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Jason R. Faucher
Seller: George C. Dziurzynski
Date: 02/27/15

30 Virginia Ave.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $210,000
Buyer: Halli Hunderfund
Seller: Stephen A. Cloutier
Date: 02/25/15

464 Westfield St.
West Springfield, MA 01089
Amount: $375,000
Buyer: Great Bay Properties LLC
Seller: 3 Diamond Realty Corp.
Date: 02/27/15

WESTFIELD

25 Big Wood Dr.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $392,000
Buyer: Kelly J. Cieplinski LT
Seller: Kenneth K. Gordon
Date: 03/06/15

72 Highland View St.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $181,500
Buyer: Thomas Curran
Seller: James R. Hale
Date: 03/06/15

113 Lindbergh Blvd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $150,000
Buyer: US Bank
Seller: Susan Norton
Date: 02/25/15

27 Woodland Road
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $237,000
Buyer: Mary P. Kadomoto
Seller: Elizabet Matthews-Sitnik
Date: 02/27/15

8 Woodside Terrace
Westfield, MA 01085
Amount: $146,000
Buyer: Pineview RT
Seller: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Date: 02/23/15

WILBRAHAM

4 Warren Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Thomas M. Guberow
Seller: FHLM
Date: 02/26/15

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

AMHERST

4 Barry Circle
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $477,000
Buyer: Patrick P. Arguin
Seller: Paul A. Pierce
Date: 02/27/15

48 Belchertown Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $550,000
Buyer: Neal B. Patel
Seller: Reynold A. Gladu
Date: 02/27/15

Henry St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Scott Tundermann
Seller: Jean K. Canon
Date: 03/06/15

32 Hitchcock Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $364,000
Buyer: Amherst College
Seller: Patrick L. Williamson
Date: 03/04/15

16-18 Main St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $800,000
Buyer: LIJJM LLC
Seller: Russell, William F. 3rd, (Estate)
Date: 03/06/15

478 Station Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $624,900
Buyer: Amy A. Crawley
Seller: Western Development Corp.
Date: 02/26/15

60 Sunderland Road
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $265,000
Buyer: Parks Coop LLC
Seller: Bank Of America
Date: 03/06/15

84 Sunset Ave.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $595,000
Buyer: Brian W. Fitzgerald
Seller: Laura Cadonati
Date: 03/02/15

235 West St.
Amherst, MA 01002
Amount: $235,000
Buyer: Across Campus UMass LLC
Seller: Xavier A. Tondeur
Date: 02/27/15

BELCHERTOWN

491 Daniel Shays Hwy.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $220,000
Buyer: Daniel McLane
Seller: FNMA
Date: 02/25/15

Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Jeffrey O. Duprey
Seller: Shannon D. Sligo
Date: 02/27/15

111 Mill Valley Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Lauren Clarke
Seller: Rocco J. Malaspina
Date: 02/27/15

46 Mill Valley Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $158,000
Buyer: Daniel O. Sullivan
Seller: Burdge, Barbara J., (Estate)
Date: 02/27/15

22 Raymond Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $232,000
Buyer: Tyler D. Chambers
Seller: Dawn V. Waslh
Date: 02/27/15

44 River St.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $256,000
Buyer: Bukola T. Okuwobi
Seller: Edward J. Pazik
Date: 02/26/15

36 Sheffield Dr.
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $342,900
Buyer: Brandon C. Dube
Seller: Patrick P. Arguin
Date: 02/27/15

90 Turkey Hill Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
Amount: $141,083
Buyer: FHLM
Seller: Conor R. McMillen
Date: 02/27/15

EASTHAMPTON

75 Glendale St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $156,000
Buyer: Roseanna M. Alves
Seller: Larose, Robert J., (Estate)
Date: 02/27/15

11 Keddy St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $168,500
Buyer: Victoria E. Trudeau
Seller: Debra A. Smith
Date: 02/27/15

27 Knipfer Ave.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $238,000
Buyer: Albert J. Finch
Seller: Jean Pierre Pasche
Date: 02/27/15

329 Main St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $119,900
Buyer: Ashtons Acquisitions LLC
Seller: Onewest Bank
Date: 02/27/15

85 Northampton St.
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $183,750
Buyer: Mark A. Essa
Seller: Stacia S. Tabaka LT
Date: 02/25/15

21 Pine Hill Road
Easthampton, MA 01027
Amount: $268,782
Buyer: Dewayne A. Matthews
Seller: Tori B. Jennings
Date: 03/03/15

GRANBY

553 Amherst Road
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $180,200
Buyer: JP Morgan Chase Bank
Seller: Roger J. Rouillard
Date: 02/23/15

151 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $310,000
Buyer: Douglas A. Gray
Seller: Kevin D. Rolfe
Date: 02/26/15

255 Carver St.
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: Richard Ordynowicz
Seller: Kathleen M. Lukasik
Date: 02/24/15

12-R Jackielyn Circle
Granby, MA 01033
Amount: $305,000
Buyer: Castle Farm Enterprises
Seller: Richard J. Niedbala
Date: 02/27/15

HATFIELD

439 Main St.
Hatfield, MA 01038
Amount: $280,000
Buyer: Robert E. Slysz
Seller: Slysz, Robert E. Jr, (Estate)
Date: 03/03/15

112 West St.
Hatfield, MA 01088
Amount: $190,000
Buyer: John D. Sabola
Seller: Claire Laliberte
Date: 02/27/15

NORTHAMPTON

12 Bedford Terrace
Northampton, MA 01063
Amount: $3,225,000
Buyer: Simple Abode LLC
Seller: Smith Collage
Date: 03/04/15

40 Bradford St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $160,000
Buyer: Robert E. Aldrich
Seller: Martha A. Merriam
Date: 02/23/15

5 Kary St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $230,000
Buyer: Lori Leistyna
Seller: Katharine R. Walmsley
Date: 02/27/15

216 Lovefield St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $225,000
Buyer: Wendy J. Allen
Seller: James W. Shea
Date: 02/25/15

46 Middle St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $350,000
Buyer: Katharine R. Walmsley
Seller: John Koleszar
Date: 02/27/15

111 Moser St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $551,660
Buyer: Lesley Peebles
Seller: Kent Pecoy & Sons Construction
Date: 02/23/15

244 North St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $285,000
Buyer: Marta P. Tom
Seller: Caraker, Reece G., (Estate)
Date: 03/02/15

119 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $206,000
Buyer: Cory E. Gatrall
Seller: Kathleen E. Silva
Date: 02/25/15

295 South St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Amount: $332,500
Buyer: Sarah E. Gibbons
Seller: Sandra E. Slanda
Date: 02/27/15

115 Willow St.
Northampton, MA 01062
Amount: $182,155
Buyer: Maria C. Govantes
Seller: Cindy Beebe
Date: 03/03/15

SOUTH HADLEY

293 Morgan St.
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $195,000
Buyer: Frederick M. Sard
Seller: Steven H. Harrington
Date: 02/24/15

1 Red Bridge Lane
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $400,000
Buyer: Alexander V. Stepanov
Seller: Andrew B. Galik
Date: 03/03/15

148 Stony Brook Village
South Hadley, MA 01075
Amount: $327,335
Buyer: Barbara Callan-Bogia
Seller: Whispering Pines At Root
Date: 03/02/15

SOUTHAMPTON

80 Crooked Ledge Road
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $482,500
Buyer: Jonathan H. Marsh
Date: 02/27/15

9 Glendale Woods Dr.
Southampton, MA 01073
Amount: $288,304
Buyer: FNMA
Seller: Charles J. Hubbard
Date: 02/27/15

WARE

86 Coffey Hill Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $250,000
Buyer: Judy C. Riggenbach
Seller: Anne W. Martin
Date: 02/27/15

120 Glendale Circle
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $135,900
Buyer: Keith W. Greiner
Seller: Donald P. Hebert
Date: 03/06/15

21-23 Morse Ave.
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $138,000
Buyer: Timothy Welsh
Seller: Roger Morrissette
Date: 03/06/15

5 Sczygiel Road
Ware, MA 01082
Amount: $189,000
Buyer: Jaime A. Muche
Seller: Mark E. Richard
Date: 02/27/15

WILLIAMSBURG

66 Old Goshen Road
Williamsburg, MA 01096
Amount: $125,000
Buyer: William B. Thomson
Seller: Michael E. McCabe
Date: 03/05/15

Incorporations

Departments Incorporations

The following business incorporations were recorded in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties and are the latest available. They are listed by community.

AGAWAM

Spark Transportation Corp., 1047 Suffield St., Agawam, MA 01001. Kateryna Rushchak, same. Transportation.

Western Mass Home Health Services Inc., 270 Main St., Agawam, MA 01101. Dominic W. Ndungu, same. Home health services.

AMHERST

HPBC Inc., 55 University Dr., Amherst, MA 01002. Harold Tramazzo, same. Restaurant franchising.

Lighthouse Personolized Education for Teens Inc., 506 Pine St., Amherst, MA 01002. Catherine L. Gobron, 108 Sears Road, Goshen, MA 01032. Learning centers for teens.

BRIMFIELD

Dipali Inc., 13 Main St., Brimfield, MA 01010. Dipali S. Patel, 773 Worcester St., Apt. B, Southbridge, MA 01550. Convenience store with full liquor selection.

CHICOPEE

Jay’s Food & Fuel Inc., 646 Grattan St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Rajesh Sanghvi, 38 Wheatland Ave., Chicopee, MA 01020. Convenience store.

N.S. Guarizi Constructions Inc., 26 Casino Ave., Chicopee, MA 01013. Erisnaldo Novais Dos Santos, same. General construction services.

Pizza Chop Corp., 486 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA 01013. David A. Carlos, 14 Beesley Ave., Chicopee, MA 01013. Restaurant.

Soja Trucking Inc., 301 Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01013. Michael A. Soja, same. Trucking.

LUDLOW

Barroso Landscaping Inc., 687 East St., Ludlow, MA 01056. George Barroso, same. Landscaping.

Greylock Information Technologies Inc., 40 Oak St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Michael Menard, same. Supply businesses with technology solutions.

Michael’s Party Rentals Inc., 409A West St., Ludlow, MA 01056. Michael B. Linton, same. Party supplies for rent.

