Page 11 - BusinessWest February 21, 2022

Robin Wozniak says the chamber’s grant program is part of a broader effort to expand and diversify its support programs for businesses.
is the city’s high school.
A recent assessment of Agawam High School
recommended $26 million in repairs to the build- ing. Since 2002, the town has applied to the Mas- sachuetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for consideration of a new high school. The MSBA looks at building conditions, as well as demo- graphics and population trends, as part of its approval process.
“We could get a new roof and a good boiler and better windows, but the facility will still not be appropriate to meet our education needs for the 21st century.”
While Sapelli has seen West Springfield, Chi- copee, and Longmeadow all build new high schools, he’s encouraged because those projects actually help move Agawam up the list.
“One reason we’ve been overlooked was all the investments we’ve made over the years to maintain the building,” he said. Rather than con- tinue to spend on the current high school — built in 1955 — he favors new construction.
“We could get a new roof and a good boiler and better windows, but the facility will still not be appropriate to meet our education needs
Agawam
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said. Time will tell what ultimately transpires, but already there are plans to develop a large vacant lot just over the bridge and a block from City Hall.
Colvest Group purchased the property several years ago, used it to park cars during the Big E, and leased it to the contractors as a staging area for the bridge-reconstruction work. Soon, it will advance plans to develop the property into three business parcels, including an office building and a Starbucks location.
As for the chamber, it plans to step up its sup- port of small businesses impacted by the pan- demic through a grant program, Wozniak noted, adding that the WRC plans to begin awarding
business grants starting in June and extend them through the end of the year.
“We’re planning to announce five $1,000 grants at our annual meeting in June and con- tinue awarding grants into the summer and fall,” she said. “We’re excited to start the application process.”
Getting Down to Business
Before he became mayor in 2018, Sapelli was the long-time school superintendent in Agawam. And while his list of responsibilities is now much broader, the schools remain a primary focus.
And among the many issues to be addressed
New Year, New Goals.
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