Page 39 - BusinessWest September 2, 2024

West Springfield
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Train of Thought
Then there’s the planned flyover at the rail cross- ing at Front Street, which will alleviate traffic back- ups that have been a problem for decades, the mayor said. Announced late last month, the project, which is expected to cost at least $20 million, came about after extensive and sometimes contentious talks between representatives of Agawam and West Springfield, CSX, state transportation officials, and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.
The fix will not only alleviate traffic tie-ups, but eliminate a public-safety concern, said Reichelt, not- ing that ambulances now take alternate routes, not knowing if they will be delayed by a parked train.
Allyson Manuel, West Springfield’s town planner, agreed, noting that the flyover will also facilitate eco- nomic development in the area, especially with an old mill complex that has sat mostly vacant in part because of accessibility issues created by moving or parked trains.
“The mill buildings are sandwiched between the Westfield River and the train tracks, and you have to get over the train tracks to access them right now,” she said. “So having that alternative access opens them up to a lot of different uses they’re not suitable
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Big E
for now.”
Like almost all communities in the region, West
Springfield is in need of more housing, said Manuel, adding that, unlike most of those cities and towns, it does not have much open land on which to build.
Which is why a provision within the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act recently signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey, which will allow in-law apartments in all communities, could have a substantial impact in Westside, where they are currently prohibited.
“We’ll be looking at how to regulate that, and we obviously have some work to do on that because they are currently not allowed; it’s a pretty big change,” Manuel said, adding that, in the few weeks since the housing bill was signed, there have been numerous inquiries.
Meanwhile, there are some projects in various stages of development. These include the condo proj- ect on Piper Crossing Road; Heartstone Village, a 55+ project off Birnie Avenue, a project that has been years in the making; and preliminary talks concerning repurposing the former Cowing School at the corner of Park and Elm streets for housing, especially senior housing.
There’s also the former nursing home on Westfield Street, which has been vacant for more than 20 years and in recent years had become an eyesore, Saremi
new vendors and 44 new food offerings, with vendors featuring $3 items on Mondays, to be called ‘3-buck bites.’
Overall, with its lineup of entertainment, food, some new rides, new float animals, and more, the Big E is expected to follow the lead set by fairs that have already had their 2024 runs, said Cassidy, who closely monitors what’s happening elsewhere.
“Wisconsin closed recently; they had a bang-up fair and set a record at the same time as they were deal- ing with extraordinary heat — over 100 degrees for four days of the fair,” he noted. “Iowa opened strong ... these numbers bode well.”
The Minnesota State Fair comes later, and, as noted, Cassidy has long made it a goal to top that fair in attendance.
“They always beat us — they’re number 4, we’re number 5,” he said in reference to the country’s larg- est fairs. “We’ve been chasing Minnesota going way back to the very first fair in 1916. I want to challenge
“You need to pay attention to the differences, but also don’t think we’re so different that there aren’t some similarities.”
said.
“There was an opportunity to acquire it, and we
decided to take it on,” he told BusinessWest, using those words to help explain the size and scope of the challenge and the fact that few, if any, were willing to take on this property.
“It was a nightmare cleaning that place out; it was very labor-intensive — crews had to wear full- body suits with respirators,” he said while detail- ing the level of deterioration of the building. “There were trees growing on the roof. Now, the interior is completely clean, and we’ve had a zone change go through.”
The most common-sense reuse is housing, either affordable or 55+, Saremi said, adding quickly that, while architectural plans are being developed, funding help will be needed from the state or federal govern- ment to take what is likely to be a $7 million project off the drawing board and make it reality.
“The cost to build has just skyrocketed,” he said, adding that he is hoping that the housing bill will include funds for projects like this one.
“We’re ready to go,” he said of the project, which would include 51 mostly efficiency and one-bedroom apartments. “We just need some sort of government assistance on the cost to build.” BW
people to come to the fair so we can displace them.”
Meet Me Midway
Returning to his thoughts about election years and the attendance bump they generally provide, Cassidy acknowledged that, in this day and age, it’s very diffi- cult to actually escape the news.
But people are likely to try, and the fair can provide that needed respite, he said, adding that this quality
is one of many that can, and hopefully will, add up
to a year where attendance records are approached and even threatened, and Minnesota’s numbers might even be eclipsed.
That’s if Mother Nature cooperates more than she did last year. BW
the majority of the team soon, if they aren’t already. “That’s your strategic secret weapon right there: building cross-generational work teams, so they can collaborate and bring the best of all the different thought processes together.”
In other words, bridging the generation gap brings benefits across the board — from the company’s office culture to its bottom line. BW
money, and, because of the ubiquity of casinos every- where, they’re used to having beautiful green rooms, lots of air conditioning, climate-controlled arenas, and more.”
The fair cannot provide those things, but it has still managed to put together a strong slate. The lineup for the Big E Arena includes Ludacris, Dustin Lynch with special guest Dylan Scott, Phil Wickham, America with special guest Jim Messina, the Brothers Osbourne, Public Enemy, and Big Time Rush. The Court of Honor Stage, meanwhile, will feature Asia, Debby Boone, Herman’s Hermits, and Wang Chung, among many others.
“We originally booked Ludacris back in 2008, but he was viewed at the time by the police chief as being so controversial that we can to cancel him,” Cassidy recalled. “There’s a new police chief, and time has softened Ludacris.”
As for food ... Big E officials will keep the public in suspense a little longer, but there will be several
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Generations
effective business management.
“You need to pay attention to the differences, but
also don’t think we’re so different that there aren’t some similarities. When employers are struggling, I always say, focus on the things that we have in com- mon. Focus on building that respectful workplace cul- ture where you’ve got one-on-one conversations hap- pening between employee and manager.”
And make sure younger workers have a voice, she added, because at most companies, they’ll be
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