Western Mass Family Services Inc., 185 West Ave., Suite 104, Ludlow, MA 01056. Dawn Michelle Mackinnon Delaney, 39 Rankin Ave., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Supervised visitation.

NORTHAMPTON

Electronic Commerce Solutions Inc., 29 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA 01060. Henry L. Pope, same. Data processing for third-party government vendors.

Hodge City Plumbing Inc., 123 Hawley St., Northampton, MA 01060. Ronald F. Hodges, 60 North Maple St., Florence, MA 01062. Plumbing services.

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts Files Rate-hike Request

WESTBOROUGH — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., filed a petition with the Mass. Department of Public Utilities (DPU) last week to increase annual revenues by $49.3 million, representing a 9.86% increase in total operating revenues. The filing marks the beginning of the public process of rate setting for a utility, as required by the DPU. Evidentiary hearings on the filing will be held within the next several months. If approved by the DPU, the change would impact the annual gas bill for a typical residential heating customer by an average of $8.50 per month, or 7.5%, beginning March 1, 2016. The requested increase is necessary, said company officials, due to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts’ “intensive multi-year transformative actions to continuously improve its standards and practices in order to continue to provide natural gas service to customers in a safe, reliable and cost-effective basis.” The DPU decision is expected by February 29, 2016, with rates taking effect March 1, 2016. The Columbia Gas modernization efforts focus on eliminating the greatest areas of risk on its distribution system, said company officials, including continuing efforts to build an organization that will oversee the replacement of aging infrastructure. These efforts are designed to optimize the efficient distribution of gas and enhance quality assurance. “Our core business is to build and maintain the infrastructure necessary to deliver natural gas in a safe, reliable and cost-efficient manner to our 306,000 customers in the 65 cities and towns we serve,” said Steve Bryant, president of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. “Columbia Gas has responded diligently to directives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities Pipeline Engineering and Safety Division and lessons learned from historical operations. We have made organizational and work practice changes to meet this important public safety challenge and our continuous improvement efforts have involved every aspect of the company’s operations. These changes involve more work, and therefore, more labor and labor-related costs, including ongoing comprehensive employee training.” Columbia Gas operates one of the largest natural gas distribution systems in Massachusetts, with underground pipes of various vintages and material type spanning 5,000 miles. The company’s infrastructure-replacement program targets nearly 900 remaining miles of aging natural gas pipe needing replacement, representing 18% of the company’s entire gas-distribution system. During the replacement construction activity, approximately 45,000 customer service lines will also be replaced. Information on the DPU or any Columbia Gas filings is found on the DPU’s web site www.mass.gov/dpu.

Joseph Ruggeri

Photo by Denise Smith Photography

Owner, Ruggeri Real Estate; Age 37

Joseph Ruggeri

Joseph Ruggeri’s life has been rife with opportunity. His family owned a business, he attended private school, and he was able to travel. “It was a given that I would go to college, do well, have a career, and make money. My life has been very fortunate,” he said.

However, he knows that many people lack the same opportunities, and as a result, Ruggeri says he has devoted his life not only to “establishing his reputation as a hardworking, fair, and trustworthy member of the community,” but also to opening doors for others.

He volunteers for many organizations, but he says his most important assignment is to be a good father and family man. Ruggeri and his wife Taffy have a 4-year daughter, Sofia, and a 1-year-old son, Anthony. “I regard the measure of my success by how I raise my kids and the quality of my family life,” he said.

Ruggeri took over his grandfather Alfonso’s real-estate business and said he was an excellent role model. Today, he takes pride in helping people purchase homes. “When someone buys a home, they are investing in the future,” he said. “A home is something that can appreciate in value.”

Ruggeri serves on the board of Greenfield Public Library, Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, and the Greenfield Community College Foundation, and is co-chairing its annual fund-raising campaign for the third year.

“The library is important; some people can’t afford a computer or even to buy a book, and it gives them access to those things, while GCC provides the opportunity to get an affordable education,” he explained. “It can break cycles in families when a person earns a college degree.”

He added that GCC also allows teens in high school to take classes before graduation and helps people get the education or training they need to enter a new profession.

He is proud to be an elected clerk of the Greenfield Board of Assessors, and has held the position for six years. Ruggeri is also a two-year appointee of the Greenfield Building and Construction Committee and former member of the Greenfield Sustainable Master Planning Committee.

“But, most of all, I am a proud father,” he said. “My family and wife motivate me and give me purpose in life, and I want my children to have opportunities here in the future.”

— Kathleen Mitchell

Christopher Novelli

Architect, Studio One Inc.; Age 36

Christopher Novelli

Chris Novelli says he’s been drawing, designing, and stretching his imagination for about as long as he can remember.

“I would draw little floor plans of my room and rearrange the furniture on a monthly basis almost,” he recalled of his grade-school years. “I had no idea what an architect was … I was just trying to find different ways to make my room better.”

He soon came to fully understand what an architect was, and after drafting classes in high school further fueled that desired to create, he attended the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Fast-forward several years and one intense internship at Studio One Inc. in Northampton, and Novelli is now a fixture at that company.

He’s been an integral part of a number of intriguing projects, including historical preservation and adaptive reuse of the Colle Opera House in Turners Falls, a long-abandoned landmark transformed into offices for technology companies; design and renovations of the both the interior and exterior of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Springfield for its 100th anniversary; design and construction of the new Hubert Place for WestMass ElderCare, an affordable senior-living facility in South Hadley; and, most recently, design and construction of the new Magazine Commons for Mental Health Associates, affordable housing for people with disabilities who were displaced from their homes by the 2011 tornado.

Each of these projects and countless others came with specific challenges and, usually, a very high degree of difficulty, said Novelli, adding that clearing such obstacles and devising solutions to complex problems is just one of many things he loves about his profession.

“You get to be creative on a daily basis, and there’s incredible variety — each day is different,” he explained. “One day I’m working on something that’s totally creative and artistic, the next day I’m working through technical details. The next time I’m on the job site working with the general contractor, and the day after that I’m giving a lecture at UMass. There’s always something new and different going on, and I really like that aspect of my work.”

Meanwhile, Novelli makes ample time for his family — wife Lisa and children Ethan, Samantha, and Jocelyn — and his community, Wilbraham, donating time and imagination to both the town’s Vision Task Force and Vision Action Committee. Indeed, drafting a blueprint for effective work-life balance is just another challenge he’s embraced.

— George O’Brien
Photo by Denise Smith Photography

Marcos Marrero

Director, Office of Planning & Economic Development, City of Holyoke; Age 32

Marcos Marrero

Marcos Marrero called it “a completely unexpected but certainly welcome development.”

He was referring to Holyoke’s inclusion on Popular Mechanics’ list of “The 14 Best Startup Cities in America.” The Paper City placed sixth, directly behind Oakland, Calif., Portland, Maine, and Baltimore, Md., and just ahead of Boulder, Colo., Reno, Nev., and Des Moines, Iowa, all considerably larger urban areas.

“I’m not even entirely sure what they based this on,” Marrero told BusinessWest. “I don’t know if they used metrics or if it was their editorial board or if they had some internal scoring method.

“Whatever it was, we’ll take it … it’s validation that people are taking notice,” he went on. “This is not a ranking of the best 14 cities in the country in which to do business — it’s saying, ‘these 14 cities are doing something special; take a look.’”

Getting people to take a look on Holyoke is one of the many accomplishments Marrero has to his credit since becoming director of the city’s Office of Planning & Economic Development in 2012. He’s also played a key role in completing one of the largest urban-renewal plans in the state; securing funds for design and construction of a new train station; helping to win a three-year, $250,000 grant from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston for the SPARK (Stimulating Potential, Accessing Resource Knowledge) initiative through the Working Cities Challenge; reincarnating the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority, where he serves as Executive Director; growing the city’s creative economy; bringing new businesses to the city’s downtown; and much more.

Marrero, a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico and Princeton University, said much has been accomplished in the city he now also calls home, but there is considerably more left to do. He equated putting the pieces together to a game of dominoes.

“We’re faced with many challenges, but there are also a lot of assets here, and you can be very creative in how you package those and how you work in partnerships to attract people to the city,” he explained. “It’s paying off, slowly but surely. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Holyoke’s not going to be revitalized in a year.

“At the state level, we’ve been getting a lot of recognition,” he went on. “When other communities consult with state government leaders, they say, ‘talk to Holyoke; see what they’re doing. They’re in a similar situation, and they’re moving forward.’”

And moving onto more of those ‘best’ lists.

— George O’Brien
Photo by Denise Smith Photography

Andrew Crane

Photo by Denise Smith Photography

Co-owner and Partner, A. Crane Construction; Age 32

Andrew Crane

Andy Crane says he doesn’t have much downtime between work and family, but he devotes a decent chunk of what he does have to “old-man softball” and especially touch football. He plays mostly defensive tackle in the Western Mass. Touch Football League, and when its fall season ends, the squad plays through the winter in a domed facility in Greenfield on Friday nights.

“I really like football. It’s a good release, although it’s almost time to give it up — my joints are starting to creak and crack,” he joked, adding that he won’t have to look hard for new uses for that time if he is forced to retire.

Indeed, Crane, the father of two (ages 7 and 1) is co-owner of A. Crane Construction in Chicopee, a venture started by his father (also named Andrew) that specializes in all phases of residential and light commercial construction and also manages condominium complexes and other types of commercial real estate.

The Cranes divide the various, and many, responsibilities, with the elder serving as primary salesperson and the younger handling outside operations and most day-to-day activities. They make all the key business decisions as a team, and together they’ve generated strong, steady growth over the past several years.

While providing effective leadership for the company, Crane is doing the same within the community. He is immediate past president of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Mass., and is still heavily involved locally as chair of the organization’s building maintenance committee and the Home Show committee, and he’s also on the state board.

He’s also on the board of the Pioneer Valley Red Cross and serves as chairman of the committee that selects the organization’s Hometown Heroes, and he played a key role in an Extreme Makeover project in 2011 as construction manager.

Most recently, he was named to the board of Westmass Area Development Corp., which oversees several industrial parks in the region, the latest being the Ludlow Mills initiative.

He’s been on that board only a few months, but he takes great pride in its mission to spur economic development.

