Page 44 - BusinessWest July 7, 2025

Pittsfield >>Continued from page 12
on some projects, including Terrace 592, redevelop-
ment of the Wright Terrace apartments, which will
bring online 41 units, most of them affordable, while
others are in earlier stages.
Overall, there are perhaps another 150 to 200
units in early stage or predevelopment, Marchetti
said, including redevelopment of the former Hibbard
Elementary School, while Mill Town Capital has
several projects in different locations across the city.
These initiatives will make a dent in overall need, but
more will be needed, he added.
“There’s a lot more work that we need to do, most-
ly because ours is an aging population,” he noted, add-
ing that affordable options are needed if empty nest-
ers want to continue living in the city.
Beyond housing, there are other issues facing the
city, he went on, including the demolition and rebuild-
ing of Wahconah Park, the city-owned landmark built
in 1919, with work slated to begin next year.
The wooden grandstand, one of the few remaining
Plans call for replacement of that grandstand but retention of other elements of
the park, as well as creation of a historic walkway that will highlight the history
of the park, which had a diamond oriented due west (it was constructed well
before the advent of field lighting permitted night games), which resulted in brief
suspensions of play at sunset so that the setting sun would not interfere with the
batters’ view of the pitch.
in the U.S., was deemed unsafe, Marchetti said, and
the park, listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, has been closed for two years. Plans call for
replacement of that grandstand but retention of other
elements of the park, as well as creation of a historic
walkway that will highlight the history of the park,
which had a diamond oriented due west (it was con-
structed well before the advent of field lighting permit-
ted night games), which resulted in brief suspensions
of play at sunset so that the setting sun would not
interfere with the batters’ view of the pitch.
The Pittsfield Suns, part of the Futures Collegiate
Baseball League, played at the park before it was
deemed unsafe, Marchetti noted, adding that the team
could possibly return to Pittsfield — which would be
yet another development blending past and future in
this city in flux. BW
Cliff >>Continued from page 22
And while the initial cohort of pilot participants
from Springfield are in healthcare, Joyce sees poten-
tial in expanding it to early education, the hospitality
sector, and the trades.
“We’re excited to hopefully expand this with fund-
raising and other employee partners,” she said. “We’ve
heard directly from employers that their employees
are refusing promotions; going from minimum wage
to around $22 an hour is when the cliff effect really
hits. We know there’s a lot of that in the healthcare
space, education, and hospitality — CNAs, medical
assistants, early educators.
“Folks have to make a rational decision, and if they
take an increase, it could be a couple dollars an hour,
and they lose all these benefits,” Joyce said, quickly
adding that, when the cliff effect can be managed,
“these employees benefit, and employers also benefit
because they can keep their good workers and help
their incumbent workers move up in their careers and
advance.” BW
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JULY 7, 2025
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