NORTH ADAMS – A bill that would establish a state Creative Economy Council was reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Wednesday, according to state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams.
House bill No. 4227, An Act Establishing the Massachusetts Creative Economy Council, would create the council within the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.
"If you look at the history of this state, you can see that we have consistently been a hotbed of Yankee innovation. We can claim the first power transformer created in Pittsfield, the first public school, the first mutual fund, the first viral immunization, and the first use of ether," said Bosley, House chairman of the committee. "By creating this council, we draw attention to our proud history of innovation and our future of creating jobs and enriching lives."
The key points of the bill are as follows:
●The council’s mission is to develop a statewide strategy for the enhancement, encouragement, and growth of the creative economy in the Commonwealth, and to promote through public and private means responsive public policies and innovative private sector practices.
●The council will reflect the depth and breadth of experience and intelligence that we have in the commonwealth, including stakeholders from all the diverse sectors of the creative and innovative economy and key members of state government.
The council will also:
● Research and evaluate studies done in other states to locate and identify best practices that easily transfer to the Commonwealth;
● Build upon the recommendations of the "Innovation Agenda: Growing the Creative Economy in Massachusetts" statewide conference of May 3, 2006, and the Berkshire Creative Economy Report, in order to develop a state wide strategy for enhancement of the creative economy;
● Provide recommendations on restructuring economic programs within state government to enhance our creative economy efforts; and
● Provide strategies and proposed legislation where necessary to provide linkage between programs to enhance the creative economy.
Bosley also added a member from the Berkshire Creative Economy Initiative to the Creative Economy Council.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for 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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