Archive for July 2018
Owner cleans up vacant Black Pearl block in Springfield’s South End
– Lawyers for the city and for a vacant restaurant-apartment block in the South End said the property is being maintained and cleaned under a recent Housing Court agreement. Jhanvi Hospitality, owner of the former Black Pearl property at 1127 Main St., has been keeping the site clear of trash and debris as required under…
Read MoreClean, Reliable Energy Key to Western Mass Jobs (Guest viewpoint)
By Nancy Creed The economic progress our region is seeing is undeniable. From the construction of MGM Springfield, to production of subway cars for the MBTA at the North American headquarters for CRRC Massachusetts Rail Co., to the renovated Union Station, with nearly $2 billion in economic development initiatives, Springfield and its surrounding communities are…
Read MoreHouse-passed National Defense Authorization Act includes $43 million for Westover Air…
A Western Massachusetts air reserve base is poised to receive millions in federal funding to construct a regional ISO maintenance hangar under a $716 billion national defense bill compromise that cleared the U.S. House Thursday. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which now awaits Senate approval, includes funding for an array of Pentagon initiatives and priorities across the…
Read MoreHolyoke, Boston developer continue pursuit of historic tax credits for Farr Alpaca Mill conversion to rental units
The city and WinnDevelopment continue to pursue historic tax credits and other incentives to convert the former Farr Alpaca Mill at 216 Appleton St., into 100 rental units. Winn and the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority entered into an agreement on the property. The former mill is situated between the Upper Canal and the Holyoke Police Department.…
Read MoreYoung Women’s Initiative Awards Four Mini-Grants
A group of Springfield young women participating in the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts’ Young Women’s Initiative (YWI) recently awarded four YWI mini-grants to nonprofits that serve the Springfield area. The project was in partnership with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.In the past year, the YWI participants were charged with identifying and researching issues…
Read MoreInvestment in the life sciences sector is critical to Massachusetts’ future (Viewpoint)
Ten years ago, Massachusetts took a risk. With a 10-year, $1 billion initiative proposed by then-Gov. Deval Patrick, we chose to breathe life into a budding biotech and life sciences sector with the bold hope that funding new research would transform our state’s economy. That investment has paid off. Students at Chicopee Comprehensive High School,…
Read MoreNew Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Named at American International College
Effective July 30, 2018, Mika Nash, Ed.D. will join American International College (AIC) as the executive vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Nash comes to AIC from Champlain College in Vermont where she served as the dean of Continuing Professional Studies. Dr. Nash has more than 20 years of experience in the field of higher…
Read MoreSpringfield’s Chestnut Towers receives $10.2 million in state funding toward planned renovations
Springfield’s Chestnut Towers will receive $10.2 million in affordable housing funds for renovations, state Secretary of Housing and Development Jay Ash said Wednesday during a visit to the downtown complex. The new funding will supplement a $45 million investment by the property’s management, Related Companies, to renovate and transform the 489-unit apartment complex, said Jeff Brodsky, the…
Read MoreUnited Way of Pioneer Valley, Peter Pan Announce Stuff the Bus Program
United Way of Pioneer Valley and Peter Pan Bus Lines will launch the annual Stuff the Bus campaign with a press-conference event on Friday, July 27 at 11 a.m. outside the Target store at the Holyoke Mall. The campaign will collect new school supplies from July 27 through Aug. 16. The supplies will be distributed…
Read MoreMichele Cabral Named Director of Training & Workforce Options
Westfield resident Michele Cabral, a former accounting professor and interim dean of Business and Technology at Holyoke Community College, has been appointed the new director of Training & Workforce Options, a workforce-development partnership between HCC and Springfield Technical Community College. TWO offers customized training for businesses and nonprofits, needs assessments, and career-development programs. Read the…
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