Page 14 - BusinessWest June 23, 2021

the F-35s. We’ve modernized the base, and we’re ready to accommodate them if we are chosen.”
On the other side of the city, work has begun to replace Cowles Bridge on Route 202 that con- nects Westfield to Southwick. This state project marks one of the last bridges in Westfield that hasn’t yet been updated. Because the city is situ- ated between several rivers, Humason said, West- field is like an island in some ways because many entries into town involve crossing a bridge. He predicts Cowles Bridge will be completed in about two years.
“These are not the sexy projects, but they need to get done so we can keep everything working.”
“While it’s not a big bridge, it carries every important infrastructure in the city, so that makes it a more complex project because several utili- ties have to be involved in moving the structures under the bridge,” he explained.
Other projects, such as pump stations and sewer replacements, are also in the works. While these projects are not as high-profile as bridges and bike paths, they are essential, the mayor said. “These are not the sexy projects, but they need to get done so we can keep everything working.”
Meanwhile, infrastructure work of a different kind — expansion of Whip City Fiber, a division of Westfield Gas & Electric — continues to build momentum and become an increasingly power- ful force in efforts to attract and retain businesses
The final phase of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail in Westfield should be complete this fall.
(and residents) in Westfield and several surround- ing communities.
Tom Flaherty, general manager of the G&E, told BusinessWest there are now just under 11,000 subscribers in Westfield and 19 surrounding hill- towns, with the goal, one he considers very attain- able, of reaching 15,000 within the next three years.
The high-speed internet, as well as low-cost, reliable electric service from the municipal util- ity, have become strong selling points for the city, said Flaherty, noting that businesses looking to
relocate or expand put such services at or near the top of their list of considerations for such initiatives.
“The reliability of our electric and natural-gas infrastructures and the lower cost in compari- son with other utilities — we’re more than 40% cheaper — are a huge consideration when people are coming out this way looking for houses,” he explained. “Whip City Fiber is a significant selling point when people
are relocating and when businesses are
Westfield
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
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