“I really enjoy the work — bringing economic opportunities to the region is rewarding on many levels,” he explained. “I don’t see any other way to grow Western Mass. other than bringing industry here; with industry comes people to work here, and when people work here, I get to build houses for them.”

In other words, he gets to help build momentum in many different ways.

— George O’Brien

Boilard Lumber Launches E-commerce Website

By BusinessWest Staff April 17, 2015

INDIAN ORCHARD — Boilard Lumber, a local family-owned and operated supplier of quality building supplies since 1936, announced a new e-commerce website, boilardtools.com, showcasing commercial construction and home renovation tool, just in time for the spring season.

Best-in-class tools, including table and miter saws, hand tools, accessories, sanders, drills, staplers, nail guns, cable rail, storage boxes, and more — are available from brands such as DeWalt, Festool, Porter-Cable, Fein, Kreg, Bostitch, Hitachi, Feeney, and HID-fast.

“While we can’t ship lumber, we can make buying tools easier and more efficient with our new online store,” said Robert Boilard, vice president of Boilard Lumber. “The website makes it easy to compare brands and options, and we can ship directly to you or your contractor. We also offer free shipping in the continental United States, so there are no added fees for buying online.” In addition, the site has a 30-day return policy and secure payment through PayPal.

MassDOT Approves Contract for I-91 Viaduct Rehabilitation

By BusinessWest Staff April 16, 2015

SPRINGFIELD — The Mass. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the I-91 viaduct structure in Springfield to the joint venture JF White-Schiavone.

The bid price submitted by the joint venture was $148,000,150, making JF White-Schiavone the lowest responsible bidder for the project. There were three bids in total. The total project cost — which, in addition to the bid price, includes railroad flaggers, traffic details, protections against cost overruns, and an incentive clause for the contractor to expedite the work — is approximately $183,325,172.

The approval of the contract allows for the replacement and rehabilitation of the concrete deck, repair and replacement of the supporting steel, and major improvements to drainage and lighting. First built in the 1960s, the viaduct has experienced significant deterioration and requires frequent emergency repairs, which exacerbates traffic congestion. While a long-term solution will be determined through a corridor-planning study currently under development, this contract guarantees lower maintenance costs and a reduction in the need for emergency repairs for the next 30 years.

“The I-91 project will not only address immediate regional transportation needs for the Greater Springfield community, but will also ensure reduced maintenance costs and longer serviceability over the next three decades,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.

Work on the project is anticipated to begin in early summer of this year and last through late February 2019, a duration of approximately three and a half years. Accelerated bridge-construction techniques will be used to reduce the number of traffic impacts and minimize disruptions to traffic flow caused by construction.

The contract also provides for an incentive of $50,000 per day for each day the contractor completes the work early, up to 180 days, meaning the contractor would be eligible to receive a total of $9 million as a maximum bonus. Likewise, the contract has a disincentive clause that penalizes the contractor $50,000 for each day the work continues on past the expected point where drivers should be expected to have full use of the corridor.

For the duration of the work, two travel lanes will be maintained in both directions; the on- and off-ramps within the project limits will be closed for the length of the project. Traffic seeking to access downtown streets will be diverted off I-91 before and after the project limits.

“Today is a major milestone for the Springfield region, and I’m looking forward to getting this project under way,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin. “For too long, the viaduct has required frequent — and untimely — emergency repairs. Recognizing the impact those repairs have on the regional economy and on mobility through the corridor, the contractor’s methods and our contractual incentive shows that we understand the urgency with which this needs to get done.”

The total cost for the project is being funded with 80% federal highway funding and 20% state funding.

Sweitzer Construction Project for Baystate Dental Up for Award

By BusinessWest Staff April 15, 2015

SPRINGFIELD — The Baystate Dental project built by Sweitzer Construction at 29 Broad St. in Westfield, known locally as the Morgan-Way House, has been nominated for a state historic-preservation award.

Westfield on Weekends Inc. submitted the nomination to the Mass. Historical Commission under the adaptive-reuse category. Permits were in place to demolish the house and build a three-story commercial building when Baystate Dental purchased the property, located on a prominent corner of the city’s revitalized green, in 2012. The Federal-style house was built in 1820 by a Pittsfield merchant who also built the Morgan Block in what is now the Westfield Historic District.

After taking ownership, Dr. Kevin Coughlin and his team at Baystate Dental restarted the design and permitting process in order to save the Morgan-Way House and convert it into a dental-care facility.

“The preservation and renovation of the Morgan-Way House by Baystate Dental and Sweitzer Construction is a perfect example of how the business community can contribute to the life of a city,” said Bob Plasse, president of Westfield on Weekends. “We applaud their contributions. The Morgan-Way House provides a much-needed focal point on the Westfield green.”

Baystate Dental was awarded the Westfield Historical Commission’s annual award in 2014. The Mass. Historic Commission will announce awards later this month.

Local Green-building Consultant Named Living Building Hero

By BusinessWest Staff April 14, 2015

WILLIAMSTOWN — Charley Stevenson, owner of Integrated Eco Strategy (IES), a Williamstown firm that facilitates sustainable and regenerative building design, renovation, and construction, was named a 2015 Living Building Hero. The award was presented at the Living Future unConference in Seattle.

The International Living Future Institute administers the Living Building Challenge, the most far-reaching and challenging green-building certification system in the world. The program demands regenerative design solutions — building projects that go beyond harm reduction and actually improve the local environment. For example, each project must generate all the energy it will use on site, harvest and treat all its own potable water, manage stormwater and wastewater without relying on municipal drains, avoid toxic building materials, and include significant edible landscape.

Projects are not certified until they pass a rigorous audit to ensure compliance with all 20 imperatives around the seven ‘petal’ themes of site, water, energy, beauty, healthy, equity, and materials. Actual energy and water bills are used to prove that the project meets net-zero energy and water goals for an entire year.

Stevenson was recognized for his firm’s leadership on multiple projects in Massachusetts. IES is currently engaged in four living-building projects: the Class of 1966 Environmental Center at Williams College, the Kern Center at Hampshire College, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst, and the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth.

Michael Toto Assumes Management of Tighe & Bond’s MEP Team

By BusinessWest Staff April 10, 2015

WESTFIELD — Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil and environmental-engineering consulting, recently hired Michael Toto to manage its mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) team.

A senior electrical engineer with more than 21 years of experience, Toto has managed a wide range of commercial, industrial, and institutional engineering projects. He has provided engineering services to numerous well-known industry giants and prominent institutions. His expertise includes the study, design, permitting, construction management, construction administration, and startup of numerous building and infrastructure facilities. His portfolio of projects includes all phases of engineering for electrical infrastructure. As a project manager, he has led many project teams during various phases of projects simultaneously, and has been the leader on several jobs with multiple owners during his professional experience.

“Michael is a welcome addition to our MEP team,” said David Pinsky, president and CEO of Tighe & Bond. “His wealth of electrical-engineering knowledge — and extensive involvement in the design and management of diverse projects — will benefit our clients greatly.”

Toto earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His professional affiliations include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power Engineering Society, the National Fire Protection Assoc., the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the Assoc. of Energy Engineers.

Founded in 1911, Tighe & Bond is one of the most experienced engineering firms in New England, with offices in Pocasset, Westfield, and Worcester, Mass.; Middletown and Shelton, Conn.; and Portsmouth, N.H. Engineering News Record annually ranks Tighe & Bond among the top design and environmental engineering firms nationally. ZweigWhite also has recognized Tighe & Bond several times as one of the best engineering firms to work for in the nation. With a team of more than 250 employees, Tighe & Bond provides engineering and environmental services for clients in the government, industry, healthcare, education, real-estate, energy, and water/wastewater markets.

ACEC/MA Names Christina Jones Young Professional of the Year

By BusinessWest Staff April 8, 2015

WESTFIELD — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) named Christina Jones, a project engineer in Tighe & Bond’s Westfield office, the recipient of the 2014 ACEC/MA Young Professional of the Year Award. The recognition took place during ACEC/MA’s Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala on March 18 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.

Each year, this competitive award recognizes the accomplishments of one engineer, 30 years old or younger, based on their work and its societal impact. Jones, who is a licensed engineer in Massachusetts, was recognized for achieving significant successes within just five years of launching her civil- and environmental-engineering career.

For the city of Chicopee, she provided construction administration and observation, research, and analysis for the first paving project in Massachusetts to implement cutting-edge intelligent-compaction technology. The result was a more streamlined, cost-efficient paving process, and better-quality pavement that is slated to have a longer life.

Jones is also developing an integrated management plan for Chicopee, which will include working with regulators to advance green infrastructure as an alternative approach to separating combined sewer overflows. In addition, she is developing a unidirectional flushing plan for cleaning water-distribution pipes that will improve water quality and pressure throughout Chicopee.

For two of Connecticut’s major water suppliers, Jones has developed hydraulic models of critical water reservoirs to assess the impact of new fish-habitat-friendly stream-flow regulations on reservoir management. This research enabled her to assist with reservoir-management decisions.

Jones earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and environmental engineering, as well as her master’s degree in environmental engineering, from UMass Amherst. Her professional affiliations include the American Water Works Assoc., the New England Water Works Assoc. (where she is a programs committee member), and Engineers without Borders. She also previously served as a student activities committee member for the New England Water Environment Assoc.

Anne Paradis Honored as PWC Woman of the Year

By BusinessWest Staff April 8, 2015

SPRINGFIELD — The Professional Women’s Chamber (PWC) has announced that Anne Paradis, chief executive officer for MicroTek Inc. in Chicopee, has been named the PWC 2015 Woman of the Year.

The award, given annually since 1954, is presented to a woman in the Western Mass. area who exemplifies outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment, and service to the community. A celebration in Paradis’s honor will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carriage House, Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield.

“We are thrilled with this year’s honoree — a truly inspiring and accomplished woman like Anne Paradis,” said Janet Casey, PWC board president. “She is a domestic trailblazer among women in the high-tech industry, and the opportunity that she has provided to people with disabilities speaks so deeply to her sense of compassion. Her achievements are spectacular and her generosity admirable.”

Microtek was founded in 1983 with the mission of integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce. The company provides custom cable and wire configurations, control panels, and enclosures for customers in the medical equipment, scientific test and instrumentation, life sciences, industrial, and retail industries.

