Page 9 - BusinessWest August 8, 2022

Community Spotlight
Easthampton Stakes Claim as the ‘Cool-kid City’
By Mark Morris
When people ask Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle to list her priori- ties for the city, her answer is always, “housing, housing, housing, and housing.”
And there’s a reason for that — actually, sever- al of them, which LaChapelle summed up in this poignant way: “Easthampton is the cool-kid city.”
“If we don’t put a huge focus on housing, and if we don’t get housing units done by 2025, our city will be in trouble.”
By that, she meant that this former mill town has become a destination for businesses, but also a very desirable place to live because of its arts, culture, attractive neighborhoods, and rec- reational spaces. That mix has created a need for housing — a major need.
“If we don’t put a huge focus on housing, and if we don’t get housing units done by 2025, our city will be in trouble,” said the mayor, adding that her administration has, indeed, focused sig- nificantly on this issue, and it has yielded results,
such as the One Ferry project, an initiative that is creating not only new housing but retail and office space as well.
Several old mill buildings on Ferry Street are undergoing a massive effort converting the for- mer factories there to condominiums and rental housing, as well as some retail and office space.
So far, the renovation work has focused on three buildings: 3 Ferry St. was finished in 2020, and it is now fully occupied with residents and several businesses. Meanwhile, 5 Ferry St. con- sists mainly of apartments with condominiums on the top floor; it is expected to open later this year.
“All but two condos are sold at 5 Ferry St., and the developer reported a 65% lease rate,” LaCha- pelle said, adding that “70% occupancy is usually the goal for a new development, so they are right there.”
Work has also begun on Building 7, sched- uled to open in 2024. When complete, the three buildings will add nearly 150 units of housing to Easthampton.
“The Ferry Street project is what we hoped it would be, a spark for community devel-
Easthampton
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Michael Barbara-Jean Michael James Michael Henry "Hank" Joe Doug Lynch Deloria Moriarty Montemayor Davey Downey Kulig Gilbert
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
AUGUST 8, 2022 9
Easthampton at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1785
POPULATION: 16,211
AREA: 13.6 square miles
COUNTY: Hampshire
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $16.53 COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $16.53
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $45,185 MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $54,312
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Mayor, City Council
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Berry Plastics Corp., INSA, Williston Northampton School, National Nonwovens Co.
* Latest information available