Adams Selectmen Updating Business Recruitment Plan

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
The Selectmen reviewed ways to update the downtown business plan at Wednesday's workshop meeting.

ADAMS, Mass. – The Board of Selectmen are brainstorming ways to recruit and retain businesses.

The board on Wednesday reviewed the 80-page Downtown Development created in 2003 to help Adams create a more vibrant downtown.

Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington said it is important for the town to re-evaluate the document and see where Adams stands now.

"We all need to take inventory of what we have done, where we are today, and where we need to be," Harrington said. "We also need to take inventory of what is true today that was true 11 years ago."

Interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan said Adams has accomplished many of the goals in the plan but has fallen short on bringing business to Adams.

She said along with fixing downtown infrastructure and eliminating blight, the town attempted to get funds for a business coordinator, educate business owners, and create a downtown merchant association. She said these ventures were ultimately unsuccessful.

"I think I'd give us an A-plus for eliminating blight conditions, probably an A for physical improvements, and a failing grade when it comes to business development and recruitment," Ceasn said. "That's where we are today."

Selectman Joseph Nowak said he attributes the difficulties to large box stores moving into the area. He said the only way for a business to be successful now is to sell niche items that are often more costly.

"I have lived in Adams my whole life and before the advent of the big-box stores we were a wholesome community," Nowak said. "All the needs we needed could be done in our town …but once the big box stores come in it made it much more difficult for small business to stay in business."

Selectman Richard Blanchard proposed creating a business council focused on better communication and networking between the town and local merchants. Blanchard advocated for five associations representing business areas in Adams. The council would include a president and a vice president form the associations, the town administrator, and two selectmen.

"This basically is a think tank for business in Adams," Blanchard said. "This comes out of the Downtown Adams Group. They had a lot of good ideas, and I want to expand that to the whole town."

He said this group will focus on all 208 businesses in Adams, not just the 47 downtown.

Selectman John Duval said, in his experience, a committee of that size would fall apart over time.  

"The Selectmen change over the years, the business owners change over the years, and … people get busy," Duval said. "The meetings eventually just stop happening. To me, there is no constant."

Duval advocated for something more sustainable that works through the government. He said it would be worth the money to hire someone whose sole focus is to work with businesses and scout out new ones.

"It should be someone on the move. They should be in Boston, they should be in New York City, they should be in other states recruiting other businesses, and they should be working with the business owners in our community every day," Duval said.

Selectman Jeffrey Snoonian agreed with both Duval and Blanchard, but felt the focus should be on Park Street.

"I think we are in a begging position and not a choosing position," Snoonian said. "I think the majority of our focus should be on Park Street."

Snoonian said he thinks other businesses in town should be approached and asked if they would move to Park Street. He added it is critical to fill vacant storefronts and offer minimal rent to institutions like Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the Clark Art, and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and see if they would want to open up satellite locations in Adams.

Cesan then presented a draft downtown-business recruitment plan.

She said the first step of this plan would be to take inventory of what resources and space the town has downtown and pinpoint the market.

She said a lot of the buildings are not up to code and the next step would be to talk with the owners and make the buildings compliant.

After upgrades are made, she said it would be helpful to update the downtown property database and create a target business list after asking what residents would like to see in the downtown.

She said the next step would be to see if the town can actually meet the marketing standards of the businesses after looking at what kinds of areas these businesses thrive in; then contact the businesses directly.

"I'm thinking cold calls, setting up meetings with them, and starting to market … these spaces and ask what they need," Cesan said. "It is really that kind of very pedestrian effort that I think is going to be meaningful to this."

She said the final step would be to market and showcase properties and expedite the permitting process by creating a new town center bylaw.

Although many of the Adams business recruitment ventures were not successful, Harrington said they accomplished many of the other items in the plan.

"It was amazing to me how much of what was recommended has actually already been done," Harrington said. "Things have been moving along according to this plan to the extent to what is pragmatic and affordable."

Cesan said many of the revitalization projects were funded by the state and town money was only use to get them started and "ready for funding."

She said the town made improvements in expediting zoning permits as well as major upgrades to downtown infrastructure and blighted buildings

She said more than 23 percent of housing stock downtown was built prior to 1920. Some 75 percent of commercial and mixed-use buildings were in poor condition and 72 percent of residential structures were in poor condition. She added 85 percent of downtown infrastructure was in poor condition.

She attributed this to the lack of enforcement to make owners keep their buildings up to code. The town has since improved this.

She said by creating historic districts, the town was able to receive some state funding for the Facade and Signage Improvement Program.

More than 59 buildings were renovated along with some 280 housing units.

Harrington said despite any shortcoming, Adams is in a much better place today.

"It's a beautiful town and no one will argue with that," he said. "We have kept it that way and made it more beautiful, but where do we go from here?"


Tags: business development,   downtown,   economic development,   Park Street,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories