Page 11 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

Easthampton >>Continued from page 9
depth look at Easthampton and how
it continues to be in demand and cope
with its growing pains.
Supply and Demand
Allyson Manuel was drawn to East-
hampton by its many selling points — a
vibrant arts community, an increasingly
eclectic downtown area, a small-city
feel, recreation, and more.
Formerly town planner in West
Springfield, she and her husband set-
tled here five years ago after consider-
ing several potential landing spots,
and she became the city’s director of
Planning and Community Develop-
ment last December.
She can attest to spiraling home
prices and a shortage of inven-
tory, and how this surge is creating
challenges.
“There’s a lot of demand. A lot of
people want to be here, which is won-
derful; it’s clearly indicative of a good
quality of life and quality of place,”
she told BusinessWest. “But it does
come with challenges. Affordability is
an issue for anyone looking to buy a
house anywhere right now, but espe-
cially in Easthampton and Hampshire
County.
“So, we’re reckoning with that and
also with making sure we’re not pric-
ing out residents that have been here
for many, many years,” she went on.
“And for the rental market, there’s
been quite a pinch.”
Indeed, the housing market in the
community is exceedingly tight across
the board, and both Manuel and
Derby hope and expect that the many
projects promising to bring a mix of
housing will serve to loosen things up
a little.
Projects in various stages of devel-
opment include Growing Green, a
rural project just off Main Street, an
initiative slowed by an appeal filed by
neighbors but still progressing, with
the number of planned units reduced
from 87 to the mid-60s, said Manuel,
adding that another project involves
development of more property within
the massive Ferry Street complex,
specifically Building 11, where 96
units of housing are planned.
Another initiative involves rede-
velopment of the former Notre Dame
Church and surrounding properties
on Pleasant Street into approximately
42 ‘townhouse’ units, said Manuel,
adding that several of these units will
be in the church itself.
“I think those will be really cool
units when they’re done,” she said,
adding that other structures on the
property will be razed to make way
for new construction.
At the 34-acre Tasty Top site,
housing (more than 200 planned
apartments, a mix of market rate and
affordable) is one of many compo-
nents to a project being undertaken by
developer Frank DeMarinis, said Derby,
adding that more than 100 units are
expected to be created through redevel-
opment of the three shuttered elemen-
tary schools.
These projects and other smaller
initiatives are expected to make a real
dent in overall need, he went on, and
relieve pressure on existing inventory.
“Once all these are completed, I
think the amount of housing in East-
hampton will increase so significantly
An architect’s rendering of the residential component slated to be built on
the site of the former Tasty Top on Route 10.
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