Page 14 - BusinessWest April 4, 2022

Greenfield
Continued from page 11
incorporating the town common into a perma- nent pedestrian space.
Outdoor dining will also return as the weather gets warmer. When the governor relaxed outdoor- dining restrictions at the height of the pandemic, the idea was to help restaurants generate some business during warm-weather months. That spe- cial order ended this week, on April 1, but cities and towns across the state have sought variances to continue the program through 2022.
While not all restaurants took advantage of outdoor seating, Wedegartner said, it was a popu- lar option with many people. “We will be doing some version of outdoor dining again this year.”
An ongoing challenge for the mayor and her staff involves two prominent vacancies in Green-
“No one in our industry who
is looking for a job comes here already trained. With the pool of available labor in the Greenfield area, we have successfully hired and trained people to become skilled machinists.”
field. The First National Bank building overlooks the town common and has been empty for sev- eral years. Efforts to reconfigure the space as a
Steve Capshaw says VSS Inc. may look to hire 50 more workers soon, and has found a solid pool of talent in the Greenfield area.
cultural venue were abandoned recently because several entertainment and cultural venues, such as Hawks & Reed, the Shea Theatre, and other spots no longer make the bank building feasible.
“We are putting together an RFP to see if a pri- vate developer might have an idea for that space,” Adams said. “It’s an important project for the city to get something in the former bank building.”
Wilson’s Department Store once dominated Main Street but now stands as a prominent down- town vacancy. The nearby Green Fields Market has been considering an expansion into Wilson’s, but it hasn’t yet happened. Wedegartner called the
situation an ongoing conversation that’s still in progress.
“Their move into Wilson’s will be wonderful if it can happen,” she said.
Manufacturing Progress
Advanced manufacturing is one area where Greenfield has seen steady growth. Wedegartner pointed to Bete Fog Nozzle and especially VSS Inc. as significant companies to the city and sur-
Greenfield
Continued on page 50
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14 APRIL 4, 2022
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
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