Mayor Alex Morse

Summer Tour 2015

Harvesting the seeds of growth in Holyoke

New Construction

New Business

More Employment

More Housing

Planning for Growth

LAY OF THE LAND

Outline of Topics

Passenger Rail Platform

Canalwalk II

Lyman Terrace

Streetscape Upgrades

Hampden and Pleasant St.

US Tsubaki

Dirk Auferoth & Associates

Holyoke Commons

Chestnut Park Apts.

Brick Coworkshop

Gateway City Arts

Lower Westfield/Homestead

Skateboard Park

STEAM Building

Mt. Tom Coal Plant Reuse Study

Holyoke Innovation District

Mosher Street Bridge Project

HH Richardson Reuse Study

And many others

LAY OF THE LAND

City Economic Development Projects throughout Holyoke

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Building Permits Issued in the City

1,992

1,878 1,872

2,226 2,213

2,319

$208,211

$245,892

$175,858

$263,592

$250,734

$306,600

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

1,900

2,000

2,100

2,200

2,300

2,400

'09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14

Year

Perm

its

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

Perm

it F

ees

In the last decade Highest number of building permits pulled Highest value of permits pulled

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Construction Holyoke Hotel Redevelopment

$20 Million Investment

100-150 full time jobs

150-175 construction jobs

$5 Million Investment

10 new jobs

Retention of business

5 year TIF

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Construction Marcotte Ford Expansion

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Construction Gary Rome Expansion

$2 Million Acquisition Investment to HG&E

75 full time jobs

35,000 Sq. Ft.

Retention of business

Pride Gas Station

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Construction Pride Station Redevelopment

$2 Million Investment

Gas Station with convenience store and drive-thru coffee

Major blight reduction in City gateway

$1 Million Investment

2,400 sq. ft. building

3 teller stations, drive-thru, 2 offices, & 24 hr drive-up ATM/night drop

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Construction - Easthampton Savings Bank

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Business Certificates Issued in the City

119

129

145

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

'12 '13 '14

Year

Bu

sin

ess C

ert

ific

ate

s

Registration made simpler, one stop shop process in 15

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Launching Local Entrepreneurs SPARK Program

Funding from US Federal Reserve Bank, Boston Accelerator program applications due July 8th

Assistance to cohorts of diverse, local entrepreneurs

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Holyoke Unemployment Rate

8.9%

9.8%

8.5%

6.6%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

9.0%

10.0%

11.0%

'12 '13 '14 '15

Year

Un

em

plo

ym

en

t R

ate

Lowest level since April of 2008

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Holyoke Labor Force

16,060 16,03215,942

16,470

14,100

14,600

15,100

15,600

16,100

16,600

'12 '13 '14 '15

Year

Lab

or

Fo

rce

Those having or seeking a job Highest since October of 2008

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Workforce Training HCC Culinary and Hospitality Center

$3.65 Million for construction and equipment

Doubling size of existing programs

Goal to Open by Fall, 2016

Industry ready to hire now

HARVESTING PROJECTS

New Housing Developments in the Pipeline for Downtown

95

21

140

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Devonshire 101 Cabot Current Pipeline

Housing Developments

Un

its

Chestnut Park 55 Units $19 MillionLibrary Commons 55 Units $16 MillionThe Cubit 30 Units ~$2 Million

Cubit

HARVESTING PROJECTS

Mixed Housing & Commercial The Cubit

~$2 Million Investment Canal Market on first floor 700-900 sq. ft. apartments on top 3 floors

Pre-development rehab studies Tax Incentives Land Sales Haz-Mat Cleanup

MORE SEEDS

Work/assistance to get Vacant Mill Space Rehabilitated and Occupied

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

Estimated Vacant Mill Space Assisted for Site Readiness

Ap

pro

xim

ate

Sq

uare

Fo

ota

ge

Approx. 1.5 Million Sq. Ft.

Approx. 750,000 Sq. Ft.

MORE SEEDS

Cleanup & Site Readiness Auto-Mania

City-owned since 2011$325,000 in resources securedCleanup in 2015Half-acre pad ready site

MORE SEEDS

Cleanup & Site Readiness Parsons Paper

Fire in 2009, $2 Million EPA Cleanup finished in 2010

$250,000 in funds for pre-development secured in 2014. Full environmental assessment finished in 2015, no new conditions

HRA will complete specs for cleanup of known asbestos and debris removal this year

Estimated ~$3.5 Million pad-ready prep project

MORE SEEDS

Private Incentive Program - Renewable Energy Development Fund

Holyoke has access to ~$2 Million in funds for renewable energy generation

Development fund expected in 2016 would provide $ incentive for rooftop solar or other renewable potential, to leverage funds

Program design underway this summer with UMass MAEEI

MORE SEEDS

Placemaking South Holyoke & Springdale Gateway Improvements

Improvement area IDd in 1999 City Master Plan as key gateway

More organized work areas, sculpture garden, public park.

