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Hot Plate Brewing Celebrates Arts Fest with New Releases, Events

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Hot Plate Brewing Co., the award-winning, Latina-owned brewery in downtown Pittsfield, is again joining the citywide celebration of the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival with the return of its annual 10×10 Series — 10 small-batch beer releases paired with 10 days of collaborative events in the taproom.

Entering its fourth year of operation, Hot Plate’s 10×10 Series has become a fun and eclectic companion to the City of Pittsfield’s 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival, which marks its 15th anniversary in 2026. The brewery’s interpretation of the festival takes the same spirit of experimentation, accessibility, and community engagement and translates it into beer, music, art, and conversation.

This year’s 10×10 Series expands its scope even further, said Hot Plate Brewing Co. Co-Founder, Mike Dell’Aquila. Each day of the 10-day run will feature a different collaborator, including local artists, musicians, community organizers, and creatives from across the Berkshires. In addition, Hot Plate Brewing Co. will be fundraising throughout the series for the Berkshire Art Association, supporting its mission to foster, promote, and celebrate the visual arts in the region.

“10×10 has always been about showing up for Pittsfield’s creative community in a way that feels joyful, inclusive, and rooted in collaboration,” said Dell’Aquila. “This year, we wanted to push that idea further — more partners, more voices, and a tangible way to give back to the artists who make this city what it is.”

Each of the 10 beers in the series will be released in limited quantities, brewed specifically for the festival, and available exclusively in the taproom during the event window. Styles range from playful and experimental to refined and contemplative, mirroring the diversity of the festival itself.

The 2026 10×10 Series also features custom illustrated artwork by Berkshires-based artist Cara Betti, whose vibrant, contemporary style anchors the visual identity of this year’s releases and promotional materials. Betti is part of a new generation of Berkshire artists, and her work underscores Hot Plate’s ongoing commitment to spotlighting emerging local talent.

The full lineup of beers, collaborators, and daily events—including live music, artist talks, community fundraisers, and special taproom programming—can be found at:
https://www.hotplatebeer.com/10×10-2026

Pittsfield’s Hot Plate Is Pushing Boundaries

By
Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila
Cover Story

Brewing with a Purpose

Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila

Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila

 

Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila spent a lot of time in their cold Brooklyn condo during the pandemic thinking about what they wanted to do for the next chapter in their lives — a “second act,” as they called it — and where they wanted to do it.

At the time, they both had corporate jobs, Real as a consumer insights and media research expert, and Dell’Aquila as a creative marketer and fiction writer. But starting in the early 2000s, when they were students at Penn State, both of them, and especially Real, developed a real passion for craft beer that led to home brewing — and thoughts of making beer their next career.

By the way, the condo was cold because the gas had been turned off due to a code violation, one that forced that home brewing to be conducted on a hot plate, a reality that would eventually inspire the name for the venture they would undertake in downtown Pittsfield.

It was there, after much introspection — and research, which revealed, among other things, that there were very few breweries in that area — they decided to embark on a mission to create not just a brewery, but one with a purpose.

A multi-faceted purpose.

“I began thinking, does the world really need another brewery? How are you going to differentiate yourself?” Real recalled. “I don’t want to brew beer just to brew beer. I want it to have purpose. I want it to be interesting. I want to push boundaries.”

In many respects, they’re doing all that, while also playing a lead role in the ongoing reimagining and revitalization of downtown Pittsfield, a central business district that was, as everyone knows, decimated by the loss of General Electric roughly 35 years ago now, and has been reborn as a center for the arts, culture, fine dining, and, now, a craft brewery that is, indeed, making an impact on many levels.

“I think we’re starting to leave behind that novelty act of … ‘it’s a Mexican-American woman making that beer,’ to the fact that Sarah’s just a brewer who makes good beer. We’ve gotten over that hump.”

Start with the fact that it’s one of the very few Latina-led breweries in the country. Fewer than 1% of American craft breweries are owned by women of color, a statistic that has led many visiting the School Street home of Hot Plate, a sporting-goods store a few decades ago, to conclude that Dell’Aquila is the genius behind such offerings as Rockin’ the Gold Tooth, Agent Cooper, Countess of Flanders, and the ever-popular Capable of Anything, a chamomile blonde ale that has become quite popular with women.

He is proud — and quick — to correct them.

“It’s been fun to be a gender-inverted team in that way and play with people’s expectations,” Dell’Aquila said. “People will come in with assumptions about who does what; very often I have to make the joke that Sarah does the hard work, and I’m just the pretty face, and that always gets a laugh.”

But as the Hot Plate story becomes more known, and as its beers rack up more accolades — its Italian Pilsner and Belgian Golden Strong ale were recently recognized, for example — fewer people need to be corrected, and the brewery has in many ways moved past the gender prejudices and the ethnicity stats.

Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila say there’s a story behind each one of their beers.

Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquila say there’s a story behind each one of their beers.

“You can use some level of differentiation by who made it and what they look like, but if the beer’s not good, it’s not going to work,” Dell’Aquila said. “I think we’re starting to leave behind that novelty act of … ‘it’s a Mexican-American woman making that beer,’ to the fact that Sarah’s just a brewer who makes good beer. We’ve gotten over that hump.”

In the meantime, Hot Plate has made inroads with other aspects of its overall mission to push boundaries and make an impact. This includes work in the community, specifically support of neighbors and mission-aligned organizations, as well as intentionality and acting as good social and environmental stewards through responsible sourcing, usage, and disposal.

In the community, the brewery has partnered with an interfaith group on a fundraiser helping local families pay for heating oil — an initiative inspired in part by nights in that cold Brooklyn condo, which raised $13,000 that went to more than 200 households.

Hot Plate has also been involved with many of the initiatives to bring more people, and vibrancy, to downtown Pittsfield, including the taking of a lead role in the return of First Fridays, street festivals focused on the arts and dining.

