Industrial Commission project role defined
By DAN MORIARTY
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – City officials identified the involvement of Westfield Industrial Commission in the development of the 66-acre Turnpike Industrial Park project last night.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and City Advancement Officer Jeff Daley discussed the role of the commission during several phases of the project, beginning with development of the Urban Renewal Plan that will establish the project parameters.
Knapik and Daley are scheduled to sign a grant agreement with Mass Development next week in Boston. The $25,000 grant will enable the city to hire a consultant to produce the Urban Renewal Plan.
“That Urban Renewal Plan process will involve commission members working with the consultant,” Daley said. “What is the best plan from the business community’s view, how to utilize business best practices to determine the best use of that asset.”
“Then once we formulate what should go in there, the members will discuss the project design with the consultant and later assist in marketing the park,” Daley said.
Knapik said the city has the ability to be deliberate in the planning process and selecting and defining what industries will be allowed in the commercial subdivision development.
“We’re looking for an opportunity to run this by the business community, to rely on your expertise to determine what kind of spaces will be needed,” Knapik said. “Once the (Urban Renewal) Plan is set, that’s what you use for design and engineering.”
The Urban Renewal Plan will have the ability to provide space for start-up as well as established companies. Members of the commission suggested an approach of different size lots that would support buildings between 20,000 and 60,000 square feet as one possible solution.
Knapik said that he has a goal of completing the Urban Renewal Plan, design and engineering work within two years. The city will seek further funding for the construction phase using federal and state economic development and job creation grants.
Daley said that timeline is flexible and could be adjusted as dictated by the economic recovery.
“This is a good time, the best time, to do this, as we come out of the recession,” Daley said. “There are now companies out there looking to up size, while others are looking to down size.
“We want to fill the park as quickly as possible, because of the benefits of jobs and tax revenues, but we don’t want to fill it with companies that don’t serve the long-term needs of the city,” Daley said. “As a city property, we have the luxury of controlling what goes in there, the luxury of being selective. We can market it to attract the ‘right’ businesses and we can wait for them to come.”
One of the roles to be played by commission members is defining the marketing plan as part of the larger Urban Renewal Planning process.
“We want a visually attractive park,’ Daley said, “something that the community can be proud of, something that will attract tenants.”
Dan Moriarty can be reached at [email protected]
