Page 11 - BusinessWest April 3, 2023

“When Greenfield does well, all of Franklin County does well. So
it’s good to see Greenfield making such a concerted effort to revitalize the downtown.”
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Greenfield
Continued from page 9
address. “We have a robust downtown-redevelopment strategy focused on transformational change incorporating available and new housing, new infrastructure improvements, and retail and com- mercial opportunities. Here is where we merge our economic-devel- opment, infrastructure, and housing efforts into a cohesive plan.”
What’s in Store?
A significant element in the downtown mix is the former Wil- son’s Department Store site, which is being converted into an intriguing mixed-use development.
The city brought together the Community Builders and Mass- Development in the acquisition and redevelopment of the former Wilson’s property, originally built in 1882. The redevelopment will create approximately 65 residential rental units and will reactivate prominent first-floor and basement retail spaces through the reloca- tion and expansion of Franklin Community Co-op’s Greenfield store, Green Fields Market.
“In addition to creating much-needed, high-quality housing in Greenfield, relocating and expanding Green Fields Market will pro- vide the community with access to healthy food in an area of Green- field currently without a full-service grocery store,” said Rachana Crowley, director of Real Estate Development at the Community Builders, when the project was announced. “We’re proud to be a part of this team which will create new housing and employment opportunities and invest in a strong and robust Main Street in Greenfield.”
Adams said attracting a combination of commercial and residen- tial tenants through mixed-use development has been important in the ongoing downtown plan. “What happens downtown, how we perceive it, is how the region perceives us as a community. So we knew we had to work on downtown. And we knew we couldn’t leave Wilson’s sitting empty.”
Adams called upper-story redevelopment “a significant build-
MJ Adams, seen with one of Greenfield’s signature bees, says commercial and residential development are equally important downtown.
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