Page 11 - BusinessWest May 27, 2024

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Hadley
opportunities, especially around hous- ing — the state is really promoting housing construction — and it’s difficult to take advantage of those opportuni- ties when you don’t have someone focused on it on a full-time basis,” she explained. “So that’s something we will continue to take a look at; ultimately, a position that like that will pay for itself over time.”
Housing, Housing, Housing
As she talked about Hadley’s hous- ing challenges, Brennan referenced a recent project undertaken by students
in the architecture and landscape archi- tecture programs at UMass Amherst. As part of a studio course, the stu-
dents were asked to develop potential plans for re-envisioning the Hampshire Mall, a 33-acre property on Route 9 that, like many malls, has suffered from the growing popularity of online shop- ping and other sea changes in retail and has lost of many businesses.
The course, “Reimagining the Hampshire Mall: Exploring Opportuni- ties for Intergenerational Housing and Community Development,” yielded a proposal to convert the space into 40 rowhouses and 150 apartments with recreational areas.
“It was really fascinating; we sat and listened to the students, who showed us the design and engineering of what the mall could look like by bringing housing and commercial together, and that was very interesting,” said Bren- nan, noting that the audience included many from the business community and Hadley’s Economic Development Committee, as well as representatives of the mall. “There is definitely some potential for something like this in Hadley.”
While she acknowledged that this
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tractor handling the Route 9 project, which has in some ways eased the disruption.
“They recognize the negative impact on businesses, and they’ve been doing everything they can to make sure that there’s signage to indicate that busi- nesses are still open and that they’re not blocking people from entering those businesses,” Keegan said. “So we’ve established a good working relationship.
“That said, there has been an impact on certain businesses,” she said, listing ventures ranging from Hillside Pizza to Wanczyk Nurser- ies to Exotic Auto, which had to be relocated to another spot on Route 9 because of the project.
As noted, the road work is one of the main focal points at present for the business council, which was formed, she explained, to improve communication between the town and its business community — “in both directions.”
“I think we’ve done remarkably well for a long time, but there is so much out there in terms of grant opportunities, especially around housing — the state is really promoting housing construction — and it’s difficult to take advantage of those opportunities when you don’t have someone focused on it on a full-time basis.”
One of the council’s priorities
is educational opportunities, she said, adding that the town’s build-
ing inspector has appeared before the group to talk about the permit- ting process. Meanwhile, the council serves as a voice for the business community if it wants to bring some- thing to the attention of town leaders, such as the need for specific bylaws and zoning on food trucks.
One of the issues moving forward is a heavy reliance on volunteer board members, said Keegan, adding that, for some time, the town has looked
at hiring a full-time planner but hasn’t been able to fit such a position into the budget. Money remains tight, but the need for a planner continues to grow, she told BusinessWest.
“I think we’ve done remarkably well for a long time, but there is so much out there in terms of grant
Hadley
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