WESTFIELD – The Community Development Department is sponsoring music events this fall, hoping to focus community attention on “underutilized” spaces in the city’s downtown core area.
Community Development Director Peter J. Miller Jr., said this morning that events have been slated for October and November with funding provided to the city by MassDevelopment, the state’s economic development and finance agency.
“We received a $5,000 grant from MassDevelopment focused on making people think differently about spaces in the downtown that are underutilized, especially in gateway cities like Westfield,” Miller said.
“The goal is to find way to utilize those gritty spaces, places that are over looked in the downtown,” Miller said. “We issued a request for proposals and received four responses. We’ve providing mini grant of $1,000 to three of the respondents this year. There wasn’t enough time to put the fourth proposal together this fall.’
The grant is geared to enhance those overlooked urban spaces through art and performances.
The events will be held at the vacant lot on Elm Street next to Mina’s Wine and Spirits store, a space utilized this summer by Crepe’s Tea House which set up business next to the sidewalk along Elm Street.
The series opens on Oct. 17 with a jazz concert by Joe Whalen’s Jazz Band, followed on Nov. 7 with a concert by the Lexi Weege Band and Friends. The third event will be done in conjunction with Westfield On Weekends (WOW) Small Business Saturday Spectacular on Nov. 28.
Miller said that many of the “gritty” spaces downtown are city owned and are now the focus of construction as part of the Gaslight District renovation.
“Those public spaces were not available because of constriction and because they’re being used for parking,” Miller said.
Miller said the remaining $2,000 will be used for enhancements, such as landscaping, at the lot being used for the concerts this fall.
