Does county’s future hinge on PEDA?

By Anthony FydenPrint Story | Email Story
PEDA FANS — Gov. Mitt Romney, left, and state Rep. Peter Larkin, as they appeared last fall when Romney came to the former GE plant in Pittsfield to pitch his “Jobs First” initiative and lobby for more state funding for brownfields development.
Editor’s note: This Business Outlook section is the first in a series of articles designed to explore the future of business in Berkshire County. PITTSFIELD — Many business people have attested that the redevelopment of the former General Electric site in Pittsfield may be the most significant project on Berkshire County’s business horizon when it comes to reigniting the region’s manufacturing base. But there’s some symbolism amidst the substance. The Pittsfield Economic Development Authority project is based on creating high quality, technology-ready infrastructure for a number of small- to medium-sized companies. PEDA officials, like many Berkshire business leaders, are not anticipating another General Electric-like behemoth taking over the East Street complex or setting up shop anywhere else, for that matter. The days of a single benefactor hiring hundreds, or thousands, of residents, with guarantees of long-term contracts and retirement prospects, is very slim, many believe. “That’s not what’s going to save us anymore,” said Berkshire Chamber of Commerce President Dave Bissaillon. “I see it coming from the smaller companies. That’s really where I see this growth coming from.” It’s been a difficult transition for Berkshire communities, particularly Pittsfield and North Adams, where residents have had to face a transformed economic landscape and accept the fact that large manufacturing companies can no longer support generations of Berkshire County families. In the Berkshires and across the nation, it is smaller and more diverse companies that are forming an economic base. But innovation and a willingness to adapt have created a spark of hope in the region. In North Adams, the sprawling former Sprague Electric complex has been converted to one of the largest contemporary arts venues in the world, Mass MoCA, bringing other arts-related ventures on its coattails. Meanwhile, a number of small technology-based companies have opened up shop in North County, creating the seeds of a “silicone village” in the Berkshires. But it is the capitol of the Berkshires, Pittsfield, that will be at the center of the region’s manufacturing future, many believe, and much hope hinges on PEDA. “I honestly believe that Berkshire County is right on the bubble of moving forward,” Mayor John Barrett III of North Adams said during a recent business forum. “The key is going to be in Pittsfield.” Later this spring, PEDA expects to break ground on the first foundation at the former GE site, a milestone that local officials hope will spark steady momentum toward redevelopment. These footprints could eventually become job sites for skilled workers from throughout Berkshire County. “Things are going well,” PEDA director Thomas Hickey said this week. “Everything is right on schedule.” Hickey said the companies that have expressed interest in the site have been mainly in the plastics, paper and nano-technology fields, which is on par with the market research conducted as the project got underway. The PEDA project eclipsed another watermark this week with completion of the documents that detail the restrictive easements for the site. This means that prospective companies will have a clear picture of what type of business activities can and cannot take place at the site. Hickey said that the document should be signed on Wednesday and printouts should be available at the PEDA office on Woodlawn Avenue later this week or early next week. Completion of the restrictive easements represents a significant step forward. Because much of the former GE site is contaminated by PCBs, which were used in the production of electric transformers, the company agreed to remove the contamination to levels safe enough for certain light industrial uses, while excluding other uses, as part of the Consent Decree settlement. Before investing in locating at the site, companies need to see these uses in a verified document, which is what will now be available. “It just makes everything clearer,” Hickey said. The PEDA director agreed that the former GE site will certainly play a large role in revitalizing manufacturing in the Berkshires, but he said he also believes that it will serve as a catalyst for other ventures. “I think [PEDA] is certainly going to play a large role,” he said. “But it’s got to be a combined effort. There are quite a few people who are working very hard to bring the economy back here.” Specifically, Hickey cited the new “Project Jobs” effort, centered in Pittsfield and led by Interprint CEO William Hines. The marketing and business-recruitment plan will aggressively target prospective businesses, highlight available incentives and foster direct contacts to the businesses, perhaps including helicopter tours and visits to the community.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant. 

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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