Business View Civil and Municipal l December 2022

112 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 larger, neighboring towns, the city has marketed itself as a great option for those residents who can telecommunicate for work and are looking for a slightly slower lifestyle, little to no traffic congestion, and affordable living options. West Springfield Planning Director Allyson Manuel says the expansion of housing options is one of the city’s primary goals. Small, single- family subdivisions are in demand although the pace of new construction slowed since the pandemic. There is greater interest among multi-family housing developers to support the needs of an increasingly large transitional population in the city, such as recent college graduates with no kids, refugees, and retirees. At times, West Springfield has struggled to keep its recent high school, technical school, and Town and project officials broke ground on the new $75 million Philip G. Coburn Elementary School in December of 2020. The school, equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms and resources, opened to students in September of 2022.