Paradis was tapped to lead the organization in 1987. Under her guidance, the company has grown an average of 15% each year, expanded its product lines and client base, and created more than 80 jobs. As well, Paradis has led the organization through construction of a new 22,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, obtained industry certifications as well as ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 registrations, and has been awarded the Massachusetts quality-of-service certification with distinction for employment services every year since 1996.

Prior to joining MicroTek, Paradis served as a management and training consultant, served as the marketing director and employment design specialist for New England Business Associates, and spent nearly 10 years in the mental-health field. She is a member of the Baystate Health board of trustees and vice chair of its audit committee, past president of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts board of directors, corporator of the Wentworth Institute of Technology, and former president of the National Assoc. of Supported Work Organizations board of directors.

She also served on the reference services advisory board for UMass and the electronic advisory committee for Chicopee Comprehensive High School. She is also active in the Social Enterprise Alliance, the Wire Harness Manufacturer’s Assoc., the Women Presidents’ Organization, and the Human Right Campaign, and in 2009 was named to the 21st Century Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame at Bay Path University.

Tickets for the May 19 celebration, sponsored by BusinessWest, are $55. To register, visit www.myonlinechamber.com or e-mail Kara Cavanaugh at [email protected].

Community Spotlight: Northampton

Community Spotlight Features

Northampton Expands Housing and Its Downtown

Mayor David Narkewicz says Northampton officials are planning a major redesign of Pulaski Park.

For more than three decades now, Northampton’s downtown has been the envy of cities and towns in this region and well outside it.

It is known for — and in many cases has won awards for — its cultural community, inventory of dining establishments, vitality, diversity, liveability, driveability (with bicycles), and sustainability. And moving forward, said Mayor David Narkewicz, the goal is to essentially make this city, well, even more of all of the above.

Indeed, plans are underway or on the drawing board for additional housing (especially in the ‘affordable’ category), traffic improvements, a wide range of developments on Pleasant Street (Route 5), long-awaited revitalization efforts involving Pulaski Park in the heart of downtown, new retail, and more.

“Northampton has won awards for its walkability and for having the best Main Street in America,” said the mayor. “And I’m excited about the progress being made and am very bullish about our city.”

The net effect of these many initiatives will be to effectively expand downtown, enable more people to live in it — thus providing more foot traffic for existing businesses and potential new ones — and make the city even more of a destination.

And that’s an important factor in the casino era set to begin in Massachusetts and especially the South End of Springfield, just 20 miles to the south, said the mayor, and also at a time when rail service will improve across the region, making Northampton that much more accessible.

Overall, Narkewicz says Northampton’s initiatives to expand its downtown, add more affordable housing, and make infrastructure improvements is a “winning strategy,” one that should enable it to withstand whatever threat the casino presents to its vitality.

“We need to focus on how to prepare and position ourselves so that we can remain a successful and viable downtown destination,” he said, adding that this is a multi-pronged initiative.

For this, the latest installment in BusinessWest’s Community Spotlight series, we take an in-depth look at the many developments underway or planned for Paradise City, and how they are expected to improve what is already considerable quality of life.

At Home with the Idea

Narkewicz said one of the few downsides to Northampton’s three-decade-long resurgence has been consistently high property values that have had the effect of pricing some people out of the city and its downtown.

Plans to increase the inventory of affordable housing will not only help remedy that situation, but they could also result in a more diverse population.

Two major housing projects that will feature affordable units and are in different stages of development are part of a broad initiative to expand and improve the Pleasant Street corridor.

HAPHousing Inc. is purchasing the Northampton Lodging House and plans to transform the multi-story building from single rooms into 72 units of housing, with half of them affordable or subsidized. The new apartments will be built on the upper stories of the building, and the first floor will contain 3,500 square feet of retail space, enough for two storefronts.

In addition, the Northampton Lumber Site, which sits perpendicular to the Northampton Lodging House, is under contract negotiations. Valley CDC is planning to purchase it and convert the property’s 70,000 square feet into 55 affordable housing units, each with one to three bedrooms.

“It’s a plus for our future to have new housing near state-transit-oriented development; these two projects are on a route served by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and within a five-minute walk to the Amtrak passenger rail station,” Narkewicz said, adding that the rerouted Amtrak Vermonter train service is operational, and although there are only two trains stopping in Northampton each day right now, ridership is strong and will continue to grow.

“There are also other benefits associated with an increase in downtown housing, including more customers for retail stores and restaurants. The housing will also allow people to be within walking distance to jobs, and the affordability factor is important,” he continued. “We take pride in trying to make sure that Northampton remains affordable to people on every rung of the income ladder.”

New housing options will also become available this year for elders when construction on Christopher Heights is complete. The senior housing facility is being built on the grounds of the former Northampton State Hospital, and half of the 86 assisted units will be affordable.

“It is part of a continuum to try to provide affordable housing for people of all ages,” the mayor said, adding that the Christopher Grantham Group which is building the facility, applied for and received housing tax credits from the state, which were boosted by $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funding from the city.

In addition to new housing options, other developments are planned for that area of the city. The state will begin construction on a major reconfiguration of the intersection of Route 5 and Conz Street, and the fork in the road that people encounter when they enter Northampton from the south will become a roundabout.

“This is one of our busiest intersections, and many businesses are centered around it, so this will help to make the traffic pattern more efficient and will be a more aesthetically pleasing gateway from the south,” Narkewicz said.

The vitality of the roadway was enhanced when the Fairfield Inn by Marriott opened late last year on Conz Street and added 108 new hotel rooms within walking distance to downtown, increasing the city’s hotel space to 300 rooms.

Art of the Matter

Northampton touts a new initiative called “Pleasant Futures,” which Narkewicz describes as a “community re-visioning process for Pleasant Street,” and a number of public meetings have been held to get input from residents in surrounding neighborhoods about what needs to be done to increase density and expand the downtown area in the neighborhood in a way that is pleasing to everyone.

It kicked off last May and is a collaborative effort between the Office of Planning and Sustainability and the Ward 3 Neighborhood Organization. “The concerns expressed in the meetings focused on pedestrian safety and vibrancy along the corridor,” Narkewicz said.

To that end, the city filed an application for a MassWorks grant to install new sidewalks, increase on-street parking, and create an attractive streetscape that would make the roadway more walkable. Traffic-mitigation funds from a new medical-marijuana dispensary soon to open on Conz Street will be used to help fund the planning process, and the mayor said Yes Computer renovated a building there a few years ago, while the owner of the shops across the street has renovated several storefronts.

“One of the advantages of interjecting more housing is that it pushes Pleasant Street to be more walkable and increases downtown’s vibrancy, which we are looking to expand,” said Economic Development Director Terry Masterson.

Change is also occurring in the heart of downtown. The Academy of Music, the oldest municipally owned theater in America, has increased its programming, and a major capital campaign kicked off in the fall of 2013 to install new seating, repair damage to the building’s ornate plaster from a leaky roof, and return the interior to its original colors.

“The city partnered with the Academy to improve the exterior and replace the roof,” Narkewicz said. “Most of the work was done last summer when the academy went black, and the city installed a new fire-escape system in the building at that time. The Academy is a major driver for tourism and brings 45,000 to 50,000 people to the city every year.”

He told BusinessWest that arts and culture play a major role in Northampton’s success, and venues like the Calvin Theater and Iron Horse Music Hall, events such as First Night and a monthly Arts Night Out, and retail stores that showcase the work of artists and artisans are part of the thriving arts fabric.

“A really exciting development in the same realm is also taking place on the other side of town,” Narkewicz said. “The Arts Trust has purchased the Universal Fitness Center, and through fund-raising and grants, they are turning it into an arts center with a black-box theater and space for artists to work in, which is important because Northampton’s success and the growth in property values and rents has made it difficult for artists to find affordable studios to work in.”

Park Place

Meanwhile, another major development is the broad effort to revitalize Pulaski Park.

It sits in the center of the city’s downtown, and a $2.4 million renovation and addition is being planned that will create more green, open space for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“We think the park will become a crown jewel in our already-excellent downtown,” said the mayor. “It sits between City Hall and the Academy of Music and hasn’t undergone a major renovation since 1976.”

Although upgrades had been considered in the past, cost played into the equation. But revamping the park recently became a viable option due to a change in state law that allows cities to use Community Preservation Act funds for existing parks, rather than just for new ones.

As a result, last year Northampton sought and received a $400,000 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations (PARC) Grant to help fund the construction, as well as some initial design money from the City Council.

Stephen Stimson Associates was hired to create a plan for the park, and after holding a series of open meetings with residents to determine what they would like to see done, “they produced a breathtaking new design,” Narkewicz said. It is pending approval from the Community Preservation Committee, and, if it’s granted, construction will begin in June and continue through July 2017.

“Sustainability is part of the design, and it features a unique bioswale that will collect rainwater runoff and process it in an environmentally friendly way. The park will also have a new nature play area that will replace the existing, dated play structure. It will incorporate rocks, logs, and platforms and have a small slide,” the mayor said.

However, additional funds will be needed to complete the project, and the city is seeking $1,675,000 in the next round of PARC grants. About $200,000 of that funding would be used to comply with state PARC requirements to move utilities and communications lines underground.

Narkewicz said his office, the Department of Public Works, the Recreation Department, and the Office of Planning and Sustainability are all committed to identifying construction funding through a combination of local monies and state grant opportunities.

Bottom Line

For decades now, downtown Northampton has set the standard when it comes to vibrancy, diversity, and, as mentioned earlier, overall liveability.

Mayor Narkewicz and other city officials believe that the overall impact of the many initiatives underway will be to set the bar even higher. And, in doing so, they will give new meaning to that nickname Paradise City.

Northampton at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1884
Population: 28,495
Area: 35.75 square miles 
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $15.81
Commercial Tax Rate: $15.81
Median Household Income: $57,991 (2013)
Family Household Income: $81,680 (2013)
Type of government: Mayor; City Council
Largest Employers: Cooley Dickinson Hospital; Smith College; Veterans Administration Medical Clinic
* Latest information available

Opinion

Opinion

Olympics Numbers Just Don’t Add Up

By Andrew Zimbalist

The UMass Donahue Institute’s recent report on the economic impact of a 2024 Summer Olympics in Boston wasn’t surprising, given its assumptions and methodology — it projected gains of more than 50,000 jobs and billions of dollars.