Meanwhile, Hot Plate has put a special emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, said Real, noting that both its hops and malt are from Massachusetts producers, and such buying brings attention to the expensive, and not-so-eco-friendly, supply chain within the brewing industry.

Add it all up, and Hot Plate has earned a designation you don’t hear often in association with a brewery: change agent.

 

Lager Than Life

Returning to Brooklyn for a minute … it was there that Real and Dell’Aquila were witness to the transformation of that borough into a sought-after zip code and one of the hottest real-estate markets in the country.

And it was there they saw the broad impact that breweries, restaurants, and other hospitality- and culture-related ventures could have on the revitalization of neighborhoods.

“We had seen how an underutilized area could suddenly come back to life through interesting shops, stores, and retail places, but also bars, restaurants, and breweries as well,” said Dell’Aquila, adding that a desire to make such an impact — somewhere — was one of the things they talked about while cooking dinner, and brewing beer, on a hot plate.

They were inspired by what they saw in Brooklyn, but quickly ruled out the borough because of the high cost of setting up shop there. They explored the Catskills region of New York, but after several visits to the Berkshires, they settled on Pittsfield because of the population of that city and also the relative dearth of breweries. Thus, they became part of an entrepreneurial exodus of sorts to the Berkshires during and just after the pandemic, bringing their corporate jobs with them, but immediately setting about starting that aforementioned second act.

They were able to sell their condo as it was at market value — testimony to that hot housing market — and relocate in the summer of 2021. After a thorough search for a location, they settled on the School Street site, which lacks parking, but is otherwise well-situated, and opened their doors in early 2023.

“We wanted a model where we’re supporting our community, but also have a foot in a much larger sandbox. We can help show that you can build a mission-driven brewery that is trying to attack the problems of sustainability, conservation, and a lack of representation among marginalized communities.”

Since then, the venture has consistently added new beers to the portfolio, evolved and expanded offerings — including the addition of coffee, tea, and pastries to appeal to non-drinkers and draw traffic more hours of the day — and address all aspects of its broad mission.

Indeed, as noted earlier, they didn’t come to Pittsfield just to open a brewery, but to create a venture that would be impactful on many levels and in many ways.

“We wanted a model where we’re supporting our community, but also have a foot in a much larger sandbox,” Dell’Aquila said. “We can help show that you can build a mission-driven brewery that is trying to attack the problems of sustainability, conservation, and a lack of representation among marginalized communities, and really combat the notion that this is an either/or proposition — you can either be mission-driven or you can make a good product that is successful in the craft-beer world. To me, that’s a false dichotomy; you can do both.”

And they are, as evidenced by the growing list of accolades they’ve earned.

Indeed, Hot Plate has been recognized as everything from one of the “Best 19 New Breweries in 2023” by VinePair magazine, to one of the “Places to Check Out If You Have 36 Hours in Berkshire County” by the New York Times. Meanwhile, the brewery was selected as one of the Imbibe 75 by that publication in early 2023, a compilation that features “individuals, organizations, and businesses that are dedicated to creating a more positive, sustainable, inclusive, and equitable drinks world.”

It has also won a Silver Impact Award from MassEcon for making an investment in one of the Commonwealth’s gateway cities, and it’s been recognized by Berkshire Pride and the National Alliance on Mental Illness for its work in the community.

The Hot Plate location on School Street in downtown Pittsfield has become a gathering place for everything from concerts to trivia to meetings of the Silent Book Club.

The Hot Plate location on School Street in downtown Pittsfield has become a gathering place for everything from concerts to trivia to meetings of the Silent Book Club.

Meanwhile, the brewery has become a gathering spot in downtown Pittsfield and a big part of the revitalization efforts there. Hot Plate has brought a variety of different bands to the site — Dispatch played there before a performance at Tanglewood, for example — while also hosting food trucks, trivia and open-mic nights, tarot readings, and meetings of the Pittsfield chapter of the Silent Book Club, which gathers members in public at bars, cafés, bookstores, libraries, and online to read in quiet camaraderie.

All these honors and efforts to activate its space speak to that change-agent quality that Real and Dell’Aquila emphasized.

 

Draught Choice

That phrase certainly applies to what they call their Community Line, which features collaborations with a rotating list of mission-aligned nonprofit organizations and raises money for a variety of causes. Proceeds from these collaborative beers go directly to the charitable organizations with whom they are partnering.

“We know that one of the things that makes beer special is its ability to bring people together,” Real said. “With our Community Line, we really believe that we can show that craft beer can also be a force for good.”

Such is the case with the partnership with the interfaith community to help families in Pittsfield pay for heating oil.

“When we found out about this program, it really home because we lived without heat for a few winters,” said Dell’Aquila, adding that Hot Plate has a beer on tap called Kardia, a habanero chocolate stout; $1 for every pint sold, as well as proceeds from each four-pack sold, are donated to the program.

“This year, our goal is $20,000, which will meet the needs of the entire community,” he told BusinessWest, noting that, in Greek, Kardia translates into ‘heart and hearth.’ “It’s a recipe that’s based on Mexican hot chocolate, so it’s a nod to Sarah’s ancestry; it’s a fundraising beer, so you’re drinking for good, so to speak; and it’s helping households in the community directly. So it’s a way to bring all those multiple layers of impact full circle.”

“I’ve tried to partner with a lot of local people, or more craft maltsters, if you will, where I can go to the farm to get their grain and meet that farmer. It’s pricier, so there’s a balance between going to big grain as opposed to Valley Malt in Hadley, which is one of our providers.”

Hot Plate is also a force for good when it comes to sourcing of its ingredients, with a hard focus on buying local when possible, both to support local businesses and make their own supply chain more eco-friendly.

“I’ve tried to partner with a lot of local people, or more craft maltsters, if you will, where I can go to the farm to get their grain and meet that farmer,” Real said. “It’s pricier, so there’s a balance between going to big grain as opposed to Valley Malt in Hadley, which is one of our providers.

