Business View Civil and Municipal | September 2022

131 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS as reinvented spaces for artisans and business owners. LaChapelle acknowledges, “Business wise, we know who we are. We are upfront with folks who want to do business or expand their business, or even move their business to Easthampton. We are cheaper per square foot for Class B office space than Northampton. And when it comes down to it, that’s certainly a factor in a company’s decision. But we’re offering something more. We’re offering a space where people can come, with eclectic office space and build-out machining space. You ask somebody why they are here and you might hear, ‘Well, I’m an educator, but the quality of scrap metal from our machine shops in Easthampton is excellent.’ And we’re being upfront with folks, this is the location and the quality of life we can offer.” It’s that quality of life and the foresight to sustain it that makes Easthampton such a special place. Mayor LaChapelle recounts, “When I became the mayor in 2018, I really looked at that kind of entrepreneurial spirit and those kinds of informal businesses as a strong wealth building tool. I don’t think it’s the answer to the wealth gap, but I think it’s something that is sustainable. People who have an idea, can grow with that idea as much as they want or don’t want. They have control to make that business successful. They know what they want to do and they should have the tools to guide it, to make it bigger.” LaChapelle worked with the National League of Cities and their Community Innovation Ecosystem Program, as well as the Kaufman Foundation, to tease those businesses out. She adds, “The hope is that it would be a real income generator for them. It also would allow them to go out for capital, whether it’s to buy a building or to buy a second oven. Hopefully, from there, the capital leads to equity in business employees, and that starts to generate real wealth, not just for yourself, but for your employees, too.” When COVID hit, the City of Easthampton worked with some of these informal businesses to bring