While parts of the report are well-reasoned, the predicted impacts are suspect. That’s because the institute accepted the unrealistic assertions of the Boston 2024 organization regarding costs, revenues, and financing; used an inappropriate input-output methodology; ignored scholarly literature on the economic impact of hosting mega-sporting events; and misapprehended some items contained in the Boston bid.

In essence, the report’s results flow out of the assumptions that all operating costs will be covered by revenue from the Games, all construction costs will be covered privately, and the federal government will pick up 100% of the security costs (optimistically forecast at only $1 billion).

Consider each of these elements. The Boston 2024 bid shows operating costs and revenues at $4.7 billion. To get to this figure, Boston 2024 invokes $1 billion in “additional” or “other” revenue, the sources of which are not revealed. Boston 2024 also assumes it will take in $1.15 billion in ticket sales. London had an 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, replete with luxury boxes and other revenue-generating accoutrements. Boston 2024 is planning a temporary, spartan, 60,000 seat stadium. London generated only $990 million in ticket sales. How will Boston top that by more than 16%?

Boston 2024’s operating costs include a $600 million payment to the U.S. Olympic Committee in recognition that some of the domestic sponsorship money will come from corporate relationships built by the USOC. Illogically, the new report figures $220 million of this money will go toward creating business and employment in Boston. This number is then multiplied by roughly 1.9 (the new employment generates new income, which brings new consumption, etc.), according to the IMPLAN model used in the report.

But this model is inappropriate for estimating the economic impact of mega-events. The sheer volume of construction around mega-events leads to the use of companies and workers from outside the hosting region, leading to much larger leakages out of the local economy and unrealistically high multipliers, among other problems.

It is noteworthy that most macro-economic models of the entire U.S. economy have multipliers of around 1.2. Since the Boston economy is only a small fraction of the U.S. economy, it is not feasible that it would have a multiplier that is more than 50% larger. Yet, that is what the report’s results depend on.

Although the institute expresses some skepticism, its report incorporates Boston 2024’s claim that all the venues will be built with private money. Why would a U.S. company build an Olympic stadium that will be torn down? Or a velodrome? Or a pentathlon stadium? Why has no company stepped forward and declared its intention to even explore this opportunity?

Based on its IMPLAN model, the report estimates that hosting the Olympics will generate more than 50,000 new jobs in 2024. It says these workers will spend some of the money they earn here, further boosting the local economy. But that makes no allowance for the fact that Olympic Games are notorious for relying on voluntary labor.

The Donahue report also examines the uncertainty of the impact of hosting on tourism, both during the games and after. It mentions that London tourism during the summer of 2012 was down by 8% compared with 2011. The report might have added that 2012 was one year further removed from the financial crisis of 2008-09, and, other things equal, we would expect higher tourism figures in 2012. The report neglects to mention that tourist arrivals in Beijing in 2008 were down 20%. Despite this evidence, and that from scholarly studies, the report curiously projects a substantial boost to Boston’s tourism.

If one builds an empirical model and simply assumes that all the investment will be private and that the investment won’t displace other investments, it is easy to show output and job growth. But these rosy projections are no more realistic than Boston 2024’s starry-eyed claim that no public money will be spent.

Andrew Zimbalist is a professor of economics at Smith College. His new book is “Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and World Cup.”

2015 Golf Preview: Steady Course

Cover Story Golf Preview Sections Sports & Leisure

Golf Industry Adjusts to a Changing Climate

While golf courses in the Pioneer Valley will certainly be opening earlier than those east of Worcester — where close to nine feet of snow fell in less than two months and temperatures have not induced much melting — they will be getting down to business later than what would be considered normal or desirable.

And that has Kevin Kennedy a little worried.

The head professional at Springfield’s two municipal courses, Franconia and Veterans Memorial, told BusinessWest that golf seasons have a tendency to reflect how — and often when — spring begins.

“I really believe that, if you get off to a good start in the spring, it trickles down to club sales and everything else — everyone’s raring to go,” he explained. “I’d rather have a good spring than a good fall; if they don’t excited about golf in the spring, some people may not get excited for the whole year. A good spring start is imperative.”

However, it looks like area courses won’t be getting that good start. As BusinessWest went to press on April Fool’s Day, the professionals we spoke with were predicting it would be at least another week and probably two before anyone would be putting a peg in the ground.

While many in the golf industry are content to whine about business, Kevin Kennedy says, he prefers to be optimistic about the present and future.

That’s a few weeks later than normal — many courses are typically able to open in late March — and this year it’s after Good Friday, which is usually one of the busiest golfing days of the year. In fact, area courses with a lot of snow will likely kick off after the Masters tournament (April 9-12), which has become a symbol to many golfers in colder climates that it’s time to get out and play.

And a slow start certainly isn’t what courses need at a time marked by myriad and, in some cases, historic challenges for the industry — everything from the lingering effects from the recession, especially when it comes to discretionary spending, to an oversaturation of the local market when it comes to courses (although that’s certainly not a recent phenomenon); from continued discounting and price stagnation that has many consequences, to societal changes that have left many people, especially younger audiences, with little if any appetite for an activity that consumes five hours or more.

Yet, despite all this, there is optimism to be found among the pros we spoke with, who said they’re learning to adapt to this new environment.

E.J. Altobello, long-time professional at Tekoa Country Club in Westfield, said the course registered “minor growth” in 2014, another season that started later than what would be considered normal, a byproduct of predominantly solid weather during the summer and few lost weekend days. Overall, he said the golf market has stabilized somewhat after several challenging years immediately following the Great Recession.

“We’ve been pretty steady the past several years,” he said, referring to both Tekoa and the regional market in general. “I think we’ve managed to stop some of the bleeding from six or seven years ago. We’ve had minor growth — nothing off the charts — and that’s what we’re probably going to see this year.”

Mike Zaranek, head pro at Crumpin Fox, a higher-end course in the Franklin County community of Bernardston, agreed.

“We had a good year last year, with about the same number of rounds as we did in 2013, which I really can’t complain about in this golf world,” he said, adding that this was despite a similarly late start, April 19 to be exact. “Our membership has been hanging on — the numbers are steady, which, for our neck of the woods and this business climate, is pretty good.”

Even Kennedy, despite his apprehension about a late start, takes a decidedly glass-is-more-than-half-full attitude as he talks about the local market, the state of the sport, and the industry’s prospects for the future.

“I tend to be a little more optimistic than many,” he said. “There are some people in the industry, and not just locally, who prefer to sit around and whine about the golf industry and how bad it is. It’d definitely challenging, but I think the game is healthy, and we can grow it.”

Still, challenges abound, and for this issue and its focus on sports and leisure, BusinessWest looks at how they are forcing clubs to bring their A-games to the table in order to post some solid numbers.

Par for the Course

To summarize the state of the game and the environment in which clubs are operating today, Kennedy summoned some numbers to get his points across.

“In 1995, there were about 25 million golfers,” he said, noting that was the year before Tiger Woods joined the PGA tour and inspired people of all ages to not only watch the sport on TV, but take it up. “And in 2013 there were … about 25 million golfers.”

In between, or roughly around 2000, there were maybe 31 million or 32 million, he went on, noting that this surge, fueled by Woods and a strong economy, was greeted with a wave of new course construction that was country-wide and included Western Mass.

Indeed, this region saw the construction of several new tracts, including the Ledges in South Hadley, the Ranch in Southwick, and, most recently, Cold Spring in Belchertown.

“The overall supply of golf courses skyrocketed — every developer wanted to build 100 condos with courses around them,” said Kennedy, talking about the scene nationally, adding that demand is currently what it was two decades ago and much less than at the start of this century.

Mike Zaranek says courses like Crumpin Fox can’t compete on price, so they must focus on value and providing an experience.

The laws of supply and demand dictate that there would be some attrition, that some courses would fail, he went on, noting that this happened nationally, with several hundred courses closed or soon to close.

But it hasn’t happened regionally, where the inventory has only grown.

And that has left clubs and their managers to take whatever steps they deem necessary to compete, he went on, adding that this means keeping prices stable (the two Springfield courses have not had an increase the past three years, for example), adding value wherever possible, focusing on good customer service, and, in many cases, marketing themselves far more aggressively than they did years ago.

Altobello agreed, and noted that the greater inventory of courses, even just a few new layouts, impacts everything from daily fee play to league play to the myriad outings and charity tournaments staged each year. And it all matters when there is already little margin for error.

“We’ve lost a few tournaments to some of the newer courses,” he said, noting the Ranch specifically because of its proximity. “Every new option out there hurts a little bit and dilutes the business for the rest of us.

“The real issue around here is saturation,” he went on. “It’s great for the consumer — this is a wonderful place to play golf — but not so great for course owners and operators.”

Using his own specific competitive situation, or “micro-climate,” as he called it, to illustrate his points, Altobello said that, although he’s competing against courses across the Pioneer Valley, the situation in his own backyard is especially intense.

Indeed, there are six public or semi-private courses in Westfield and neighboring Southwick alone — Tekoa, East Mountain, and Shaker Farms in Westfield; Southwick Country Club, Edgewood, and the Ranch in Southwick — along with two driving ranges and a par-3 course. And they serve only about 65,000 people, said Altobello.

“That’s a huge number — this is a tough environment to compete in,” he told BusinessWest, adding that a few of those courses are offering “ridiculously low” yearly rates to woo members and keep the daily time sheets full.

Given this competitive climate, Tekoa and other higher-end courses are forced to compete on quality, because they can’t compete on price.

“I certainly feel that our facility is a little better, and hopefully that wins out in the end,” he said, adding quickly that, while quality is important to some, increasingly, the golfing public is being motivated by rates and deals.

That’s because there are so many of them — available through coupon books, Groupon, Golf Now, and other online phenomena, and individual courses looking to drive traffic, especially on the slower weekdays, through golf-and-lunch specials.

“Some people are just looking to get out quick and get the lowest price available,” said Altobello. “It’s different strokes for different folks.”

Zaranek agreed. “People will ask, ‘what’s the special of the day?’ and ‘how much is this going to cost me?’” he said, adding that many will look to do better than the prices posted at the counter. “Everyone wants a deal — that’s the battle you fight.”