“You can’t have a fully local beer because Valley Malt, unfortunately, cannot sustain every brewery in Western Mass.,” she went on. “So there has to be a balance, and it’s important to understand how we partner with them, and what are the best recipes for partnering with them.”

“A lot of the sexy new hops are coming from New Zealand,” she went on. “And I just think about how fresh that is when they’re making that plane ride — that huge carbon footprint, just to go down the drain.”

Other initiatives in this broad realm include recipes that don’t require large amounts of hops, which cannot be reused, thus reducing waste, as well as ‘dry hopping,’ the use of dried, pelletized hops in New England IPAs and other offerings, further reducing waste.

Also, in addition to having local farmers pick up spent grain, which would otherwise go in the trash, Hot Plate has experimented with drying out spent grain, milling it down into flour, and making products such as dog treats.

Real and Dell’Aquila will use their own taproom, as well as social-media channels, to educate the public about the importance of conservation, buying local when possible, and the fact that it takes four square feet of grain to make one pint of beer.

That’s just one example of how they’re not just brewing, but brewing with a purpose, and a strong desire to be what few brewers can become: change agents.

Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Generates Positive Momentum

By
Berkshire County Special Coverage

Progress and Promise

 

Rebecca Brien was born and raised in Berkshire County and has lived in Pittsfield for the past 30 years, so she knows something about the ebbs and flows of the economy and how that impacts a city and its downtown.

“When an organization like General Electric or a major employer leaves, it does create this gap,” she said, which is why she’s thrilled that 20 new businesses have set up shop downtown over the past two years.

And why she’s equally excited to be managing director of Downtown Pittsfield Inc. (DPI), which has been advocating, convening, and promoting downtown businesses since its launch in 1983.

“We act as a chamber of commerce for downtown. It’s a membership-driven organization; members consist of the usual retailers, restaurants, and cultural and entertainment venues. Nonprofit organizations are welcome, and we work very closely with key property owners downtown as well,” Brien explained.

“We have a vision for as many businesses to join our membership as possible. We have really great diversity downtown, and we want to make sure we welcome as many people as possible and create more foot traffic and a bustling district. Our mission is to strengthen and promote membership through advocacy, collaboration, and celebration.”

The advocacy element means DPI acts as a representative for its members to the city of Pittsfield, speaking to what members want to see downtown. One example has been the parking situation.

“We’ll be announcing, in the next few weeks, meetings to talk about what other changes will best represent what we want the downtown to be — lanes for parking; sidewalks for events and dining; individuals who need more protection, such as bikers or people with motorized scooters — we’ll find what works best for what we want.”

“We worked very closely with membership and City Hall in terms of changing parking along the downtown to be a three-hour limit, which allows for more turnover in parking spaces right on the street,” Brien said. “That’s something that was brought to us by our members. We conducted a survey and brought it to City Hall, and changes have been made. It makes a great difference for retailers when there are open spaces available along North Street.”

DPI also brought a proposal to the city to look at angled parking downtown, but further discussions will be more comprehensive and encompass a fuller plan.

“It prompted the city to go a step further and work with a consultant and talk about many different types of configurations downtown, rather than making a quick decision and a quick paint job,” Brien noted. “We’ll be announcing, in the next few weeks, meetings to talk about what other changes will best represent what we want the downtown to be — lanes for parking; sidewalks for events and dining; individuals who need more protection, such as bikers or people with motorized scooters — we’ll find what works best for what we want.”

Meanwhile, DPI worked with the city on a collaboration called Downtown Blooms, which develops and improves gardens throughout the district. “This program is converting many gardens downtown from annual plantings to perennial beds, and actually saves money for the city.”

First Fridays at Five

First Fridays at Five have featured live music, art, dance, family fun, shopping, food, and entertainment throughout downtown Pittsfield.

But perhaps the most visible aspect of DPI’s work is downtown events, from First Fridays at Five — which spreads art, music, food, family fun, and more across the downtown every month — to First Friday Artwalks, which engage the public with artists and galleries, and Let It Shine!, which is a public art project that has installed almost 20 new murals downtown over the past two years, with funding from MassDevelopment and a host of other local entities. “Last year brought international artists, and we also work with local artists,” Brien said.

In short, DPI seeks to raise the profile of downtown Pittsfield in myriad ways, while supporting businesses both old and new in what she calls “the urban epicenter of Berkshire County.”

 

Raising All Boats

Downtown Pittsfield Inc. is a lean operation; Brien is the only full-time staffer, and she’s assisted by two part-timers, Marketing Coordinator Kimberly Gritman and Executive Administrator Arri Better.

“So we’re very lucky to have 25 board members and our downtown stakeholders that can help us in terms of programming activities and making connections,” Brien noted. “In terms of hands-on staff, we’re very small.”

The organization has worked with the Pittsfield Cultural Assoc., municipal departments, and other entities on events and programming, and, as noted, there’s quite a lot of both.

Brien came on board DPI two and a half years ago — an exciting time, in some ways.

Rebecca Brien

Rebecca Brien

“There’s a lot of work going on and a lot of partners to work with.”

“Coming out of the pandemic, there was a lot of funding,” she said, noting initiatives like the American Rescue Plan Act and a program of DPI and the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corp. (PERC) called Glow Up! whereby businesses and property owners are awarded grants up to $10,000 for signs, painting, lighting, and improvements to their entryways.

This past spring, the second round of grant recipients was announced, including Angelina’s Submarine Shop, Berkshire Pipe & Tabacco, Clark Vintage Lighting, Independent Mobility, Phoenix Theatres, Hotel on North, Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort, Pittsfield Health Food Store, Soda Chef, Thistle and Mirth, and the owners of the Brothership Building and the Dunham Block.

Recipients are selected using a grading system that ranks their responses on how COVID-19 impacted their business, the details of the projects to be funded by the grant, and on the impact the projects would make on their space.

