Pittsfield Mayor Reflects on Economic Development in 2025

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:14AM / Wednesday, January 07, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city welcomed more than a dozen new businesses in 2025 and granted support for further economic development.

During his State of the City Address on Monday, Mayor Peter Marchetti touted the professionals Pittsfield welcomed in 2025 and incentives for growing companies, including the allocation of $1.7 million in Pittsfield Economic Development Funds to four businesses.

"Attracting and remaining businesses has been the top priority in my administration, and we have been hard at work since the beginning. 2025 has been no exception," he said.

"Fourteen new businesses opened in 2025, including a new hotel, a coffee and gathering space, a book and record store, an arcade, and a pizzeria, just to name a few."

Downtown Pittsfield has been the center of revitalization and pedestrian efforts over the last couple of terms, and that continues with the push to fill storefronts and a possible business improvement district where businesses elect to pay an additional fee for their own services.

The city was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Vacant Storefront Program to support occupancy through refundable tax credits, and more information will be released soon.

In fiscal year 2026, Downtown Pittsfield Inc. was provided an additional $15,000 from the city to help make the downtown a lively, creative, and sustainable environment. DPI’s partnership with the MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative has resulted in funding programs, a wayfinding and signage project, a mural project, and pedestrian access improvements.

"Looking ahead to this year, we are continuing our exploration of a business improvement district within the downtown area that will help provide a sustainable funding source for the revitalization and long-term maintenance of the area, including marketing and capital improvement, public safety enhancements, and special events," Marchetti reported.

Settlement monies from General Electric, also known as the GE Economic Development Funds, supported new and familiar businesses in 2025.

The City Council approved a total of $1 million for the Berkshire Innovation Center’s expansion and an optics company moving to the facility, a project expected to "Place Pittsfield at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, creating more job opportunities, and support for entrepreneurs."

This effort received a $5.2 million boost from the state, and another $2 million was earmarked through an economic development bond bill.

2025 Pittsfield Economic Development Fund Awards:

Jain Americas: $500,000 to establish manufacturing operations in Pittsfield at 10 Conte Drive, an $8 million investment that will create 31 jobs over the next three years.
Elegant Stitches: $200,000 for a design and manufacturing studio in Downing Industrial Park, a $950,000 investment that will add six full-time jobs.
Berkshire Innovation Center: $500,000 for an Advanced Optics Tech Hub.
Myrias Optics: $500,000 to bring Myrias to the BIC.

By the end of 2026, the BIC’s new expansion will create 15 to 18 jobs, and an additional 45 jobs by the end of 2028, with an average salary of $117,000.

"The partnership between the BIC, Myrias, and [Electro Magnetic Applications] will result in a $10 million investment," Marchetti said.

"Investing $1.7 million for a return of at least $19 million and creation of almost 100 jobs is a choice I will make time and time again. In 2026 and beyond, we will continue to use our economic incentives to build our tax base, which will in turn improve our economic outlook in our community."

He also highlighted the tax increment financing agreements that were issued to businesses in 2025, including a 10-year TIF to Unistress Corporation for a $4 million expansion that will bring 50 additional jobs, and a TIF for the new $13 million Holiday Inn Express on South Street that will create 15 full-time jobs and hotel/motel tax revenue.

Without these incentives, the mayor said businesses may not be able to expand operations, and that leaves the city without job opportunities, new growth, or economic prosperity.

The Red Carpet Team hosted six companies looking to expand, relocate, or start a business in Pittsfield, he added, and the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation assisted nearly 20 businesses with technical assistance and consulting services.

"In conclusion, we have made much progress in 2025, especially with issues surrounding economic development and housing," Marchetti said.

"I am committed to continuing this momentum into 2026. I am confident that working together, we can move the city forward. I know this work is not easy, but with our hard work and the partnerships, we can accomplish great things together."

Tags: economic development, state of the city,

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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