Page 44 - BusinessWest March 18, 2024

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for Theros, who has been looking for a place a live. “At 31 Elm, they have 74 units; they rented them all in 30 days,” he said. “I couldn’t find a place, even
across the street. That’s fantastic; that shows me that the city and the surrounding area are really robust.” Theros’s personal car didn’t arrive in Springfield
until late last month, but he made use of the casino’s limo to visit various communities in the region — and even one of his competitors — while also walking to events ranging from a few Thunderbirds games to Red Sox Winter Weekend at the MassMutual Center.
Returning to his casino property and the multi- faceted operation there, Theros said that, to date, he’s mostly been observing and making notes as he com- piles a more comprehensive to-do list. He stressed that the operation is maturing and reaching, if not exceeding, many of the expectations the city and
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“Chris [Kelley] has gotten us to a nice place; the whole team has. My goal, quite simply, is to build on that.”
region had when the casino opened to considerable fanfare on that hot August day in 2018.
“Chris [Kelley] has gotten us to a nice place; the whole team has,” he told BusinessWest. “My goal, quite simply, is to build on that.”
Bottom Line
When asked what he’d rather be doing — trying a case or managing a casino — Theros paused briefly
all the outdoor recreation assets that we have here.” After all, he added, those are some of the things
the Berkshires are most known for.
“Making sure that we can maximize those ben-
efits for the people of Pittsfield is where we want to make a difference,” Burke told BusinessWest. “That involves a lot of different things and broader socio- economic issues that are much harder to solve, like education and poverty and addiction. But we still should try to get involved in some of those things through partnerships with organizations who have that expertise.”
Moment of Recognition
Last fall, at 1Berkshire’s Celebrate the Berkshires event, Mill Town Capital was recognized as a special honoree for “putting the Berkshires on the map” — an honor that recognized the company’s investments in
ties as older leaders, like those older business own- ers, look to retirement. “I’m excited about the leader- ship we’re seeing step into those roles,” she said.
Plenty to Promote
Rechtschaffen is acutely aware of what a spread- out county like Franklin faces in terms of housing, transportation, and access to amenities, but she tends to light up when talking about what she loves about the region — and there’s a lot of that.
“We have so much amazing outdoor arts, outdoor activities, whitewater rafting, skiing, theater ... there are so many things. So I always want to make sure that people know what there is to visit up here.”
The target audience isn’t just visitors from afar, though.
“We have an advantage in Franklin County, which is that people really do want to support local, so it’s important that we have the right retail mix and expe- rience mix here for people to be able to do that,” Rechtschaffen said, which is the impetus behind efforts like the “find it in Greenfield” campaign run- ning on Bear Country radio and through other outlets.
“A lot of people don’t realize what’s so close by. So getting the word out can be a challenge,” she added.
before answering.
“For pure adrenaline, trying a lawsuit, trying a case
in front of a jury — that’s an adrenaline rush,” he said. “When someone high-fives you after you’ve cross- examined someone — I had one of my associates do that — that’s a big rush.
“For personal satisfaction, though, it’s running a casino,” he went on. “I have more direct impact on an outcome here than I do at a trial because the jury is the arbiter at the end of the day.”
Still, he’s hoping to create something approach- ing those cross-examination rushes at the casino on Main Street as he takes on what he called the “cherry on the top of his career,” and an opportunity to really make a case for MGM Springfield. BW
housing and downtown redevelopment, as well as its philanthropic support around the region.
“When our regional economic-development group recognized Mill Town for the work that we’re doing,
it was tremendously gratifying for our team to see that people see the work that we’re doing and that it is having a positive impact,” Burke said. “I think we’re pretty hard on ourselves in that we think we have a ways to go before we achieve the impact that we want to achieve. But it is validating to a certain degree that people see that we’re heading in the right direction.
“That hasn’t always been the case,” he added. “I think when we first started out, there was a lot of skepticism and questioning: ‘what’s the angle?’ ‘What are you trying to accomplish?’ So it was great to see that, at a minimum, people view it as positive-intent work that has the potential to drive change.” BW
“We’re really trying to keep beating that drum and making sure that things are affordable, things are accessible, and we’re bringing businesses into Green- field and Franklin County that people really want. That’s also a crucial part of the puzzle.”
Dunlavy has helped put many pieces in place, from north-south rail to broadband access to a planned partnership with other regional councils of govern- ment on a Connecticut River climate-resiliency plan.
“You do nothing alone. Everything takes partner- ship and many people working together,” she said. “And I like that part of the job. I like that challenge, and I like that focus. I’m never bored, ever. There’s always something to work on and always something to think about.”
Rechtschaffen never stops thinking about Franklin County, either.
“This is really creative work,” she said, “to be prob- lem solving, to be listening, to be connecting people with one another so that their business can thrive, maybe in ways they didn’t think about. I really love all of this work to grow Greenfield and Franklin County in a way that feels good, for as many people as pos- sible.” BW
Mill
we’ve done in Pittsfield.”
Indeed, Burke firmly believes Mill Town has a
replicable model, but it’s one that’s still evolving. “We think we’re in the second or third inning of what we’re doing here in Pittsfield.”
And as someone with a lifelong heart for the city, he envisions what a vibrant, thriving Pittsfield can one day be.
“I think it’s a place where people from all aspects of the economic spectrum can find quality housing. They can send their kids to schools and get them a good education. They can find jobs that will allow them to live here productively and raise a family.
“And then we can provide those systems on the periphery that allow people to have a good quality
of life here — places where kids have opportunities to have athletic endeavors in camps, places where adults can enjoy the natural assets that the area has,” he went on. “That comes back to trail networks and
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Franklin
and seek new opportunities. We’re pretty optimistic about what the future holds.”
On the plus side, “there’s a lot of interest in this market because it’s less expensive than other mar- kets that are overdeveloped. So a lot of borrowers see opportunity here,” said Peter Albero, chief finan- cial officer and treasurer, noting that GSB originated $100 million in commercial loans and $70 million in residential loans last year. “The residential side
is still a little bit lower ... but the commercial side is very strong. A lot of banks are competing for strong borrowers.”
The aging of the population has created a fair amount of business turnover, Bresciano added, as long-time business owners are looking to retire and move into the next chapter of their lives.
“So there’s definitely opportunity for someone else to come in with new ideas, new ambitions, and to cultivate a new environment,” he said, pointing to one project — the conversion of the former Wil- son’s Department Store in downtown Greenfield to a mixed-use property — as an example of forward thinking.
For her part, Deane has seen a pipeline emerge of younger leaders in many Franklin County communi-
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