Page 9 - BusinessWest April 3, 2023

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
Greenfield Envisions a Future-focused Downtown
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
[email protected]
MJ Adams recalled a community event in February 2020 called “A Deliberate Downtown: Growing by Design.”
“Because so many interesting things were happening downtown at that time, and we were getting ready to launch a downtown-revitalization effort, we wanted to engage every- one in the community conversation about downtown,” said Adams, Greenfield’s director of Community and Economic Development.
“We know we need to take a look at the missing middle-market supply of housing that serves working people who are not eligible for subsidized housing but are also struggling to find housing in any market now.”
Then the pandemic struck, the world went into lockdown, and the city pressed pause on its plan, she said. But only a pause.
“The COVID-19 pandemic changed many things about the city’s growth plans for the short term, all of 2020 and most of 2021, but it did not change the grit, determination,
and resiliency of our city’s business and government lead- ers,” Mayor Roxann Wedegartner said in a recent state-of- the-city address, noting that municipal leaders moved for- ward with construction and revitalization programs, aided by a rush of state and federal money intended to pump life into the economy and infrastructure.
During that time, the city broke ground on a new, $20 mil- lion library (set to open this spring), solidified a location for its new $21 million fire station (expected to open early next year), and built a temporary fire station to ensure continued service.
“These projects are a testament to the willingness of Greenfield citizens to fund essential services that serve our city and surrounding communities,” she said, adding to that list a skate park soon to open between Chapman and Davis streets downtown, funded with a combination of state grant money and city capital-improvement funding.
It’s all part of what the mayor calls the city’s ‘rurban’ lifestyle, an appealing combination of urban amenities and a rural feel, all highlighted by a downtown set to undergo significant changes to make it more liveable, walkable, and attractive for businesses and visitors alike.
“Downtown areas throughout the nation are changing; some have dried up completely, while others, like ours, are focusing on recognizing demographic and business shifts and are embracing
that change,” Wede- Greenfield
gartner said in her Continued on page 11
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BusinessWest << COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
APRIL 3, 2023 9
Greenfield at a
glance
Year Incorporated: 1753
Population: 17,768
Area: 21.9 square miles
County: Franklin
Residential Tax Rate: $19.65
Commercial Tax Rate: $19.65
Median Household Income: $33,110
Median Family Income: $46,412
Type of Government: Mayor, City Council
Largest Employers: Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Greenfield Community College, Sandri
* Latest information available