Page 12 - BusinessWest July 7, 2021
P. 12

 Editorial
ICreativity Is Needed Downtown
t’s only July, just a few months after the governor essentially become more of a destination when it comes to office space, espe- reopened the state and things started returning to normal. cially with regard to the manner in which the pandemic has shown We have a long way to go before we can even begin to know business owners that they don’t necessarily have to be in down-
the full impact of the pandemic on the local business commu- town Boston or New York, paying sky-high lease rates, to conduct
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 nity and individual communities.
But to many, it’s already apparent that new and intriguing uses
will have to be found for spaces in the office towers and some of the other buildings in downtown Springfield. It seems clear that many of those already in those office towers will be downsizing or moving out when their leases expire. Meanwhile, there are few if any signs that retail can stage any kind of meaningful comeback, as the current vacancies along Main Street clearly show.
These indicators make it clear that creativity, with a generous amount of patience as well, will be needed when it comes to bring- ing new life to the properties downtown. Old answers and tradi- tional ways of thinking won’t work. People should be thinking not about what these properties were designed to be — office spaces, for the most part — but what they can be.
If the pandemic has done anything, it has probably only acceler- ated a process that has been in place for years now. Indeed, down- town vacancy rates have been consistently, and somewhat disturb- ingly, high, with new inventory, at locations like 1550 Main Street and Union Station, only adding to the challenges facing those own- ing and managing property in and around Main Street.
There has been some movement in recent years when it comes to office-space absorption — Wellfleet Group moving into several floors in Tower Square, the Community Foundation moving out of Tower Square and onto street-level offices on Bridge Street, and the Dietz architecture firm moving into Union Station — but much of it is the kind of ‘musical chairs’ action that has defined the commer- cial real-estate scene for years now.
Looking forward, there is certainly potential for downtown to
Opinion
business. They can work from anywhere — including Springfield. Unfortunately, every city in the country is sending out that same
message, including communities with larger, deeper workforces, better climate, and more vibrant central business districts.
There are steps being taken to try to convince elected leaders to move some state offices to Springfield, again in recognition that they don’t need to be in Boston or even the Boston area. There is some optimism regarding these efforts, and the argument makes a great deal of sense, but we wonder if there can be any meaningful movement when it comes to agencies that have been headquar- tered in the eastern part of the state forever — and when it might come.
Beyond these initiatives, it’s clear that some real creativity in the form of imaginative new uses will needed. We’ve seen some already downtown with the YMCA of Greater Springfield, two colleges, and now White Lion Brewing moving into Tower Square, but we’ll need more.
That’s because traditional office-space users — law firms, accounting firms, insurance agencies, financial-services firms, and even nonprofits — will almost certainly need less of that space in the years to come. It’s time to look at a host of options, including residential, hospitality, healthcare, education, and others. Perhaps a live/work type of facility, such as the type being proposed for 1350 Main Street, can be one of the answers.
We’re not sure what the future will look like, but we’re reason- ably sure it won’t look like what we have now. So something else will be needed. Something creative. v
  Businesses Need More Than a Sales-tax Holiday
Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker has
filed legislation for an extended sales-tax holiday for 2021. He’s proposing two full months — August and September — instead of a weekend.
His thinking is that the state should use some of the significant surplus expected from this fiscal year to give retail business- es, and consumers alike, an extended break from the state’s 6.25% sales tax. The con- cept has been widely panned by the Demo- cratically controlled Legislature, with some calling the proposed measure a gimmick and others providing long lists of all the ways in which the sales tax that would be collected during those two months could — and should — be spent.
While we understand where the gover- nor is coming from and believe there are some merits to this proposal, an extended sales tax holiday is not really what the state’s retail businesses need right now.
What many of them need is inventory. Indeed, visit just about any car dealer in this area and you’ll see far more pavement
than you’ve ever seen before. The lots are virtually empty and ongoing shortage of computer chips almost ensures they will
be that way for a while. The picture is the same at bike shops and other retailers, who don’t suffer from a lack of customers willing to spend, but do suffer greatly from a lack of products they can buy.
Meanwhile, most all businesses, retail and otherwise, continue to be challenged by extreme workforce issues. There are ‘help wanted’ signs in almost every res- taurant in the area, and many of the other hospitality-related businesses and retail establishments as well.
These companies are emerging from the pandemic and looking to recover all the ground they lost during what has been, for almost everyone, the most challenging time they’ve experienced. And just when people are flocking back to their places of business, they are struggling mightily to find the help to meet that demand. And many simply can’t meet it. Indeed, there are plenty of stories about how restaurants
are limiting hours and contractors, land- scapers, and pool installers are turning away work because they can’t find the help.
Perhaps the governor and the Legisla- ture can come to some kind of compro- mise on the sales-tax holiday, maybe a week or even two to give another boost to the small businesses that dominate this region — even if it seems like the big-box stores make out better at such times.
In the meantime, the state needs to address the far-more pressing issues facing all businesses today, especially workforce and the need for more workforce train-
ing that will put more qualified help into
a pipeline that is becoming increasingly small.
The governor is right to be thinking about small businesses and how they still need help as they work their way out of the pandemic-created hole they were in. But an extended sales tax holiday isn’t the answer — or even a significant piece of the answer. v
 12 JULY 7, 2021
OPINION
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