At Crumpin Fox, where daily rates average around $100, the club has to specifically focus on those for whom quality and excellent course conditions are a priority, he added.

“There are some places south of us where people can play three rounds for what it costs to play one at Crump,” he explained. “Our job is to get them to come up and understand the value attached to that high-end daily-fee golf course — how you’re treated, the experience you get, the golf holes you remember, the conditions you play under — and make it worth their trip once, maybe twice a year.”

Course Corrections

Meanwhile, there are many other challenges for club owners and professionals — everything from declining sales of clubs (generally, people are holding onto equipment longer than they did even a few years ago and buying last year’s models at a fraction of the cost of new sticks) to a younger generation that seemingly has no patience or passion for a game that takes so much of their time.

“The retail side of the business has changed considerably since the recession of 2008 and 2009,” said Altobello. “Guys aren’t spending money like they used to, and the equipment makers have trained people on when to buy; the 2015 driver is $400, but the 2014 driver is now $149. Is the 2015 driver $250 better than the 2014 model? Probably not. And when the next new driver comes out, people will know to wait it out.”

As for attracting younger audiences — and even those a little older who have similarly stiff competition for their time and attention — clubs are doing what they can to spark interest and hold it.

But it’s an uphill battle.

“Young kids want instant gratification — they want to pick up their phone and play a game, they want to go do this and then do that,” Kennedy explained. “Five hours? If I tell my daughter she’s going to have something good in five hours, she looks at me like I have seven heads. Five hours? How about five minutes? That’s what they have patience for.”

Despite those sentiments, clubs are being more aggressive with programs aimed at attracting younger audiences and, when possible, keeping them in the game, said Zaranek, noting that Crumpin Fox has pricing programs for families and juniors. Meanwhile, it is stressing options for time-strapped individuals, such as nine-hole outings or even playing a handful of holes.

Clubs are also working hard to keep younger individuals and families interested in golf through that challenging period when they are otherwise preoccupied with their career and their family.

Altobello said an all-too-common pattern is for young people to start playing the game in high school, maybe stay with it through college — although that’s challenging as well — but then drop the game when the responsibilities of parenthood and their career consume most all of their time.

“I don’t think the 17-and-under crowd is playing any less than they were 10 or 15 years ago,” he explained. “But I think that, as they get into business and get into their 20s, it seems like we lose them for about 10 to 12 years.

“The whole dynamic of the family has changed over the past 25 or 30 years,” he went on, adding that, while this isn’t a recent phenomenon, societal changes have amplified its impact. “Today, both parents are working, and kids are into more things — and parents need to be there, whether it’s a soccer game or practice or dance. It’s a time factor.”

The challenge for clubs is to try to keep people in the game, he went on, or at least make sure they get back into it when their children get older and time is more plentiful.

There are some positive developments, said the pros we spoke with, although the impacts are more likely to be felt down than the road than in the present.

One is the retirement and pending retirement of the huge Baby Boom generation, said Altobello, adding that this constituency has two things the golf industry requires — time and, generally speaking, disposable income. And many have the wherewithal to retire early.

“The real factor for most people is time,” said Altobello. “If you have a family and you’re working, you just don’t have a lot of time. Anyone who’s retiring early, people in their late 50s and early 60s — that really helps out, and we’re seeing more of those people, men and women, out there.”

Spring in Their Step

It will probably be at least mid-April before they’ll be out on many of the courses in this region.

That later start will only add to the many challenges facing golf-course owners today as they deal with changing societal patterns, lingering effects from the recession, a time-challenged population, and, yes, the weather.

In this climate, ‘steady’ is a reasonable goal and, in the end, a good number on the scorecard.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Coming Attraction

Sections Sports & Leisure

For the Agawam Cinemas, There Will Indeed Be a Sequel

By KEVIN FLANDERS

Kimberly Wheeler says she was pleasantly surprised by the level of enthusiasm she encountered from local movie fans who supported her Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to renovate and reopen the Agawam Cinemas.

Facing an ultimatum effected by the ever-present hand of technology, Agawam Family Cinemas was forced to shut down last year.

The deadline had been looming for some time following the announcement that 35-mm film would no longer be used. The result was a difficult decision for many theater owners — initiate the costly conversion to digital projectors or close their doors.

Then-owner Sal Anzalotti, who had run the cinemas for nearly 20 years, elected to close the business, much to the devastation of many local families who frequented the cinemas. For a time it looked like the reign of movies at the 866 Suffield St. location was over; the price of bringing movies back to Agawam was seemingly too steep.

Fast-forward almost one year, and those very families once fraught with despair are now teeming with joy and excitement. The movies are indeed coming back to Agawam, with Kimberly Wheeler leading the way.

“This was an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up,” said Wheeler, a lifelong Agawam resident and movie buff who spent countless hours catching films at the theater with friends and family. “When it closed its doors, it was absolutely heartbreaking.”

Wheeler had no experience prior to this year in acquiring and operating local cinemas. An EMT for 13 years and also an instructor of emergency medicine, she might have been the last person one might have expected to embrace such a massive undertaking. There are many innate challenges to restoring a cinema and getting a business back on its feet — challenges that would have daunted most people.

But with a lifetime of movie memories and the desire for new ones serving as her inspirations, Wheeler excitedly took over the shuttered cinemas and hasn’t looked back since.

Total Team Effort

Having only rented the business — now called Agawam Cinemas — for 10 months, Wheeler has gone a surprisingly long way in a short period of time. Needing to raise about $150,000 in order to purchase digital projectors, it was a tall task to get the business off the ground again.

But Wheeler wasn’t alone with her aspirations. Hundreds of area residents and business owners, many with similar recollections of catching movies in Agawam, showed their support through $45,000 in donations during a month-long fund-raising effort on Kickstarter. Additionally, several individuals reached out to Wheeler to express their support of the project and congratulate her for bringing the movie tradition back to Agawam.

“I had so much support from Agawam residents and businesses. It was stunning — the most heartwarming thing I have ever seen,” Wheeler told BusinessWest. “I don’t know if I could have done this without all of the help I’ve gotten from the community. It really does take a village.”

Agawam Family Cinemas started life as the local Jerry Lewis Twin Cinemas, and is set to reopen soon as a modern, fully digital theater.

It means a lot to Wheeler to have the community’s support as she continues through the renovation phase of the project. Working closely with Easthampton Savings Bank, she will provide most of the remaining funds for digital projectors from her own pocket. A murder-mystery-dinner fund-raiser is scheduled for April 11, but those proceeds will merely help defray the cost of acoustic improvements to the theaters.

Those costs are well worth it, Wheeler said, especially since the project has come as a pleasant surprise not only to Agawam residents, but to film fans throughout the area. Many people used to travel several miles to see movies in Agawam, passing up larger cinemas to experience the quaint environment.

“I got many letters and e-mails of encouragement,” added Wheeler, who hopes construction will be complete in time for a grand reopening in May or June. “It’s so important to know that the town and region are behind you 100% when you do something like this. People really missed this place.”

Residents and town officials alike are eagerly anticipating the reopening of the cinemas. From family events to nights out with friends, Agawam Cinemas will be ideal for people of all ages.

Wheeler, who has always enjoyed watching movies with her father, wants to give others a chance to experience the thrill of taking in movies with their families as well. She has seen countless movies in all genres over the years in Agawam, from Monsters University to Philomena. One of Wheeler’s fondest memories of the Agawam cinemas was seeing the film Django Unchained with her father. Theater policies at the time required at least four guests to be in attendance for the movie to run, but for a while Wheeler and her father were the only guests.

“We were sitting in the lobby, holding our breath to see if two other people would arrive to see this film alongside us, when finally one couple arrived,” Wheeler recalled. “We all let out a sigh of relief and laughed together. It was a team effort to get this film presented that evening, and we all enjoyed the film immensely.”

Town officials, meanwhile, have plenty of great memories of the place as well, many of their recollections dating back to the early days of the cinemas. Listening to their stories, one can easily understand how the cinemas have been stitched into the fabric of Agawam.

“I am both pleased and excited about the renovation and reopening of the Agawam Cinemas at the Southgate Plaza,” said Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen. “I remember when they originally opened as the Jerry Lewis Twin Cinemas. We are fortunate that the town’s only movie theater will once again be offering first-grade services with a hometown atmosphere. I can’t wait for the ribbon cutting and the ability of watching movies once again here in Agawam.”

Showtime

Built in the late ’60s, Agawam Cinemas was originally part of a chain of Jerry Lewis Twin Cinemas franchises that sprouted up across the country, with individual operators paying around $10,000 to operate a given cinema. The two auditoriums hold 175 and 250 guests, respectively, with the unique distinction of having tables in front of every seat. The theaters used to hold more than 400 each, and the decision to add tables reduced seating capacity but increased guest comfort.

Since taking over the business, Wheeler has placed an emphasis on creating the most comfortable and convenient atmosphere possible for her guests. Upgrades are currently in progress to make the building fully ADA-compliant, and the lobby has experienced a makeover as well. In addition to standard concession choices that will be made available for snacks, Wheeler is also thinking outside the box by offering guests gourmet chocolate creations from Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe in East Longmeadow. Now that movies are coming back to town, she wants other businesses to benefit as well.

On the topic of business, Wheeler praised New England Theater Co. of Connecticut for its construction work on the building, and she’s eagerly awaiting opening night.

“We want to make it a destination for people, from the atmosphere to the exceptional customer service,” Wheeler said. “This is something that will get people out of their houses and help them forget their troubles. It will provide a great family and group experience.”

Unlike large movie theater chains, Wheeler is striving to foster the same neighborhood feel the place has always been known for, a venue where people can build friendships on the foundation of a common bond. By intertwining modern technologies with nostalgic elements, the cinema will transcend the zeitgeist of its initial creation and usher in a new era of movie magic in Agawam.

To celebrate the building’s history, the lobby will feature several items of Jerry Lewis memorabilia and other hallmarks of the cinema’s past. Prior to entering the theaters, guests will get to experience the history that connects generations of Agawam residents.

“We want the lobby to be comfortable, with a focus on nostalgia. We are digging up everything we can find, from the groundbreaking of the cinema to current day,” Wheeler said.

