low-income housing, workforce housing, affordable housing, market-rate housing. If we’re going to achieve effective outcomes as we implement where we build housing, we have to think about it very comprehensively and understand what the housing needs are. We’re creating conditions in our city so as people’s circumstances improve, there’s suitable housing that meets their new standards. They don’t feel that they have to move out of the city. And there’s plenty of room for growth; there are properties offline that have been pursued by developers to put them back online and there’s room for development from the ground up. And the infrastructure is already here.” One new development that will come online by the spring of 2025 is being shepherded by WinnDevelopment, a national housing company headquartered in Boston. It will repurpose an 86,000 sq. ft. section of the former Farr Alpaca Mill, a fivestory industrial property on the Holyoke Canal that was once the largest alpaca wool mill in the world, and is one of Holyoke’s most prominent historic redo and upgrade some of the intersections in our city,” he notes. “We have a major project being done by the state on our two main roads downtown, High and Maple Streets.The goal is mobility safety, but the secondary impact will be the look and feel – better visual quality. There are some bridge repair projects in the queue, and there’s a huge expansion of our Canal Walk.That’s going out to bid within the next 12 months.” Another road project to begin in 2025 will rehabilitate and resurface Cabot and Race Streets. HOUSING A GROWING POPULATION When Holyoke was first planned back in the 19th century, it aimed to accommodate 80,000 residents. With a current population of less than half that amount, the city is looking to grow. “We’re looking to grow our population with people who are ready to work,” says Vega. “And we need to make sure we have housing opportunities for all people as they move up the economic ladder.” “When we talk about housing, it’s a wide spectrum of housing needs,” Garcia explains. “You’ve got your Photo Credit: Stephanie Pierce 212 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx