Page 5 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Judy Herrell
stands in the
almost-finished
new location for
Herrell’s in the
Mill District.
Staff Photo
And it is part of the ongoing evolution of the Mill District in
North Amherst, a mixed-use facility that features housing, retail, art,
and hospitality — a canvas that Cinda Jones, its architect owner, has
been filling in over the past 15 years or so.
Indeed, Tilted Orbit will occupy what’s known as the Cow Barn,
which was once home to Provisions, the wine and cheese empo-
rium, which was moved to another building on the property (more
on that later), and before that, Atkins, said Jones, adding that other
additions and improvements include everything from a new pavilion
taking shape on the site of another former barn, a new Herrell’s ice
cream parlor (the company has been operating a small, pop-up facil-
ity the past few years); from recent additions such as Three Amigos,
a restaurant that fuses the flavors of Chile, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
and Carefree Cakery, and even some demoli-
tion — of another former barn and a seven-car
garage — that will improve visibility and allow
travelers on Route 63 to see all that the site has
to offer.
“We’ll still occasionally hear that people
don’t know that the Mill District is here and
how shocked they are when they find it,” said
Jones, adding that the broad goal, as it has been
from the beginning, has been to create what she
called a ‘downtown’ in North Amherst, a mix of
shops and amenities that deliver food, fashion,
and fun — a true destination, attracting people
from across Amherst and nearby Franklin
County, but also a much wider circle.
Elaborating, she said current work involves
creation of public open space, a ‘town common,’ leading from the
highway to the shops. It will include the pavilion, which doesn’t have
a formal name yet, although Jones calls it the ‘Manta Ray,’ because
the architect has given it something approximating that shape.
It will include a catering kitchen and host a wide array of events,
she said, adding that a tent has been erected on the site to hold
gatherings such as a recent wine tasting staged by Provisions, with
construction of the pavilion set to begin this spring, and due to be
completed in time to host events this fall.
Meanwhile, the location of the Mill District, and the diverse mix
of tenants, eventually drew the attention of Judy Herrell, president of
Herrell’s, who said the iconic, Northampton-based brand has been
searching for a site for a second location, and zeroed in on North
Amherst village.
“What we found out is that people didn’t want to venture over
the bridge,” she said, referring to the Calvin Coolidge Bridge, which
many in the Amherst/Hadley area simply don’t want to cross, even
after significant infrastructure changes made it easier to do so. The
new location, due to open in several weeks, will make Herrell’s more
accessible, she said.
Business W est Julie M. Quink, CPA and Deborah J. Penzias, CPA
Richard F. Burkhart, CPA and Salvatore J. Pizzanelli, CPA, JD, PFS
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“We’ll still
occasionally hear
that people don’t
know that the Mill
District is here and
how shocked they are
when they find it.”
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