Pittsfield Community Development Board OKs Walmart Pick Up Center Expansion

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Walmart is closer to gaining approval to convert part of the garden center into an online ordering pickup area. 

On Tuesday, the Community Development Board endorsed the company's request to amend its existing site plan at 555 Hubbard Ave. As part of nationwide store improvements, about 1,500 square feet of the Pittsfield garden center is planned to be enclosed for an online ordering pickup center.

Greg DiBona of Bohler Engineering, the firm hired by Walmart, reported working on similar projects at dozens of other locations. Online shopping became popular and necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"They look at their stores and reassess which ones need more basically staging and lay down area within the building designated for the pickup operation, and for this facility, it was determined that really they could use more space that's specifically designed for their pickup operation," he said, pointing to the the site plan that moves pickup from the front corner of the store to the side adjacent to the auto center. 

"… They're taking up existing garden center space to make the addition, so when we say 'addition,' it's additional interior condition space, but it's all within the existing footprint of the Walmart itself. It just takes away from some of the outdoor garden center area." 

Last month, the Conservation Commission issued a negative determination for the project's request for determination of applicability, meaning it will not have a negative impact on the protected wetland areas.  The board's approval required Walmart to include an impact statement in its application to the City Council. 

Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Honors Leaders, Volunteers

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
09:07AM / Sunday, May 24, 2026

Liana Toscanini presented the Founder's Choice Award to Smitty Pignatelli for his years of support as state representative. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires held its ninth annual nonprofit awards last week honoring the contributions of those who have helped the community in their own way.

 

The gathering at the Country Club in Pittsfield on Tuesday included the introduction of new nonprofit Executive Director Samantha Anderson, who steps in for retiring founder and director Liana Toscanini. State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett III and Leigh Davis attended the event.

 

Toscanini, who created NPC in 2016, was honored at the conclusion of the evening to mark her decade leading the organization. 

 

"Founders don't just lead organizations, they are the organization in the deepest sense," said NPC Board President Emily Schiavoni. "Their relationships, their instincts, their fingerprints are on everything, and when someone has poured a decade of herself into building something from the ground up, the act of stepping back is not a simple handoff, it's an act of extraordinary trust and courage that brings me to what Leanna actually built." 

 

NPC became something of a chamber of commerce for nonprofits under Toscanini's guidance, creating a hub of support for leadership and networking for the small and large nonprofits that fuel much of the activity within the Berkshires. 

 

She developed more than two dozen programs, including Get on Board, which helps connect community members with nonprofit boards, and a giving-back guide, volunteer fairs, and a resource directory.

 

Schiavoni described Toscanini as a great mentor who has had a big impact in strengthening local nonprofits.