Page 15 - BusinessWest May 26, 2025

“I think the town
Great Barrington >>Continued from page 13
has grown a little
younger. And
higher, he noted, adding that the school hasn’t
been able to reach that threshold, and with cur-
while there used
rent demographic shifts — specifically fewer
to be some times
high-school-age people — it wasn’t going to get
there anytime soon.
when it would
So the decision was made to move the
be pretty sleepy,
school and its programs to the main Bard cam-
pus, where economies of scale will make this
it’s not like that
operation much more sustainable, said Wein-
anymore; this is a
stein, adding quickly that, while this move rep-
resents a loss for the community, the campus
12-month-a-year
as a whole and its individual parts present a
busy town.”
unique development opportunity.
And the zoning overlay district certainly
helps in this redevelopment, said Weinstein and
others we spoke with, noting that it will permit
operation of an athletic center and performing-
arts center — those are just two examples —
without a school being attached.
“Those most interested in the future of the property did that
shift,” said Weinstein, noting that the redevelopment of the campus
will afford the town an opportunity to address some of its pressing
needs and challenges, a list that certainly includes housing.
Andrus agreed, noting, as Martinson did, that businesses and
their employees are impacted by the current lack of affordable
housing.
Many of these businesses are in the broad tourism, hospitality,
and retail sectors, said Andrus, noting that Great Barrington draws
visitors from nearby New York, other communities within the Berk-
shires, and well beyond. Meanwhile, its population increases three-
fold in the summer, from 7,000 to 21,000, as snowbirds and those
with second homes in the area return.
“With that influx of people, even going to the grocery store can
Janis Martinson says the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will
open a second facility later this year, one of many efforts to
connect the community to the arts.
be chaotic,” she noted, adding that the town’s character changes as
its population swells, especially the central business district.
Residents and visitors alike enjoy a very walkable downtown
that features attractions like the Mahaiwe, a diverse lineup of res-
taurants, and unique arts-related programs such as Berkshire Busk
— organized street entertainment (everything from singers and fla-
menco dancers to poets
and aerialists) that runs
on Railroad Street and
other parts of the down-
Great Barrington
Continued on page 34 >>
Cash Management Solutions
“Banking technologies continue to become more
innovative. Our Cash Management Solutions will
help ensure that your business banking processes
are efficient, effective and safe from fraud.”
– CYNTHIA WSZOLEK, Assistant Vice President, Cash Management
[email protected] | 413.493.7549
• Business eDepositPlus
• Automatic Sweep to
Line of Credit
• Electronic Payments
• Check & ACH
Positive Pay
• PeoplesOnline Cash
Management
bankatpeoples.com/cashmanagement
Learn More
Member FDIC
Business W est << COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
MAY 26, 2025
15