Meanwhile, the Berkshire Black Economic Council introduced VIBE grants for new businesses last summer — the first four recipients were Guelce Collaborative Marketing, BB’s Hot Spot LLC, Dolce Rose Beauty Supply, and Brazzucas — while PERC and MassDevelopment funded Boost! North Street, which supports local businesses through competitive grants and professional consulting. The initial cohort includes ASTScuba/Aquatic Roots, Berkshire International Market, Clark Vintage Lighting, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, Empire Pizza, Espetinho Carioca, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, Otto’s Kitchen and Comfort, Placita Latina Restaurant and Market, Steven Valenti Clothing, Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill, and Witch Slapped.

“It’s made for a wonderful period to come in. There’s a lot of work going on and a lot of partners to work with,” Brien said, adding that Chuck Leach, president of Lee Bank and the newest DPI board president, sees the potential as well. “He’s not a resident of Pittsfield, but he recognizes the importance of Pittsfield to the community, and Lee Bank has made major investments in building downtown and really bringing it to the next level.”

Berkshire Museum is a key cultural driver downtown, with activities and exhibits for the whole family.

Berkshire Museum is a key cultural driver downtown, with activities and exhibits for the whole family.

But Downtown Pittsfield Inc. also has its eye on issues like public safety and social services. “The thing about Pittsfield is, although we’re a tourist area, we’re also a major epicenter in terms of urban services,” she noted, which is why a healthy city isn’t just about arts, events and recreation, but good jobs and easily accessed supports for those who struggle with housing insecurity, food insecurity, and health and mental issues.

“The biggest thing now is how to maintain the momentum,” she went on. “It has to do with our community partners realizing where we are economically and where people are at, and make sure places like food pantries are well-staffed and well-supported.”

 

Creating a Framework

While helping the city move ahead in many ways, DPI also recently relocated its office to the heart of downtown, at 431 North St., former home of Jan Perry Realty, hosting a ribbon cutting and open house on Sept. 15. DPI is also managing the Framework co-working space at 437 North St., offering rentals of semi-private offices, a classroom, and a boardroom to DPI members and the public.

“We’re also able to offer classes on things like how to better market your own business and how to do collaborative marketing with other members. We have such great offerings, and we want to make sure people know about it,” Brien said, adding that Downtown Pittsfield Inc. also hosts quarterly meetings with Mayor Peter Marchetti.

All these collaborations and connections have generated positive vibes, which Brien appreciates, even though she knows there’s always work to do.

“I’ve had people stop me on the street regularly and tell me things are wonderful. We’ve had letters to the editor about how great things are looking. For our July 4th parade this year, our downtown had never looked better,” she said. “But we recognize there are things that every small town or large city are struggling with right now, and we recognize that changes are needed, even small increments at a time.

“But I really believe this upcoming year will be our best year ever,” she added, encouraging residents to not only check out the the improvements and events, but to talk them up, as a way to change the narrative around downtown and keep the momentum going. “That’s what I would recommend for every community at this time.”

Pittsfield Is Transforming Its Economy

By
Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer
Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer

Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer says the city has made great strides when it comes to growing and diversifying an economy once dominated by GE.

It’s called ‘Site 9.’

This is a 16-acre parcel within the William Stanley Business Park, created at the site of the massive General Electric transformer manufacturing complex in Pittsfield, which closed nearly 30 years ago.

The site has been available for development for more than two decades now, said Linda Tyer, Pittsfield’s mayor for the past seven years, but there have been no takers because, in a word, this site is ‘intimidating.’

“Every time we host a business and we identify this as a potential location, they look at it, and they’re instantly intimidated because of the condition that’s in,” she explained. “It’s a big scar in the heart of our community that’s a remnant of our past. People have looked at it, and they’ve just said, ‘I can’t envision my business here.’”

Gov. Charlie Baker was in the city a few weeks ago to hand-deliver a $3 million check that might change this equation. The money will go toward infrastructure work, putting new roads in, greening the space, and other measures that will make this parcel more shovel-ready and, ultimately, a part of this city’s future, not merely its past.

“If we don’t get any interest for the next 10 years, at least it’s not this giant wound in the heart of our city,” Tyer went on, adding she is expecting plenty of interest in the years to come.

Site 9 is where we begin our look at Pittsfield, the latest installment of BusinessWest’s Community Spotlight series. This is a city that has been trying to move beyond its past, and the dominating influence of GE on just about every facet of everyday life, since the company left. And in many ways, it has been making great progress.

Its economy is far more diverse and far less dependent on one company or one sector, said Tyer, adding that this was quite necessary given the devastation and outmigration that occurred when GE pulled up stakes. Today, the city boasts a few large employers — such as Berkshire Health Systems and General Dynamics — but the economy is dominated by small businesses across several sectors including manufacturing, IT, healthcare, and especially tourism, hospitality, and the arts.

Those latter categories now provide a good number of jobs and have contributed to a rebirth of North Street, the main thoroughfare in the city, after it was decimated by GE’s departure, said Jonathan Butler, president and CEO of 1Berkshire, a county-wide organization focused on economic development and promotion of the region.

“The Pittsfield of 2022 is a completely different city than it was 20 years ago,” he said, adding that a strong focus on the arts and hospitality has changed the narrative in this community.

The pandemic obviously took a heavy toll on these businesses and the overall vibrancy of Pittsfield, said Butler, but it has managed to come almost all the way back this year, with the arts venues rebounding and hospitality venues back to something approaching normal.

James Galli, general manager of the Hotel on North, so named because it is on North Street, agreed. He said the hotel is on pace to have its best year since opening in 2015, and the mix of guests that it attracts provides some good insight into Pittsfield and what now drives its economy.

“The Pittsfield of 2022 is a completely different city than it was 20 years ago.”

“We get a lot of travelers coming in from Boston and New York to go to Barrington Stage and the Colonial Theatre,” he said, citing two of the main cultural draws in the city. “We get a lot of millennials coming in for hiking and the beauty of the area, some business travelers coming in for General Dynamics and some of the area businesses in town — and it’s a good mix. We are the center of the Berkshires, so we get people staying with us for two, three, four days at a time; they’ll go down to South County or up to North County or into the Pioneer Valley, but they’ll stay with us because we’re very central and they can do a lot more if they stay with us.”

