Page 25 - BusinessWest April 27, 2020

doing what we do.”
Curtis Edgin, president of Caolo & Bieniek
Associates in Chicopee, told a similar story as he keeps in contact with his team remotely as well.
“We’re still busy — it’s not quite as efficient as working side by side and collaborating,” he said, adding quickly that his team has had no problem managing a number of projects currently in the pipeline. After that, though...
“I think there will be a long-term impact in that people will be afraid — or forced, based on economic reasons, to slow down — until things stabilize and get back to where they need to be,” he said. “Right now, it’s hard to ask taxpayers or a corporation to spend additional money when they’re worried about other things.
“For the near term, we’re going to be busy, then we’ll probably see a slowdown,” Edgin went
“Some projects are able to maintain their schedule,” he noted. “One of our school projects is going on, there’s a lot of site work, so nothing keeps people from working at different ends of the site. At some other projects, interior ones,
“
term impact in that people will
be afraid — or forced, based on economic reasons, to slow down — until things stabilize and get back to where they need to be.”
[COVID-19] is starting to impact the ability to perform the work if people are working side by side. It depends on the project.”
On the municipal side, he explained, every- thing that needs to be voter-approved going for- ward — that is, when city and town halls begin ramping back up — may be a harder sell, an any tax increases during these times of sudden unemployment will be met with resistance.
“On the flip side, with the interest rates being so low, now is a wonderful time to continue,”
Architects
Continued on page 28
I think there will be a long-
Kevin Rothschild-Shea says his firm is on solid footing in the short term, but expects work across the industry to slow somewhat after that.
on. “That’s more of a long-term impact that will eventually correct itself like any other con- struction cycle.”
That’s the hope, anyway. Meanwhile, as definitive answers about the eventual length of the economic shut- down, and the damage it will cause, are diffi- cult to assess right now, firms continue to plan for an uncertain future.
Moving Forward
Edgin said Caolo & Bieniek has plenty proj- ects in various phases, and how the pandemic affects individual proj- ect can vary dramati- cally between jobs.
We Gotta Key for That!
Car, Truck, Boat, Motorcycle, Padlock, Cessna, Outdoor Shed... Whatever it is!
We can make it.
977 St. James Ave., Springfield, MA 732-8538 • www.servulocksmiths.com
DIETZ & COMPANY ARCHITECTS
DESIGN THAT LOOKS GOOD, DOES GOOD
Shirley Meadows - Devens, MA
DIETZ
CO. Architects
55 Frank B. Murray Street Suite 201 Springfield, MA 01103 413.733.6798 www.dietzarch.com
BusinessWest
COVID-19 SPECIAL COVERAGE
APRIL 27, 2020 25
File Photo