Page 11 - BusinessWest November 24, 2025

“Our walkable
downtown is lined
with one-of-a-
kind shops and
restaurants, many
family-owned
for generations,
and there’s a
real sense of
connection
among the people
who live and work
here.”
ALEX HEDDINGER
• Some new restaurants
and other small businesses
RIVERFRONT
CONDOS
that are certainly helping in
these efforts to make Lee
more of a destination.
MIXED-USE MACHINE SHOP
“Our walkable down-
town is lined with one-of-a-
kind shops and restaurants,
many family-owned for gen-
erations, and there’s a real
sense of connection among
the people who live and
work here,” said Alex Hed-
dinger, a Lee native who
became executive director
of its Chamber of Com-
merce this past spring. “We
also have one of the most
diverse dining scenes in the
area — Mexican, Indian, Peruvian, French, pizza, new American,
pub fare, diner classics, and even a Burmese restaurant.
“Lee has a way of making visitors feel right at home,” she went
on, adding that one of the goals moving forward is to make busi-
ness owners feel at home as well.
For this latest installment of its Community Spotlight series,
BusinessWest takes an in-depth look at Lee and the many intrigu-
ing storylines converging there.
Milling About
Cohen told BusinessWest that he and his wife moved to the
Berkshires in 2012, and soon thereafter, he became fascinated with
the Eagle Mill and the prospects for developing it.
The property had been abandoned since 2008, he said, adding
that the various buildings were in poor condition when he acquired
them, but still historic. He contracted with an architect and started
meeting with various groups in town to get a sense “for what could
be attractive to the town and be profitable for me, and that’s how it
UNION
EAGLE
An architect’s rendering shows the various buildings and
parcels to be developed at the Eagle Mill complex in Lee.
started.
“I’m not the type of person who buys something and says, ‘here’s
what I’m going to do,’ and then present that to whomever is going to
approve it,” he explained. “My style is a little different; I try to work
with people in the neighborhood, various town officials, and various
interested community groups to get a sense for what’s going to pass
muster.”
It took several years to identify the preferred use, he said, add-
ing that various uses, including a 100-room hotel and a Faneuil
Hall-type retail market,
were considered. Overall,
it’s been a long, difficult
journey, made much
Lee
Continued on page 13 >>
A SHARED VISION
Cain Hibbard and Bulkley Richardson will unite on December 1 to form western Massachusetts’ largest law firm.
With more than 160 years combined, this merger brings together two firms built on tradition, integrity, and
excellence—strengthening our ability to serve clients across the region and beyond.
B U L K L E Y . C O M
Business W est << COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
NOVEMBER 24, 2025
11