Page 78 - BusinessWest February 21, 2022

ing momentum, most notably with the addition of another restaurant, Daily Operations, which opened its doors on Feb. 11.
“The mill district is becoming so vital and is changing so much that we, at least Eastworks, were looking at how do we finish our work,”
said Bundy, noting that he is looking to meet an emerging need within the region by adding more residential units at Eastworks, complimenting the artists’ lofts on the top floor.
“Eastworks has such a great vibe ... you’re always meeting new and interesting people,” he said. “I also love to ask people if they’ve been to Eastworks, because if you haven’t been here and seen the grandness of this old mill building that’s been converted into all these spaces,
it’s just a really neat space to walk through.”
“We have a model that works; we have a very dynamic arts and entrepreneurial community, we have a significant nonprofit community,” he said of the current mix of tenants. “The next phase is ... trying to create some additional housing in
Easthampton, which is a really critical and impor- tant issue. Somewhere on our property, we’re look- ing at bringing in up to 150 units of housing.”
For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest revis- its Eastworks 25 years after it was conceptual- ized to see how this com- munity within a com- munity continues to grow and evolve.
Golden Opportunity
Heather Beck is a
fine jeweler, metalsmith,
and educator who runs
Heather Beck Designs at
Eastworks. A highlight of
Beck’s business is some-
thing she calls “legacy
jewelry” — made from
family heirlooms that
are repurposed into new
pieces. Her clients get to carry the memory of their loved one with them through the new piece of jewelry while also helping to positively contrib- ute to the environment through ethically sourced, recycled jewelry.
Beck is one of many tenants who spoke of the closeness that can be felt in the Eastworks com- munity, and how she is aware that many tenants
The large amount of space available was a big selling point in bringing Easthampton Clay to Eastworks.
have become friends with each other and have stuck together through all the happenings of both the pandemic and regular work life.
“Erin McNally of Tiny Anvil, she’s down the hall, she’s one of my best friends ... I get to have lunch with her and Trevor of Healy Guitars,” she said. “We get together almost every day for lunch, and we talk about our days, what’s going on with clients. We call ourselves the ‘lunch bunch.’ It’s an
78 FEBRUARY 21, 2022
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
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