Page 7 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Matias Martinez, left, and Jose Diaz, co-owners of Three
Amigos, share a moment with Cinda Jones and Shauna
Wallace, project manager of Mill District General Store and
Local Art Gallery.
Staff Photo
she is excited by the possibilities it presents.
“It will be a wonderful place where high school groups could
perform, or you could have birthday parties,” she said, adding
that performances could include seating in the pavilion and the
lawn space outside, much like Tanglewood in Lenox.
And the pavilion is one of many steps being taken to attract
more visitors and make the Mill District more of a destination.
Jones described the location as the ‘gateway to Franklin
County,’ and on the route that many employees and
students take to get from homes in communities
like Greenfield, Montague, Conway, and Sunderland
to jobs at UMass Amherst, nearby Northampton or
points to the south. From the beginning, the goal has
been to create a community, a village where people
can shop, eat, see and buy art, and take in the many
cultural events staged by tenants.
“There are roughly 25,000 vehicle trips a day,
including buses, that go within a block of the Mill
District,” she noted, adding that the goal is provide
reasons to pull over and explore, while also creat-
ing a tenant mix and calendar of events that would
prompt planned visits from across the region.
“My goal is to make this a place where commu-
nity members, full-time, long-term community mem-
bers, enjoy connecting with friends and enjoy the
spaces and shops we’ve brought together,” she said.
The mix of tenants has changed over the years, said Jones,
adding that she has always been looking to improve that mix
and provide more to see and do. Most of the space is occupied,
or soon to be occupied, she noted, adding that there is roughly
4,500 square feet — with high ceilings — available in the building
currently home to Provisions.
“We’re listening to people, hearing what they like, and
responding to what they’re saying,” she said, adding that this
strategy applies to tenants and visitors alike.
Meanwhile, there are concerted efforts to make the Mill Dis-
trict more visible, literally and figuratively, said Jones, adding
these include the creation of the common that will improve sight
lines to the shops as well as new signage currently winding its
way through the permitting
process.
“There are
roughly 25,000
vehicle trips a
day, including
buses, that go
within a block
of the Mill
District.”
Mill
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Business W est << FEATURE >>
MAY 11, 2026
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