Reichelt noting, “we were kind of late to the game in allowing recreational marijuana in town...but the two of them have opened and they’re doing well.” While the city thrives as a retail hub, its industrial base differs from neighboring communities. “We don’t have the same kind of industrial center that Agawam does,” Reichelt explains. “They have more physical space for a larger industrial park. We have a smaller one on the north side of town, but we want to be mindful of what our strengths are and ensure we have a redundancy plan for the future.” The post-pandemic economy presents challenges, particularly for office space. “We did see a lot of businesses wanting to relocate office space into West Springfield pre-COVID,” Reichelt observes.“We haven’t seen as much of that post-COVID. That may change as people return to the office, but at the same final phase. “All the schools have new playgrounds, and then all the parks have new playgrounds as well,” Reichelt confirms. BUSINESS GROWTH AND COMMUNITY LIFE West Springfield’s business landscape continues to evolve with strategic new additions. Recent openings include Delaney’s Market, which returned after an eight-year hiatus, and Little Springs Coffee on Route 20. “I think it says a lot about the city that they wanted to come back…we get a lot of commuter traffic that goes through West Springfield and just having the eyeballs on your businesses as they go by shows that it’s a good place to relocate,” Reichelt says. The city has also welcomed a Korean hotpot restaurant and two marijuana dispensaries, with 223 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05 WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA
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