She plans to show first-run movies at the theaters, perhaps in an alternating sequence that allows about four movies to play on a given day, two per theater. Though the details haven’t been fully ironed out, Wheeler said she will seek input from guests on what movies they would like to see and try to create a balance.

“We want to make it flexible and give them the opportunity to let us know what they want to see,” she told BusinessWest.

For many residents and town officials, it won’t even matter which movies are playing, as long as the big screens are bright again in Agawam.

It Will Be a Real Draw

Sections Travel and Tourism

Seuss Museum Expected to Provide Boost for Quadrangle, City

Top: an artist’s rendering of one of the scenes to unfold on the first floor of the planned Dr. Seuss museum, set to open in June 2016. Above: kids visit Ted Geisel’s statue in the outdoor sculpture garden.

Holly Smith-Bove says that, over the years, the bulk of the phone calls and inquiries from visitors to the Springfield Museums — maybe 80% of them by her estimate — have concerned the “Dr. Seuss Museum,” even though there isn’t one.

There is a sculpture garden featuring Seuss characters, as well as the author himself, on the museum grounds, which helps explain all those inquiries, she said. Still, many assume there is a museum attached to that hugely popular attraction. Meanwhile, there’s also an image of the Cat in the Hat on the museums’ logo, creating additional expectations.

But another huge factor is simply the strong international pull of Theodor Seuss Geisel, the most famous children’s author of all time — an estimated 600 million copies of his various works have been sold in 95 countries around the world — and knowledge of his many connections to Springfield, his birthplace, said Smith-Bove, president of Springfield Museums. And thus it is with a good deal of relief — and anticipation — that such questions will now be given a different answer.

Specifically, that the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum will open its doors in June 2016 in the William Pynchon Memorial Building, which once housed the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.

The new facility will be highly interactive and have a strong literacy component, said Kay Simpson, vice president of Springfield Museums, who spearheaded the Seuss museum project.

She told BusinessWest that the first floor of the Seuss museum, some 3,200 square feet of exhibition space, will house “The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss,” a permanent, bilingual exhibit deigned to introduce children and their families to the stories of Geisel, promote joy in reading, and nurture specific literacy skills.

“The exhibit is really focused on Ted Geisel growing up in downtown Springfield, and how the sights that he saw and some of the characters he encountered later appeared in his books,” said Simpson, noting that there are many connections, including Mulberry Street, just a few blocks from the Quadrangle, which was the focus of his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

The second floor, meanwhile, which is due to open roughly a year later and is what Simpson called a “work in progress,” will house additional exhibits, including a planned re-creation of Geisel’s studio, an exhibition about the making of the sculpture garden, and other related displays.

“We’re calling it ‘Ted’s Room,’” said Smith-Bove. “It might include his writing desk — setting up his studio as if he just left it.”

The new museum is expected to generate perhaps a 25% boost in overall visitorship to the Quadrangle (currently about 400,000 annually), said Smith-Bove, adding that the attraction has strong potential to bring a number of economic benefits to the City of Homes, especially if the museum concept can be built upon in ways to include other city landmarks.

Holly Smith-Bove, left, and Kay Simpson say the new Dr. Seuss museum will bring many benefits, including a boost in sales of Seuss items in the gift shop.

Indeed, museum officials are already pondering such possibilities as Seuss walking or driving tours that could possibly include his childhood home on Fairfield Street (currently on the market), his alma mater, Classical High School, the site of his maternal grandparents’ bakery on Howard Street, and other sites.

They also envision packaging a Seuss experience with other facilities honoring artistic and literary figures, such as the Mark Twain Museum in Hartford, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, and others.

For this issue and its focus on travel and tourism, BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at plans for the Seuss museum and talks with those involved about how it might prompt visitors to explore not only the worlds Geisel created, but the city that inspired so much of what he drew.

Rhyme and Reason

Simpson told BusinessWest that discussions concerning a Seuss museum began in 2002, not long after the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden opened, and it became immediately apparent just how powerful a draw the children’s author and his famous characters were.

“It was a huge attraction the day it opened to the public, and it still is today,” said Simpson, noting that, because people don’t have to purchase admission to visit the garden, it is hard to keep an accurate account of visitorship, but she estimates at least 100,000 people a year.

From a qualitative standpoint, she said the sculpture garden has been a hit with people of all ages, and it has attracted cars bearing the license plates of nearly 50 states.

“When the kids come onto the Quad, the minute they see the sculptures, they immediately run toward them — it’s very meaningful for people,” Simpson noted, adding that, while it is mostly a spring and summer phenomenon, weather doesn’t stop many of the faithful.

“I’ve gone out onto the Quad even during the chilly autumn,” she noted, “and you’ll see someone in the middle of a rainstorm with an umbrella just reading the text from the sculpture that represents Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”

And many of those visitors, as Smith-Bove noted, want to know where the Seuss museum is.

While there has long been a desire to create one and meet that recognized need, Simpson explained, many pieces had to fall in place for such a facility to become reality.

Such pieces included physical space, a problem that was solved when the various collections in the Pynchon building were moved to the new Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History in 2009, freeing up that square footage. Another was gaining the blessing of Geisel’s widow, Audrey, and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, an organization that zealously promotes and protects the Seuss name and brand, while still another was funding.

In many respects, Simpson said, those challenges were woven together.

“We had a conceptual plan for the first floor of the Pynchon building, which had received approval from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, but they had a condition,” she explained. “And the condition was that we had to raise all the money that we needed to execute that conceptual plan before we started any construction or fabrication.

“It’s been like a patchwork quilt,” added Simpson of the efforts to create the museum, adding that a key stitch came from a $1 million appropriation from the state, which, when added to roughly $600,000 and other donations, including a $150,000 gift from the Institute of Library Services, gave the Museums more than the $1.5 million needed to greenlight the project and begin work.

Following an extensive RFP process that yielded responses from firms across the country, the Springfield Museums contracted with a design group comprised of 42 Design Fab, based in Indian Orchard, and 5 WITS Productions and Boston Productions Inc., both based in Norwood, to create the interactive elements for the first floor.

The new Seuss museum will focus on the many connections between the author and Springfield, including early vehicles produced in the city.

Visitors will enter the exhibition through a large entry hall designed to simulate elements of And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. In succeeding galleries, they’ll explore a series of environments that replicate scenes from Geisel’s imagination and encounter life-sized, three-dimensional characters and places from the books.

Character Witnesses

Overall, what’s planned for the two floors of the Pynchon Building, a Georgian Colonial Revival style structure, is a celebration of the author, his works, and his many connections to Springfield, said Simpson and Smith-Bove, adding that childhood literacy will be an important component of the facility.

That’s because one of Geisel’s primary motivations for his many children’s books was to get young people excited about reading, said Simpson.

Indeed, starting with The Cat in the Hat, published in 1957, he launched what became known as the I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Book Series, which would also include The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, and many others.

“We’re going to be a resource for the community in terms of emphasizing reading and the importance of reading,” she said of the new museum. “And our exhibits will have literacy built into them.

“For example, the interactive displays will teach kids how to rhyme and have really fun rhyming games,” she went on. “They will teach letters of the alphabet, and they provide places where families can read together — little reading nooks. There will be a focus on vocabulary with a ‘word wall.’”

As for Springfield connections, there are many, said Simpson, noting that, while the author never lived in the city following a brief return after doing graduate work at Oxford, his birthplace was always important to him, and many of its landmarks, as well as the inventions and products with which the city is most identified, can be seen in his works.

It’s all explained in a number of informational panels on the author now on display in the history museum.

One cites the stunning resemblance between the towers in the armory building on Howard Street (set to become part of the MGM casino complex) that sat across the street from his maternal grandparents’ German bakery, and a tower in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

Another panel speculates on how the Knox automobiles and Indian motorcycles manufactured in the city early in the 20th century may have influenced vehicles presented in his books, while another cites how his paternal grandfather’s brewery, the Kalmbach & Geisel Brewery, may have inspired some of his drawings. And still another informs readers of how the animals in the Forest Park Zoo — which Geisel’s father served as superintendent after Prohibition torpedoed the family brewery — inspired the many creatures in his books.

“Ted grew up on Fairfield Street, which was not far from Forest Park; he used to go over to the park as a boy, and he always had his sketchbook with him,” said Simpson. “He would go to the zoo, and he would draw all those animals — he would spend hours doing that — and it’s believed that seeing all those animals inspired him to create all those crazy creatures you see in his books.”

These myriad connections help explain why the Seuss family and Dr. Seuss Enterprises determined that, if there was to be a museum devoted to the children’s author, it should be in Springfield, said Smith-Bove, adding that it will be the only facility of its kind dedicated to his life and work in the world.

And while it will be launched in the Pychon building, there are expectations that it may be expanded down the road, said Smith-Bove, adding that, in the meantime, the other facilities in the Springfield Museums could be utilized to provide a broader Seuss experience.

“We have five museums on our campus that can hold thousands of people,” she explained. “It’s up to us to make sure that we program each of the other buildings. In the art museum, we can have Seuss’s artwork; in the history, we can talk about his life; for the science museum, there’s the Lorax … there are many possibilities.”

These extend well beyond the Quadrangle itself, said Simpson, adding that Springfield Museums and city officials should work together to use those connections between Geisel and his hometown to bring more attention — and visitors — to the museums and the city as a whole.

“Ted really knew downtown Springfield — he went to Classical, he used the main branch of the city library [on State Street], and some of his books actually to refer to what was then called the municipal auditorium, Symphony Hall,” she explained. “So we were thinking that we could do a walking tour, which goes to the idea of cultural tourism.

“We’d be making connections between the museums and other sites in downtown Springfield,” she went on, “and would really get tourists walking around the city.”

When asked about the projected impact on the Quadrangle from the new museum, Smith-Bove and Simpson again flashed back to when the sculpture garden opened. The first few years it was open, it was a huge draw, they said, adding that visitorship to the museums grew by roughly 25% over that time.

A similar increase is expected from the new facility, along with a corresponding increase in the museums’ overall economic impact on the city, currently pegged at roughly $28 million.

And for the Springfield Museums themselves, in addition to the surge in visitorship, there is an expected trickle-down to facilities like the gift shop, where sales of Seuss-related items — from books to Cat in the Hat hats to plush toys — account for more than 25% of total revenues.