In some ways, the pandemic has actually benefited the Berkshires and especially its largest city, said those we spoke with, noting that the remote-work phenomenon has made it possible for those working for businesses in New York, Boston, and other expensive metropolitan areas to do so from virtually anywhere.

And with its high quality of life and (comparatively) low real-estate prices and overall cost of living, Pittsfield has become an attractive alternative, said Tyer, noting that the city is in the midst of a housing boom that has slowed only slightly even in the wake of rising interest rates and persistently high prices.

 

The Next Chapter

It’s called the ‘Library Suite.’

This is the largest suite among the 45 guest rooms at Hotel on North, and easily the most talked about. That’s because, as that name suggests, it’s decorated with books — some 5,000 of them by Galli’s count.

“There’s a moveable ladder, and … it looks like a library,” he told BusinessWest. “There’s everything from full sets of encyclopedias to children’s books, the Harry Potter collection; we’ve found them at tag sales over the years and made it into a unique, different type of room. It speaks for itself.”

Jonathan Butler

Jonathan Butler

“Pittsfield has benefited from planting its flag in the cultural and arts scene in the Berkshires; that’s a huge part of our growing economy and has been for the past 10 to 15 years.”

The library suite, which boasts about 850 square feet and goes for as much as $700 a night, depending on the season, has been occupied most every night over the past several months, said Galli, noting, again, that visitors of all kinds are coming back to Pittsfield, and to this hotel, which was created out of two historic buildings on North Street.

Business started to pick back up in June 2021 as the state essentially reopened, he said, and momentum continued to build into this year, which has yielded better numbers than the years just prior to the pandemic.

He attributes this to many factors, including some pent-up demand for travel and vacations as well as the unique nature of the hotel, which has several different kinds of rooms, each of them is unique.

“A lot of people are looking for a hotel that’s a little different — a boutique or independent hotel,” he said. “There’s a clientele that goes for the branded properties, but the people who stay with us are looking for that unique experience when they walk in the door.”

But Galli also credits Pittsfield’s resurgence in recent years, especially its cultural attractions and other quality-of-life attributes, making the city a destination for people of all ages.

Hotel on North is part of a new look and feel on North Street, said Butler, noting that the well-documented vibrancy of the GE chapter in the city’s history was followed by the dark and dismal time that he grew up in: “North Street was not a place to be in the ’90s.” The vibrancy has returned in the form of cultural attractions and new restaurants and bars.

“Pittsfield has benefited from planting its flag in the cultural and arts scene in the Berkshires; that’s a huge part of our growing economy and has been for the past 10 to 15 years,” he told BusinessWest. “You have investments like Berkshire Theatre Group with their theater in downtown Pittsfield, and Barrington Stage Company, which has become a major anchor, as well as a number of smaller cultural offerings and pop-ups and galleries in downtown Pittsfield.

“And this has been further bolstered by the emergence, over the past eight to 10 years, of a vibrant food scene — an exciting, trending type of food environment,” he went on, citing establishments, new and old, like Methuselah Bar and Lounge, Berkshire Palate (located in Hotel on North), Pancho’s Mexican Resaurant, Trattoria Rustica, Flat Burger Society, Patrick’s Pub, and Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort.

“There’s some finer dining options — downtown Pittsfield’s a great place to go host some clients if you’re a business or to have a good date night as a couple or a fancy night out with friends,” Butler explained. “But there’s also a lot of great casual offerings in downtown Pittsfield; there’s some great pubs, some great cocktail lounges. There’s also a lot of immigrant-owned businesses in downtown Pittsfield, which adds to the diversity and provides a more rich experience.”

 

At Home with the Idea

This diversification and strengthening of the city’s economy has become the main economic-development strategy for Tyer since she became mayor.

“I have some family history with General Electric — my great-grandparents were part of the GE economy,” she told BusinessWest. “And when I became mayor, I felt strongly that the economy cannot be dependent on one sector; my priority has been that we have diversity in the economy, and that includes everything from the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector to the cultural economy, and it also includes manufacturing and science and technology.”

To attract businesses across all these sectors, and to help existing companies expand, the city has created what Tyer calls its ‘red-carpet team,’ a name that hints strongly at its mission.

Pittsfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 43,927
Area: 42.5 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $18.56
Commercial Tax Rate: $39.90
Median Household Income: $35,655
Median family Income: $46,228
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Berkshire Health Systems; General Dynamics; Petricca Industries Inc.; SABIC Innovative Plastics; Berkshire Bank
* Latest information available

“We want to make sure that businesses that are here now, that are homegrown and might want to expand into a new market, expand their facilities, or grow their employment base, have the same level of support from the city of Pittsfield as we would give to a new business that wanted to start up in the city,” she explained. “We’ve been successful at balancing that approach.”

The red-carpet team consists of a number of city department leaders who work collectively to help counsel and guide a new or existing business toward fulfillment of whatever goal they might have. This integrated process enables a CEO to have one meeting, rather than several, said Tyer, adding that having everyone seated around one table enables the city to be more responsive and move more quickly.

And, overall, there have been a number of interested parties, she said, noting that the Berkshires, and Pittsfield, has a lot to offer employers, including quality of life and lower cost of living, as well as a population that is stabilizing, rather than declining, as it had been for decades.

“We have great neighborhoods, we’re still affordable, and we have beautiful outdoor recreation,” she said. “The combination of all of that is the magic that Pittsfield has going into the future.”

Much of this magic became even more forceful during the pandemic, said those we spoke with, noting that, while most hospitality-related businesses had to shut down for an extended period, the Pittsfield area’s outdoor recreation and quality of life came more into focus for many looking to escape what COVID brought with it.

The hiking trails became even more popular, and the Berkshires — and its largest city — became an attractive alternative for those looking to escape larger cities, their congestion, and their higher costs.

