Holyoke sees tourism and a focus around High Street as a way to boost economic opportunity

Jennifer Keitt of the Holyoke Planning Office speaks about a High Street initiative at City Hall on Wednesday. Keitt is joined by Community Development Director Alicia Zoeller, Aaron Vega and Mayor Joshua A. Garcia.

HOLYOKE — Seeking to boost its profile, officials said they plan to promote the city’s tourism attractions and focus economic development in an area around High Street, a neighborhood they describe as a “gateway” to the Paper City.

Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, during comments made during a Sept. 21 news conference, cited several “pipeline projects” in the works that will “contribute to the greater growth and economic development of the city.”

The mayor added that new quality-of-life initiatives would aid the city’s efforts to bolster economic opportunities and build community pride.

Aaron Vega, director of Planning and Economic Development, mentioned Gary Rome Hyundai’s $4 million car wash project for the Whiting Farms Road dealership, a planned housing development on Route 5, and issuing special permits for the cannabis industry, the city’s fastest expanding sector.

The Planning Department has taken the lead in promoting tourism in Holyoke. He described the ongoing plans to renovate the Victory Theater on Suffolk Street as a “catalyst project,” which could host Broadway-scaled productions.

The city will host several major events in October, including Doors Open Holyoke, The Great Holyoke Brick Race, and Paper City Food Festival on High Street. In addition, preparations are underway for the city’s 150th-anniversary celebration in 2023.

“We’re looking to have partners come to the table and help us with that,” Vega said.

Vega noted that tourism rarely receives the attention it deserves, despite a steady stream of visitors to the Children’s Museum, Merry-Go-Round, Holyoke Mall, Wistariahurst Museum, St. Patrick’s Parade, and annual festivals.

Vega said the inaugural Fiestas Patronales de Holyoke in August attracted 20,000 visitors to the event downtown.

“We have people coming to the city. We need them to build on what’s going on here, and tourism is how we’re doing that,” he said.

The tourism effort is tied to a 2020 study emphasizing building Holyoke’s brand recognition, addressing infrastructure deficiencies, public safety and marketing. The Planning Department has become the city’s “default marketing team.”

Vega called for shifting a percentage of cannabis impact revenues to hire a marketing firm to promote Holyoke. Plans also include establishing a Puerto Rican Cultural District on Main Street.

Recent funding supported the newly launched Explore Holyoke website, a one-stop online resource for events, restaurants and cultural information.

Holyoke benefited from the state’s Rapid Recovery Plan released in 2021. The city’s share funded an in-depth marketing and tourism study, which examined the city’s downtown neighborhoods, civic engagement, business development, infrastructure, and cultural and historical sites.

Vega said High Street has become the “new focus” for the Planning Department, a “gateway into the city.” The City of Holyoke partnered with Way Finders, a housing nonprofit, for a feasibility study targeting several blocks along and off High Street.

The study will examine potential housing, mixed-income development, and business opportunities on Newton Street, Nick Cosmos Way and Cabot Street. Vega added that collected data could better identify community needs.

Vega praised the working relationship and open communication with Garcia’s administration. Vega introduced several new employees in the Planning Office, including Jennifer Keitt, a development specialist.

Keitt oversees the department’s Transformative Development Initiative, a MassDevelpment program for Gateway Cities like Holyoke. The program helps accelerates economic growth within focused districts.

“We have numerous partners joining us in this endeavor,” she said.

Keitt announced as partnered agencies Way Finders, Common Capital, Holyoke Housing Authority, MassHire, Greater Holyoke Chamber, Congregation Sons of Zion and Valley Opportunity Council.

The Transformative Development Initiative “concentrates economic development activities, resources and investments within designated neighborhoods, known as TDI Districts, for a term or two to four years,” Keitt said.

The TDI Districts are mixed-use with a commercial component within a five-minute walking radius of dense, urban areas. The Planning Department designated High Street as Holyoke’s TDI locale, jokingly referred to as the “So-High” district, a nod to the nearby cannabis industry.

The High Street district runs from I-391 to Franklin Street, continuing from Worcester Place down to Appleton Street.

TDI Districts are awarded funds that provide access to a “range of tools” to boost development, including technical assistance, market development grants, collaborative workshops, additional resources and events support.

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