Page 77 - BusinessWest February 21, 2022

Heather Beck says she’s developed not only a gratifying business at Eastworks, but many meaningful relationships.
define what the mill district could become,” said Will Bundy, owner and managing partner of East- works, referring to the broader effort to transform a number of Easthampton’s old mills into a home for artists and an eclectic mix of businesses.
When Bundy and his wife, Paula, bought the property, their vision was a broad one, and it involved not only filling its vast spaces, but cre- ating both a destination and a community. And while the vision has become a reality, it is still very much an intriguing work in progress.
Certainly one appeal of Eastworks, where it all started, is the sheer amount of space offered in the building. The former mill has nearly 500,000 square feet of space, most all of it with high ceil-
ings and large windows, many with views of nearby Mount Tom. The property has become home to a wide range of businesses looking for room to grow in unique, comparatively inexpen- sive spaces.
Ventures like Easthampton Clay, a pottery school and studio that set up at Eastworks late last year. It offers classes, individual and pri- vate group lessons, workshops, and member- ships that rent out shelf space and allow people 24-hour access to the studio.
“We had four studios at one point, but they were all little spaces, and I just felt like that wasn’t conducive to community,” said Liz Rodriguez, owner of the venture. “I wanted us all together; I
felt like the students really benefited from seeing what the members were doing. We occupy a lot of space in the building now.”
Eastworks is assuredly more than just an awe-inspiring building. What really brings the structure to life is the people who are occupying the space — a quality that has continued to grow and thrive throughout the years — as well as the
“When we started, 25 years
ago this March, the idea of the mill district was a very distant thought and idea, and so I feel like the artists and businesses and residential tenants who took a chance on Eastworks in its bare- bones stages really helped to form and define what the mill district could become.
sense of community that prevails, as we’ll see. And while Eastworks has become a unique
success story, there are chapters still to be writ- ten, said Bundy, noting that he still has roughly 100,000 square feet to be developed.
Efforts to bring that space to life are gain-
”
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