Inside the Eastfield Mall after it closed in Springfield
After 55 years, the Eastfield Mall in Springfield officially closed its doors on July 15th. The Eastfield Mall is expected to be developed into a mixed-use commercial and retail hub in the coming years. The Springfield City Council approved a special permit for Onyx Springfield Crossing to redevelop the property at 1655 Boston Road. Onyx,…
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Secures $750,000 for Historic-preservation Projects
The National Park Service named the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s (PVPC) 501(c)(3) subsidiary, the Pioneer Valley Regional Ventures Center Inc., as one of only 13 awardees nationally to receive a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant. The $750,000 grant will allow the state-designated regional planning agency to work with the Ventures Center to develop a subgrant…
GCC Selected for National Project to Better Meet Workforce Needs
Beyond a Living Wage This is the second article in a monthly series examining how area colleges and universities are partnering with local businesses, workforce-development bodies, and other organizations to address professional-development needs in the region. One college will be featured each month. In explaining why Greenfield Community College is an ideal fit for the…
Nominations Now Open for 2023 Women of Impact Awards
BusinessWest, the business journal of Western Massachusetts, is now accepting nominations for the sixth annual Women of Impact awards. In 2018, BusinessWest created the Women of Impact program as a way to honor women in the region who are making an impact and creating positive change. Women of Impact was chosen as the name for…
LEGO announces timeline for Enfield closure, Boston move
LEGO Group announced on Monday a timeline for the eventual closure of its Enfield headquarters and its move to Boston. The company said it plans to shut down the Enfield office during the last quarter of 2026. It plans to open its new head office at 1001 Boylston St. in Boston during the second quarter…
Springfield College announces online doctorate program for physician assistants
The Springfield College doctorate program for physician assistants (PA) will be available online beginning in 2024. Due to the demand for a doctoral-level program for PAs, Springfield College announced its fully online, asynchronous Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program. It was developed by the College’s PA faculty. Two program concentrations will be available, clinical and…
BusinessTalk with Greenfield Community and Economic Development director Amy Cahillane
For the past decade, Amy Cahillane has been a key figure in the Northampton community, most notably as the first executive director of the Downtown Northampton Assoc., where she led initiatives to strengthen the vibrancy of the city’s economy and culture. These days, she’s bringing her considerable talents to Greenfield, as that city’s new Community…
MILL DISTRICT CARS & COFFEE AUTO SHOW AUG. 20
The “Cars & Coffee” auto show series returns to the Mill District’s North Square with another free collectible-and-classic vehicle exhibition on Sunday, August 20 from 8:30am to noon. And also returning is the chance for spectators to test-drive a Mercedes-Benz Electric Vehicle. “We’re expecting two vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz EQs and GLB, to be on-hand Sunday,”…
Springfield Regional Chamber Looks to Build on Momentum
Getting a Refresh 349. That’s how many ‘engagements’ Diana Szynal estimates she had during her first year as president and CEO of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce (SRC). By this, she means in-person meetings, Zoom sessions, phone calls, emails, talks at networking events, and more. These engagements were with a number of different constituencies…
Arcpoint Brewing to open first taproom and brewery in Belchertown
Chris Peterson, CJ Eldridge and Dave Pare from Arcpoint Brewing have signed a lease at 30 Front St. to open the first brewery and taproom in Belchertown. Peterson said, “We want to be taproom focused. If we can, we won’t do a lot of distribution. We really want to create an atmosphere for people to…
Greentown Labs Board of Directors introduces Greentown Labs’ next Chief Executive Officer
The Greentown Labs Board of Directors to enthusiastically introduce you to Greentown Labs’ next Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Knobloch, effective Sept. 5, 2023. After an extensive, national search process, we are thrilled to welcome Kevin to the Greentown team, community, and climate ecosystem we are so proud to be a part of. A former Obama…
Springfield Business Improvement District appoints a new Executive Director
The Springfield Business Improvement District, a strategic partner in the city’s efforts to recruit, develop and support strong businesses, events, and community building in Downtown Springfield, has announced the hiring of Michelle Grout as its new Executive Director. She fills the vacancy created by Chris Russell’s departure in late December 2022. Michelle brings over 10…