Page 8 - BusinessWest December 26, 2022

ton, and it has become a stunning addition to a Tower Square complex that has been reinvented as well, with intriguing additions ranging from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Springfield to White Lion Brewery to a scaled-down version of a Big
Y supermarket soon to emerge in space formerly occupied by CVS.
The new Marriott staged a truly grand opening in November, an event that was a big day not just for Patel and Mitta, but for the entire city.
Remote Work Is Here to Stay
This past year was one in which the region’s business community was to return to normal in most all respects after two painful years of COVID. But there was one realm where it didn’t — and that was by choice.
Indeed, remote work continued to be part of the landscape in 2022, but this time there was an air of permanence to the concept, not merely a temporary response to COVID. In interviews for stories written over the course of the year, owners of businesses large and small said remote work and hybrid work schedules have become the new norm. They have become a benefit of sorts for valued workers and have become an effective means for attracting and recruiting talent, as well as for as widening the net for job applicants well beyond the 413 area.
The full impact of remote work on the com- mercial real-estate market and small businesses that rely on workers being in their offices — res- taurants and bars, for example — has yet to be fully and accurately measured, but it appears that this fundamental change in how people work is here to stay.
East-west Rail Chugs Forward
East-west rail service between Pittsfield and Boston is still far from reality, and plenty can still happen to derail the decades-long dream of so many legislators, businesses, municipalities, and other rail advocates. But 2022 marked the strongest progress toward that goal yet, with $275 million allocated toward the project in August as part of the state’s $11 billion infrastructure bill — a good start, but only a start.
A high-speed rail connection between the Hub and Western Mass. is about more than convenience; it’s about expanded opportu-
nity — both for workers who can earn Boston wages while enjoying a decidedly non-Boston cost of living, and also for employers who can cast a wider net for talent — not to mention easier access to recreational and regional resourc- es, as well as reduced traffic and emissions.
“We have the money, the support, and I have secured the commitment from both the outgo- ing Baker-Polito administration and the incoming Healey-Driscoll administration to keep this train literally and metaphorically moving forward,” U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said earlier this month. “This is an opportunity that will not avail itself again, and now is the time to move on an east- west rail project that will be transformative for all of Massachusetts.”
Springfield Thunderbirds Reach AHL Finals
The Springfield Thunderbirds eventually wound up a few wins shy of a Calder Cup this past spring. But their dramatic run to the finals
The T-Birds came up a few wins shy of an AHL championship, but their playoff run was a huge win for the team and the region.
was a huge win for the team, the city, and the region.
Indeed, the race for the cup captured the attention of the entire area, with fans old and new turning out at the MassMutual Center, tuning in on social media, and talking about the team at the water cooler — or the weekly Zoom meeting.
The team, which eventually lost in the finals
to the Chicago Wolves, created a great deal of momentum with its playoff run, as well as a
surge in season-ticket sales. While not all deep playoff runs are financial success stories, this
was one, said the team’s president, Nate Costa.
It was also validation for him and for the owner- ship group that stepped up and brought hockey back to Springfield when the Falcons departed for Arizona.
There’s now an Eastern Conference Champi- onship banner hanging in the MassMutual Cen-
8 DECEMBER 26, 2022
FEATURE
BusinessWest
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