“Our housing market has been on fire,” said Tyer, noting that many professionals from Boston, New York, and other major cities have moved to the Berkshires. “And I think it speaks to this phenomenon that people can be employed by a Boston firm but work from home here in Pittsfield and have all the amenities and quality of life of a small city in a beautiful region of the state.”

The housing market shows no signs of slowing, said those we spoke with, despite rising prices and, more recently, soaring interest rates as a result of Fed action to stem the tide of inflation.

“There’s still this competition, these bidding wars, for homes,” Tyer said. “And the seller is still selling; the market hasn’t really slowed down.”

This phenomenon has led to an increase in the value of homes across the city, she went on, adding that this brings benefits on many levels — everything from the city’s bond rating to its tax rate. It also creates some problems for first-time homebuyers and those looking to trade up, and rising prices within the rental market as well, creating shortages of what would be considered affordable housing.

But in the larger scheme of things, these would be considered some of those proverbial good problems to have, said the mayor, especially in a city that had seen so much hardship over the previous 30 years.

 

The General Idea

The sports teams at Pittsfield High School are still nicknamed the Generals, said Tyer, adding that this just one of the myriad ways to measure the influence that GE had in this city for the better part of a century.

But while the city can still pay homage to its past in this and other ways, it has managed to move past it in almost all others.

Yes, Site 9 and many other parcels that were part of the massive complex remain undeveloped, but overall, Pittsfield and its economy have moved on. It took some time, as it does when a city loses an employer of such magnitude, but the city’s economy, like North Street itself, has been reinvented, and vibrancy has returned.

“We’ve overcome that group depression that we all suffered, and I think there’s a lot of excitement around the art and culture economy; the small-business, science, and technology economy; and some long-standing businesses that have grown since my time in public service,” she told BusinessWest. “I think we’ve overcome the ‘we’re a dying community because we lost GE’ sentiment, and I think we’re a growing, emerging community.”

 

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

Pittsfield Sees Increase in Residents, Visitors

By Contributor
Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

By Mark Morris

 

As COVID-19 has encouraged many Americans to move out of large urban areas, a good number of them are moving to Pittsfield.

In April, the New York Times reported on a U.S. Postal Service survey that tracked the top metro areas where people moved during the pandemic. Pittsfield ranked sixth on the list.

According to Jonathan Butler, Pittsfield’s proximity to both New York City and Boston certainly put the city in a good spot to benefit from the migration away from larger metro areas.

“Our location positioned us well for people who have decided to move to a more rural setting and take advantage of telecommuting after their experiences during the pandemic,” said Butler, who is president and CEO of 1Berkshire, the economic-development and tourism organization for Berkshire County.

A USA Today article in March suggested that, as more people work from home, big cities may lose population to smaller areas that cost less and offer better quality of life. Using data from Moody’s Analytics, the article included Pittsfield among the top five cities that could stand to gain from the shift to remote work. Moody’s ranked Pittsfield in the 53rd percentile for affordability, and for quality of life it scored 90.2.

Mayor Linda Tyer

Mayor Linda Tyer says the city’s COVID-19 task force, which met daily at first, still gathers each week.

More than a statistical exercise, Butler said these trends are reflected in reality.

“There has been a 40% increase in net real-estate sales compared to last year,” he said, noting that the increase represents more properties selling, and selling at higher prices. “We’ve seen real-estate prices skyrocket in the Berkshires, anywhere from 10% to 30%.”

Still, while the pandemic may present many opportunities for Pittsfield, the city certainly faced difficult challenges when COVID first hit.

In her recent state-of-the-city address, Mayor Linda Tyer said Pittsfield entered 2020 with a robust agenda of ways to enhance the city when, suddenly, all priorities shifted to managing a pandemic.

Tyer led a COVID-19 task force in Pittsfield that brought together medical, police, fire, and education professionals who meet daily at the beginning of the crisis. They still meet weekly to review public-health data and plans of action. As a result, Tyer said Pittsfield now has a solid response infrastructure in place, as well as vaccinators and volunteers ready to deploy.

“State officials have recognized our task force as an example of best practices, and it serves as a model that could be replicated in other communities,” she noted.

Another key move early on was establishing the COVID-19 Economic Relief and Recovery Program, a comprehensive economic package to support small businesses, nonprofits, and residents. By the end of 2020, Pittsfield had awarded 90 grants to local small businesses and restaurants totaling nearly $700 thousand.

In addition, “we were able to provide easy access to food and supply Chromebooks to students after the schools were closed,” the mayor said. “We also created 13 ‘grab-and-go’ zones to support our restaurants with takeout and delivery services. These are just a few examples of the many ways we came together to support each other.”

 

Down to Business

Tyer pointed to a new, innovative company that opened in Pittsfield in 2020 despite the pandemic. United Aircraft Technologies is a veteran-owned, minority-owned, female-led business that created a new type of sensing clamp for aircraft wiring. The clamps are 65% lighter than what is currently in use, and they do not need other hardware, such as screws or bolts. Two local companies will handle production of the clamps.

“Our location positioned us well for people who have decided to move to a more rural setting and take advantage of telecommuting.”

“United Aircraft Technologies has teamed up with Sinicon Plastics to produce the clamps, and SABIC will provide the materials to make them,” she said.

For many years, officials in Pittsfield have emphasized job creation, with success stories ranging from advanced manufacturing to e-commerce. Since the pandemic, Butler said, they have a new priority. “Our emphasis is no longer on creating jobs, it’s now about filling jobs and recruiting talent to the region.”

Among its infrastructure projects, Tyer talked about several revitalization efforts happening on Tyler Street. By the end of this year, she predicts 36 new market-rate apartments and “promising new interest” in saving the historic fire station from demolition.

“There has been a 40% increase in net real-estate sales compared to last year. We’ve seen real-estate prices skyrocket in the Berkshires, anywhere from 10% to 30%.”