1 of only 10 Infra-Space program locations by MassDOT

MORE SEEDS

Infrastructure Upgrades - Canalwalk connection to South Holyoke

Streetscape upgrades through Cabot St. up to Race, Canalwalk from Cabot to Appleton

Connecting Center City through second key gateway and Willimansett bridge to Chicopee

Seeking design funds now

MORE SEEDS

Industry Section Expansion Tourism Assessment Plan

Prepare to mitigate and/or complement entertainment and hospitality impact of MGM in Springfield

Look at local assets, opportunities to scale them up, ID challenges and next steps

Funding source identified, expected to start in 2015

Education

85 86.1

53.860.2

5155.3

47.5

53.2

27.134.2

37.8

0

20

40

60

80

100

State All students Low income Hispanic Students withdisabilities

ELL

HPS Graduation Rates

2013

2014

22

010

20

30

40

50

60

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

ICT

ST

AT

E

Proficient or

Higher

Advanced Proficient Needs

Improvement

Warning/

Failing

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

DIS

TR

IC

T

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

IC

T

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

IC

T

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

IC

T

ST

AT

E

DIS

TR

IC

T

ST

AT

E

Proficient or

Higher

Advanced Proficient Needs

Improvement

Warning/ Failing

2014 MCAS GRADE 03 - READING2013 MCAS GRADE 03 - READING

Teen Pregnancy Rates

2010-2012: 32% decline in Teen Pregnancy

in Holyoke

These numbers show that were moving in the

right direction, and that sex education

and partnerships with community and

private agencies are having their desired effect

The Future of Holyoke Public Schools

Receiver Stephen Zrike

Graduate of Harvard Universitys School of Education

Focus on working in urban education and specifically Latino children

From 2007-2009, decreased failing grades in elementary MCAs by 20% in

English and 35% in Math at two Boston schools

Public Safety

Collaboration with State and FBI

Rapid response to Hot Spots

Removes known criminals from

streets

Gang Task Force

Mobile Community Policing

Clear officer presence

Interaction and awareness

Building relationships

Case Study: Appleton St and Elm St

40-unit apartment building

Police dispatched 1,274 times between

January 2011-July 2014

Problems include drug activity, robbery, loitering,

street stops, threats, larceny, Suspicious persons,

unwanted guests, domestic disturbances, etc.

landlord funded crackdown currently taking place,

Modeled after 5 Adams Street success

Case Study: 5 Adams Street

Landlord-funded crackdown

with police assistance

Over 110 arrests in a single weekend

With a shrinking budget, these sorts of

partnerships are effective and essential

Other Initiatives

K9 Units

Bike and foot patrols

Books in police cars

Community policing

sub-stations

Local

Development

Initiatives &

Funding

They all connect, and they are

about intentionality in shaping

our future

-Former Governor Deval

Patrick

Holyoke

City Hall

Reorganization

Office space

streamlining

Increased

accessibility

Improved customer

service

Cost saving

Holyoke Stained Glass Windows

Holyoke Stained Glass Windows

Two windows restored and installed in August 2014

$136,000 being used for restoration: $65,000 from

Massachusetts Historical Commission, $50,000 from

Holyoke Public Library, $21,000 from Holyoke

Department of Public Works

Ongoing fundraising to restore the remaining nine

One panel removed and stored while fundraising occurs

Blight Reduction

Cleaner streets

Increased property values

Improved quality of life for all Holyokers

Honest Budgeting Practices

Realistic numbers

Better planning

Cost saving

Buy Holyoke Now Incentives

Public-private-nonprofit partnerships

Over fifty retail partners

Entering fourth year

Urban Tree-Planting Program

Funding for up to 5,000 trees

No cost to City if on private land

Over 100 already planted

Funding through 2015

Street Resurfacing in Ward One

Dwight Street from Main Street to 1st

Level Canal

Race Street from Appleton Street to Main Street

Street Resurfacing in Ward Two

Main Street from Kens Auto to Gary Rome

Temple Street from Vernon Street to james Street

Vernon Street from main street to the end

Street Resurfacing in Ward Three

Brown street from south street to laurel street

Ridgeway from arden to lorraine

South street from northampton to chapin

Westfield from rhode island to 1-91

Willow from laurel to brown

Street Resurfacing in Ward four

Appleton street from pleasant to beech

Hampden from lincoln to northampton

Hampden from linden to beech

School street from suffolk to hampden

Street Resurfacing in Ward Five

Charles hill from homestead to end

Homestead from Westfield intersection

OConnell from Sterling to Clayton

Quinn from charles hill to mayer

Rock valley from apremont to keyes

Sunset from westfield road to ashley

Street Resurfacing in Ward Six

Baystate from winthrop street to end (south)

Howard from hampden to Beacon

Lynwood from dwight to st. james

Sargeant from beech street to magnolia

Shawmut from northampton to st. jerome

Street Resurfacing in Ward Seven

Liberty from jefferson to marie

Marie from dartmouth to liberty

Meadowview from hillview to bemis

Pearl from lincoln to hampden

Community Development Block Grant Spending

Board of Health : $51,200

Boys & Girls Club: $5,000

Care Center: $10,000

Chamber of Commerce: $92,300

Community Education Project: $5,000

Department of Public Works: $200,000

Enlace de Familia: $15,000

Girls Inc.: $11,500

Holyoke Housing Authority: $2,000

Holyoke Police Department: $10,000

Community Development Block Grant Spending

Homework House Inc. : $8,000

Nuestras Raices: $13,252

Office for Community Development: $259,500

Parks and Recreation: $305,000

Planning & Economic Development: $208,000

Providence Ministries for the Needy: $28,000

Soldiers Home: $5,000

Square One: $22,000

Therapeutic Equestrian: $5,000

Western MA Council Boy Scouts: $5,000

Community Development Block Grant Spending

Womens Center/Compaeras: $14,500

YMCA: $9,000

Total: $1,429,252

Broader Themes in

Holyokes Growth

Long-term vision

Strategic investment

Innovation

Creativity

Q & A