Page 8 - BusinessWest May 27, 2024

Hadley at
a glance
Year Incorporated: 1661
Population: 5,325
Area: 24.6 square miles
County: Hampshire
Residential Tax Rate: $11.39
Commercial Tax Rate: $11.39
Median Household Income: $51,851
Median Family Income: $61,897
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen
Largest Employers: Super Stop & Shop; Evaluation Systems Group Pearson; Elaine Center at Hadley; Home Depot; Lowe’s Home Improvement
* Latest information available
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
Hadley Is on the Road (Route 9, That Is) to Progress
BY GEORGE O’BRIEN
[email protected]
There is no official countdown clock on the massive project to widen and reconstruct roughly 2.5 miles of Route 9 in Hadley.
But there might as well be.
Indeed, many business owners and residents alike are counting down the months, weeks, and days until this impor- tant undertaking, launched in 2021, is in the books; April 2026 is the projected date. Everyone agrees that, when fin- ished, the project will be well worth the trouble and inconve- nience it is creating. But getting there ... well, that is an ongo- ing challenge and topic of frustration for many.
“Yes, it’s a disruption, especially for some of the busi- nesses along Route 9 that have had more disruption to date than others,” said Molly Keegan, a principal with Curran & Keegan Financial, a Select Board member in town and one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Hadley Busi- ness Council. “But, ultimately, I think it’s really going to serve the business community well once it’s completed.”
The Route 9 project is one of many ongoing issues in this community of just over 5,000 people, said Keegan and Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan. Others include a growing need for a full-time planner, the advancement of plans for a new Department of Public Works facility, and ongoing work to maintain the town’s dikes, a costly but necessary initiative.
But it’s a housing problem — which mirrors what’s hap- pening in many other communities but is perhaps more acute because of the surging cost of real estate in Hadley — that has perhaps taken center stage, Brennan said.
Molly Keegan says the Route 9 project is just one of many ongoing issues in Hadley.
8 MAY 27, 2024
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