Page 15 - BusinessWest April 18, 2022

Andrew
Surprise says Palmer has looked into several family- friendly attractions to draw more people to town.
which are in the process of being developed or close to that point.
“Instead of getting off the pike and just driv- ing through, there are going to be lots of oppor- tunities for people to stop and spend money in Palmer,” Leduc said.
Right Place, Right Time?
One significant potential development area is known as ‘the hill.’
As drivers exit from the turnpike, they are immediately confronted by a large hill at the end of the exit ramp. On top of the hill are nearly 100 acres of land available for development. The hill
was once the proposed site for a casino until vot- ers in Palmer rejected those plans. Recently, the Town Council approved a zone change that made an adjacent 78-acre parcel available for business use and further incentivize a large-scale project for the land.
“We’ve always seen interest in development of the hill,” said McNutt, adding that there is opti- mism that interest may soon turn into progress and some recognized needs met.
One priority residents have shared with him involves bringing another supermarket to Palm- er. Big Y has been a stalwart in town for many years and has contributed to various community efforts.
“Big Y is a great company, and they are a great partner, but residents would like to have some other options,” McNutt said. “It’s what I’m hear- ing the most from people in Palmer.”
Closer to downtown, a recent zone change to the former Converse Middle School has drawn both interest and concern. Andrew Surprise, CEO of the Quaboag Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the more business-friendly zone change has drawn interest from a company that would con- vert the school to an Esports Arena, where video- game players of all levels could compete against others.
“In the New England area, there’s really noth- ing like this,” said Surprise. “There are some
at colleges like UMass Amherst, but those are geared to students on campus rather than the general public.”
The Esports Arena is one of several ideas
to bring family-friendly attractions to Palmer. According to Surprise, the town has looked into a water park, a trampoline park, and other attractions.
“I believe the town will do a feasibility study
at some point for the Esports idea as there’s still much to do to make sure the residents approve of it or any other proposed use,” he said.
Through a MassDevelopment program know as the Transformative Development Initiative, Surprise is working on other ways to attract busi- nesses to Palmer. The Vacant Downtown Store- front Program is one that may have some prom- ise for the downtown area. “It provides grant funding for a business to renovate a storefront if they plan to open there,” he explained.
Meanwhile, as interest in more retail grows, another aspect of the town’s economy, tourism
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BusinessWest
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
APRIL 18, 2022 15
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