Page 9 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

“There’s a lot of
demand. A lot of
people want to
be here, which is
wonderful; it’s
clearly indicative
of a good quality
of life and quality
of place. But
it does come
with challenges.
Affordability is an
issue for anyone
looking to buy a
house anywhere
right now, but
especially in
Easthampton
and Hampshire
County.”
At right, an architect’s rendering of the new entrance and elevator at Old Town Hall, home to CitySpace. At left, Burns Maxey in
the balcony of the second-floor performance space.
facility, retail, and a large residential component;
• The start of the second phase of redevelopment of the old Town
Hall into CitySpace, what its leaders call a “thriving arts ecosys-
tem.” This phase includes a new entranceway and elevator that will
open the door, quite literally, to phase 3, renovations to the second-
floor auditorium for concerts and other performances and events;
• New leadership at the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Com-
merce. Jon Kostek took the helm almost two months ago, and has
established goals to continue growing membership; bring more
users to WorkHub on Union, a co-working space at the chamber
offices that opened roughly a year ago; and make more and better
use of digital platforms to promote the chamber and its services,
and, hopefully, engage more young business owners;
• Zoning changes to accommodate short-term rentals, a move
that brings the community in line with what most other cities and
towns have done and helps meet recognized need; and
• Plans for a new music performance venue at the site of a for-
mer massage school, an undertaking being spearheaded by the
Heavy Culture Cooperative, a project that will, with the nearby
CitySpace, create more vibrancy in the downtown area and serve to
connect the downtown with the neighboring mills and the cultural
activities taking place there.
For this latest install-
ment of its Community
Spotlight series, Busi-
nessWest takes an in-
Easthampton
Continued on page 11 >>
Business W est << COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
AUGUST 4, 2025
9