She also discussed a $3 million MassWorks grant for the Tyler Street streetscape project that will begin this year. “The improvements include a roundabout, upgrades to sidewalks and crosswalks, and other amenities along the corridor.”

“There has been a 40% increase in net real-estate sales compared to last year. We’ve seen real-estate prices skyrocket in the Berkshires, anywhere from 10% to 30%.”

This spring also marks the start of construction of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail extension through Pittsfield. The bike trail will connect Adams and Pittsfield, with a plan to eventually connect the trail throughout Berkshire County.

For Butler, the trail extension is a real positive, as one of the region’s bright spots from last year was an increase in people coming to the area for outdoor activities. Whether it’s state parks or cultural attractions such as the Norman Rockwell Museum and Hancock Shaker Village, visitors were able to explore these sites while staying outside much of the time.

The past year has also brought many new hikers to the region, he added. “From Mount Greylock to October Mountain State Forest, our hiking trails have been bustling with more activity than they’ve ever had.”

Pittsfield at a glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 44,737
Area: 42.5 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $19.25
Commercial Tax Rate: $39.99
Median Household Income: $35,655
Median family Income: $46,228
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Berkshire Health Systems; General Dynamics; Petricca Industries Inc.; SABIC Innovative Plastics; Berkshire Bank
* Latest information available

While the additional outdoor activity couldn’t replace all the lost business in 2020, he admitted, it certainly helped, and makes him feel optimistic going forward. “We have introduced a lot of new people to the Berkshires who have not come out here previously, so that’s a positive takeaway.”

With its location in the middle of the region, Butler said Pittsfield is in a good position to benefit from the increased visitor traffic anticipated for this summer and beyond. Like every city, Pittsfield saw restaurants and retail shops struggle financially during the pandemic, with some not surviving. But as people’s comfort levels about going out increases, he believes that will generate new activity.

“The demand for those businesses is still going to be there, and it will create opportunities for new entrepreneurs to step into those closed businesses and try their own model,” he said. “It won’t happen overnight; we’re looking at it as a one- to two-year cycle.”

 

Gaining Momentum

While many Americans are expected to book flights for vacations this year, more are planning to travel by car — and shifts in air travel have tended to help the tourist economy in the Berkshires, Butler noted.

“We always benefit when people decide to book a three- or four-night getaway to the Berkshires instead of flying south or out west,” he said. “We expect there will be more of that than usual this summer.”

As more people visit the area, and even move there, it creates new opportunities and new challenges for Pittsfield. Tyer believes her city will rebound from the pandemic thanks to the resolve of its residents and business owners.

“As we emerge from this public-health crisis,” she said, “we will be stronger than ever before and ready for good things to happen.”

Pathlight Moves to Bigger Quarters in Pittsfield

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Pathlight, a local organization that supports people with developmental disabilities and those with autism throughout Western Mass., is moving from its longtime space on North Street in Pittsfield to bigger quarters at 75 South Church St.

The move, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 21, allows Pathlight to better support its programs in the Berkshires. Pathlight’s Autism Connections as well as its Shared Living and Adult Family Care programs are growing in response to community demand.

Autism Connections offers workshops, social-skills groups, and support groups, as well as recreation opportunities, to people with autism and their caregivers. The program’s autism specialists also work individually with families in their homes.

In Pathlight’s Shared Living and Adult Family Care programs, a community member shares their home and provides support for a person with an intellectual disability or autism.

“We are excited to expand our space in Pittsfield to better serve families in Berkshire county,” said Ruth Banta, Pathlight’s executive director. “The demand for new supports and services has been growing, and this is the first step in responding to those needs.”

The new office space features a large activity room, several meeting rooms, and a kitchen. The space will host community activities, including education workshops on a host of issues, social-skills groups for people with autism, and support groups for families caring for a person with autism.

In the future, Pathlight plans to offer recreational and performing-arts classes for children and teens of all abilities.

Pathlight is one of the state’s oldest organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in its residential, day, and recreation programs throughout Western Mass. In addition to its Pittsfield location, Pathlight has offices in Springfield, Easthampton, Greenfield, and Hadley.

Pittsfield Focuses on Improving Neighborhoods

By
Commercial Real Estate
Community Spotlight

Community Spotlight

By Joseph Bednar

Mayor Linda Tyer

Mayor Linda Tyer says Pittsfield’s leaders remain focused on the needs of its individual neighborhoods in order to generate economic development.

As part of her annual state-of-the-city address recently, Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer praised the arrival of Wayfair — the fastest-growing e-commerce home-décor company in the world — on a number of levels.

Perhaps most importantly, by opening a sales and service center, the company has created 300 new jobs in Pittsfield. Wayfair is also a locally grown success story, founded by Pittsfield High School graduate Niraj Shah. And, Tyer said, Wayfair’s presence signals to other major employers that they can be successful in this city of about 45,000 people in the heart of Berkshire County.

But Wayfair’s arrival speaks to a broader success story as well — that of a city-wide development strategy that’s bearing fruit.

“Wayfair choosing Pittsfield wasn’t happenstance,” she said. “Rather, the foundation was set with the alignment of the city’s economic-development strategy. The city joined forces with the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority and the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation. Together, we created the ‘red-carpet team,’ the Mayor’s Economic Development Council, and a new position of Business Development manager.”

In their discussions with companies looking to set up shop in Pittsfield, Tyer noted, those entities are touting not only the economic benefits of doing business here, but quality of life. And people are listening.

“We prepared our presentation assuming that Wayfair will want to know what incentives we might be able to offer them,” she explained. “As the first session got underway, Wayfair’s representatives said they’re not yet interested in the financial incentives. They’d rather learn about Pittsfield’s lifestyle, our schools, our neighborhoods. They wanted to make sure that our community culture aligned with Wayfair’s culture.”