Chapter and Verse

The health and vitality of both the Seuss name and brand is evidenced by the coverage given the news of the planned Seuss museum, said Matt Longhi, the museums’ director of marketing and public relations, who tracks such things.

He said stories or notes have appeared in the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, Time, Entertainment Weekly, and even the South African Art Times and Al Jazeera’s New York bureau.

More significant than the press is the manner in which the Seuss brand continues to grow — in scope and also in terms of revenue, said Simpson, adding that the Seuss name, and the books, have enormous staying power.

“Other book series just seem to fade out over time,” she explained. “But he just keeps getting more popular.”

In addition to staying power, it is expected that the celebrated author will have drawing power — in a figurative sense — which will bode well for the museums at the Quadrangle, the city itself, and all those who want to celebrate the life of Springfield’s most famous resident.

George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]

Mountaintop Vision

Sections Travel and Tourism

Berkshire East Positions Itself as Outdoor Adventure Center

Berkshire East’s new mountain coaster opened last October and has earned the distinction of being the longest alpine mountain coaster in North America.

In the fall of 1976, Roy Schaefer drove his family from Michigan to Charlemont to look at Thunder Mountain Ski Resort, which was about to go bankrupt.

Although it was failing, Schaefer was optimistic that he could bring it back to life, and he and a partner purchased it from Greenfield Savings Bank for $1, plus a debt of several hundred thousand dollars.

Schaefer renamed the resort Berkshire East, and although his hard work and dedication paid off, he dedicated only the fall and winter months to the operation.

“My father and his partner operated a ferryboat company in the summer on Mackinaw Island in Michigan, and when the ski area ended, all of their energy shifted there,” said Roy’s son, Jonathan Schafer, who co-owns Berkshire East Mountain Resort with his family.

However, Roy and his partner kept the area alive, and it became a place where generations of families learned to ski. But, because it was a seasonal operation dependent on weather, he battled Mother Nature for decades. However, his commitment and belief that outdoor recreation is a sustainable model for economic growth not only helped area businesses and provided seasonal employment, but was passed on to his four children.

Today, the resort is undergoing a $5 million transformation and is ushering in a bevy of recreational activities designed to transform it into a year-round destination that offers not only alpine skiing, but snow tubing, ziplining, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and the opportunity to ride North America’s longest mountain coaster.

The family also added overnight accommodations to the resort last September by purchasing the nearby, 530-acre Warfield House Inn and Farm, a bed and breakfast located just over a mile from Berkshire East that operates as a working farm complete with llamas, cattle, chickens, and gardens.

Jonathan has worked alongside his father for years, and says he and his brothers developed their own vision for expanding the family ski resort into a year-round retreat years ago.

“We were all ski racers who traveled the world, and due to our racing, we got to see a lot of things: bungee jumping in New Zealand, mountain biking, and other amazing activities,” he said. “We knew that we wanted to bring them to Charlemont and also realized that the Berkshires compare to any mountain range anywhere.

“We never had a written master plan, but we knew where we wanted to go with the resort due to our shared experience,” he went on, “and our goal now is to become the number-one family, four-season resort in Southern New England.”

The vision morphed into reality in 2008, when Jonathan’s brother, James, who lives in New York City, bought out his father’s business partner in Michigan.

Change began almost immediately, and in 2009, Berkshire East installed its first new recreational venue, Zipline Canopy Tours, that would change its status from a winter resort into one that offered year-round activities.

For this issue and its focus on travel and tourism, BusinessWest looks at the many changes and additions at Berkshire East, and how the resort is now at the top of its game — in more ways than one.

Reaching New Heights

The expanded venue has been a success, and people can choose three different zipline options that begin with a ride up the mountain on a chair lift that offers panoramic views of the Deerfield Valley. The descent is exciting, moving from platform to platform through mountainous terrain, and Zipline Canopy Tours was named by USA Today as one of the top 10 ziplines in the nation.

“The tours are guided and were built to fit in with the landscape. It’s a great adventure that lasts two to two and a half hours,” Jonathan said.

The Schaefer family has always strived to be in tune with nature, and in 2011 they installed a wind turbine, followed by a 10-acre solar field in 2012.

“We were the first ski area to produce all of our own electricity, and we remain the only ski area in the world to produce renewable energy on site,” Jonathan told BusinessWest.

Berkshire Whitewater will begin offering rafting trips in May, with a variety of excursions designed for people of different ages and abilities.

The wind turbine powers the pumps that transform water into snow, and from 2009 to 2013, Berkshire East made dramatic upgrades to its snowmaking operation. “We also added a mountaintop pond, which allowed us to double our snow guns and open earlier each season,” Jonathan said, adding that the resort contains 160 skiable acres. “We opened the last weekend in November, and this year is our longest season ever.”

Another new attraction has increased business and added to the operation’s year-round status. It’s a 5,400-foot, all-season mountain coaster that opened last October on Columbus Day weekend.

“It was built as a diversification against the weather; ski weekends can be wiped out due to cold and snow, so we needed a way to drive business and give people a great experience,” said Jonathan. “The things we have done allow us to be open 365 days a year, and we built a 12,000-square-foot addition onto our lodge last year. It’s beautiful, as it’s made from hand cut timber.”

He noted that the lodge has two floors, two restaurants, and a bar, and has been a tremendous boost to the property. “Many couples book their weddings here, and now their guests will be able to enjoy the activities we offer year-round.”

The mountain coaster is one of them, and it’s a noteworthy attraction. “It is the longest mountain coaster in the nation and the third-longest in the world. It’s powered by our wind turbine and solar panels, and is an inviting way for people to enjoy the outdoors, as there are no fitness or skill requirements,” Jonathan said.

The coaster’s construction proved to be an extraordinary engineering feat, because each section had to be designed to adapt to the contour of the mountain with minimal impact to the landscape. The sections were installed in 10-foot lengths, and each car is towed up the mountain by a stainless-steel cable and strategically released when it reaches the top.

“Each car is independent of the others and has its own braking system, which allows people to slow down or speed up by pulling on the handles,” Jonathan said. “However, if one car gets within 80 feet of another going down the mountain, the brakes automatically stop it.

“The track twists and turns down a mountainside of cliffs and trees, so it’s a wild ride on a dynamic hillside,” he added. “Anticipation builds in riders who are going up, as they can see others coming down because the course crosses uphill four times.”

The new attraction has attracted coaster enthusiasts from across the nation, and groups have already booked trips there this summer.

Growing Venues

Berkshire East enjoyed a cooperative partnership with Moxie Outdoor Adventures for years, and recently acquired its Deerfield River rafting operation. It has been renamed Berkshire Whitewater, and although it kept most of Moxie’s river guides, Berkshire East purchased 10 new rafts designed exclusively for the river, along with other state-of-the art equipment.

“We have 60 spots on the river, plan to open in May, and will continue the rafting trips until it gets too cold to run them in the fall,” said Jonathan. “We can’t add 1,000 vertical feet to the ski area, so we are adding world-class activities to show off what a beautiful spot we have here.”

Trips will be available five days a week and will begin when the hydroelectric Bear Swamp Generating Station releases water, which is done on a regular, scheduled basis. Since it stores approximately 1.7 billion gallons of water almost 800 feet above the river, when it is released, it turns the river into an ideal spot for rafters, kayakers, and downriver canoeists.

A variety of adventures along different sections of the river are planned for different age groups and abilities, but all rafters will receive a 20-minute safety lecture before they leave. A picnic lunch is provided for people who opt for one of the easier excursions, while another, more advanced course ends with a barbecue.

Each trip lasts four or five hours, and there are options to satisfy everyone, including a leisurely, half-day float trip that families with children ages 5 and up can enjoy.

“They float along in a whitewater raft, and there are places for them to get out, splash around, and swim,” Jonathan noted.

In addition, guided kayaking trips will be offered daily, and children ages 5 and up can accompany an adult in a boat on the four-hour adventures.

Since some people have already rafted on the Deerfield River, Jonathan said, Berkshire Whitewater is offering trips on the Millers River, east of Greenfield, and the West River in Jamaica, Vermont. “But they all start here, and people are taken to those sites in vans,” he told BusinessWest.

Despite the resort’s all-season changes, skiing remains a major part of Berkshire East’s roster of offerings.

The Schaefer family is also building a new mountain-biking park and commissioned a group from Whistler Mountain, whose track record includes building the largest and most dynamic bike trail in the world, to construct 10 miles of trails down the mountain. “We plan to open the park in early July and will have a major focus on beginners, with a learn-to-ride program,” Jonathan said.

Meanwhile, because the Schaefers know that many people want to enjoy their resort for more than a day, the purchase of the mountaintop complex that contains the Warfield House Inn will allow them to offer overnight lodging.

“It was a logical move because there was no housing at the ski area and this was a beautiful facility that needed new life. We thought it would be a great complement to our business,” he said.

The bed and breakfast, which was recently renovated, contains a meeting facility, restaurant, and pavilion with mountaintop views. “It’s a gorgeous place to get married,” Jonathan said, adding that the farm is also known for its maple-sugaring operation, producing about 1,000 gallons of the sweet treat each year.

Endless Possibilities

Over the past few years, Berkshire East also installed a new Sky Trac Quad chair lift, with the help of a helicopter and an army of loyal employees, that can deliver 2,400 people an hour to the top of the mountain to ski, mountain bike, hike, and enjoy other outdoor activities.

“For many years, we were just a ski area, and we have continued to expand the skiing and offer a lot of learn-to-ski programs for children,” Jonathan said. “But it’s a sport that takes skill. There is a learning curve, and it requires equipment, so we wanted to add other year-round activities that would give families the experience of a lifetime.”

He added that his brother Bill, who lives in Iowa, is part-owner of the whitewater-rafting business and has purchased rental properties in the area; his brother Tom, who lives in California, has also purchased rental properties; and he, his brother James, and their father run the day-to-day operation of the resort and remain committed to providing healthy, recreational outdoor activities.

Today, the family is excited about the expansion, and their goal is for Berkshire East to become known as “New England’s Outdoor Adventure Center,” Jonathan said.

“We think it is possible,” he noted, “because we have added attractions that will drive business and give people a great experience here 365 days a year.”

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