Pittsfield at a Glance

Year Incorporated: 1761
Population: 44,737
Area: 42.5 square miles
County: Berkshire
Residential Tax Rate: $19.42
Commercial Tax Rate: $39.94
Median Household Income: $35,655
Median family Income: $46,228
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Berkshire Health Systems; General Dynamics; Petricca Industries Inc.; SABIC Innovative Plastics; Berkshire Bank
* Latest information available

The city’s red-carpet team, made up of city and state officials whose purpose is to develop strategies and explore incentives to support business expansion or startups, has been deployed in myriad cases to help companies move and expand in Pittsfield. Another resource Tyer is excited about is the Berkshire Innovation Center, which broke ground in September at the William Stanley Business Park.

This 20,000-square-foot facility that will support and advance the work of small and medium companies in the life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and technology, featuring cutting-edge equipment available to advanced manufacturers for research and development of new products. In partnership with Berkshire Community College, the center will be a place of teaching and learning, creating a pipeline of trained employees that area companies desperately need.

Neighborhoods on the Rise

Meanwhile, Tyer touted a downtown district generating energy through its mix of eateries, boutiques, and urban apartments, not mention a renovation of the historic Beacon Cinema on North Street by new owner Phoenix Theatres, which refreshed the interior, enhanced the seats, and added more showtimes.

“Downtown is Pittsfield’s front porch,” Tyer said. “We must remain watchful, always, to ensure a spirited, vibrant experience for all who live in and visit our city.”

She added that it’s time for the city to build on the successes of the North Street revitalization and focus more attention on the historic Tyler Street artery.

“My grandmother, who just turned 95, grew up on Tyler Street,” the mayor said. “She has fond memories of sitting on the front porch, getting an ice cream, and walking to North Street with her sisters to buy fabric at Newbury’s. Tyler Street can be that again, but with a modern twist.”

Anchored by Berkshire Medical Center, General Dynamics, and the William Stanley Business Park, the neighborhood is ripe for a renaissance, she argued. One development toward that goal is the conversion of the former St. Mary the Morningstar Church to 29 units of market-rate housing, a project that drew on $125,000 in state finding for infrastructure improvements around the building.

In addition, the Baker-Polito administration awarded a $30,000 grant last May to support small businesses in the neighborhood. The funding, Tyer explained, will be applied to Pittsfield’s Storefront Enhancement Program. “This is vital financial assistance for businesses to make façade improvements to boost visibility, attractiveness, and ensure accessibility.”

Work also began last summer on the Tyler Street Streetscape Design Project, which aims to create a curated throughway that addresses the needs of pedestrians and bicycles, improves lighting and landscaping, identifies dedicated bus stops, preserves on-street parking, and elevates public spaces. The completed design work is expected to be unveiled early this year.

Going forward, the city will continue to seek ways to take advantage of private investment in North Street and Tyler Street, both designated as Opportunity Zones, Tyer said. “Alliances with local and state representatives, financial institutions, and developers will spur capital investment and job creation.”

On the public-safety front, the mayor focused on several incidents in the Westside area of town, citing a meeting with neighborhood residents who expressed their fears and shared their ideas on ways to enhance the work of the police department, while they in turn tried to understand police protocols.

One idea — to establish a Police Department community outreach office in Westside — is becoming a reality, she added, thanks to space being offered by Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity in its building on Columbus Avenue.

Meanwhile, a series of high-visibility patrol operations were conducted in November and December. The operation, led by the Police Department’s uniformed patrol and anti-crime unit, brought in reinforcements from the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, and the state Alcohol Beverages Control Commission, which, in total, netted 32 arrests, including the seizure of approximately 340 grams of cocaine with an estimated value of $34,000 and a variety of illicit pills.

“While we tackle the complex issue of crime, our Police Department has established a strong philosophy of community policing,” Tyer added, noting that officers have hosted free movie events, back-to-school meet and greets, and other community activities. “All of these interactions create trusting relationships that will endure with our kids, their families, and our police officers.”

Collaborative Efforts

Still, making the community a more desirable one — again, a factor in attracting new business — doesn’t end with public safety. To that end, an LED street-light conversion will be complete by the spring, replacing some 5,300 streetlights in all, with the dual goal of brighter streets and lower utility bills. Meanwhile, the Westside Riverway Park, a new outdoor space along the west branch of the Housatonic River, extends from Wahconah Park to Clapp Park.

“Paying attention to what’s happening within our neighborhoods continues to be a primary focus. And our efforts are paying dividends,” Tyer said, noting that a surging housing market has increased home values in the city. Still, she added, vigilance against blight and decay in neighborhoods remains a priority for her administration.

“We have cataloged about 100 problem properties,” she noted. “The city’s code-enforcement team tries to identify and exercise all viable options. Our objective is always to preserve as much as possible. Sometimes, demolition is the only option. We continuously balance the cost of demotion against the very real gains that come with keeping our city appealing.”

Finally, 2018 was the first year of Community Preservation projects, the mayor noted. Drawing from a 1% surcharge on property values, the endeavor resulted in a $580,000 appropriation of funds for investing in historic resources, open space, and recreation. Eleven projects were funded, including the preservation of the Melville Art and Artifacts collection in the Berkshire Athenaeum, the Arrowhead stone wall, restoration of the Springside House, siting and design for pickleball courts, the turf field at Berkshire Community College, and infield restoration at the Pellerin baseball field.

Meanwhile, she said, local partners continue to support improvements in public spaces. This past year, the pavilion at Durant Park went up thanks to a gift from Greylock Federal Credit Union. A Berkshire Bank contribution facilitated the renovation of the basketball court at Lakewood Park, while the Buddy Pellerin Foundation and the Rotary Club are making significant investments in Clapp Park.

The progress Pittsfield has made on these fronts and others are, of course, a collective effort by myriad agencies, businesses, and individuals, Tyer noted. But she wants her administration to set the tone for growth.

“We cultivate an organizational culture that encompasses shared responsibility, proactive long-term planning, dynamic communication and professional development,” she said. “My philosophy around this is simple: when we make decisions that affect the people that we serve, these principles must be in the forefront of our minds.”

Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]