PITTSFIELD, Mass. — At it's opening meeting of 2016, the Executive Committee of the Pittsfield Economic Development Agency examined new directions, upcoming changes and its overall role going forward in conjunction with start of Pittsfield's first four-year mayoral term under Mayor Linda Tyer.

 

"The new mayor has an overwhelming desire to see that all our economic development efforts are going in the right direction, and to create a creative, unified effort to that end," said PEDA's sole full-time employee, Executive Director Corydon Thurston, summarizing recent discussions with Tyer.

 

One of the first changes in structure will occur in board membership. For the previous two terms, former Mayor Daniel Bianchi had chosen to hold a seat on PEDA's board, but Tyer has indicated she will not occupy this seat. This leaves a total of two vacancies on the board of directors, with the departure of SABIC Recruiting Manager Patrick Reuss. Board members are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the mayor.

 

A major theme heard from board members was a renewed focus on attracting new businesses to the rest of the vacant former General Electric lots that make up William Stanley Business Park.

 

"I think we have to remind ourselves that we're in the business development side of economic development," said board Chairman Maurice "Mick" Callahan, who said this year he sees PEDA "focusing on new tenant opportunities and new directions for PEDA to advance conversations around the BIC [Berkshire Innovation Center] which will be happening in 2016."

 

Establishment of the BIC has occupied a considerable amount of PEDA's time in the past two years, and supplemental funding to get this multimillion dollar business incubation center up and running has demanded a considerable amount from the quasi-public organization's own dwindling financial resources. Thurston said PEDA has made its final payment to the BIC, which is now coordinated by its own board of directors drawn from among its member institutions.

 

The center is still seeking additional money to meet the higher than estimated cost of construction seen in initial bids for the project, and Thurston said the BIC's leadership is "optimistic that the state will come through with funds to fill the gap" for the building, which anticipates breaking ground this spring.

 

"It's time to shift our gears, and look at some of things we need to do with the other properties," said Callahan.

 

"Finding tenants for this business park really is our primary objective," agreed board member Christina Barrett.  

 

George Whaling stressed the need to operate more proactively to market and actively recruit tenants, particularly from nearby regions of New York state.

 

"I think it's incumbent on the board to bring in some of the private sector methods we use, that tend to be more aggressive than the public tact," said Whaling.

 

One issue raised regarding tenant solicitation was whether "big box" retail was back on the table for consideration at the business park.

 

PEDA has twice been approached in recent years by Waterstone Retail Development, a Needham-based firm seeking to build a retail complex anchored by a big-box client to the "Teens" lot of the business park, its largest parcel, and one which would require millions in remediation and corrective work before being shovel ready for any new construction.  

 

"Under the previous administration, it was made very clear that there was going to be no big-box operation on the property," Barrett said, asking if it might be time to reassess this possibility. "I get why there was pushback on it, but the reality is that company was willing to come here and remediate land that any other company would have looked at and said 'why bother?' "

 

"I think maybe the mayor needs to be brought in on that part of the conversation, whether we are open to that or not," Barrett said

 

These and other future considerations need to be clarified in order for PEDA to have "a unified approach to sales and development," Thurston said.

 

Among other changes to be weighed is whether PEDA's offices will remain at the small 81 Kellogg St. headquarters building for the business park, or whether operations should be brought downtown as PEDA attempts to further integrate some of its efforts with other economic development personnel at 1Berkshire and the city's Office of Community Development.  

 

Currently, PEDA's day-to-day operations at the Kellogg Street site consist of Thurston along with one 12-hour a week employee handling its financial books and administrative support. The other half of the building has been occupied by Nuclea Biotechnologies, which last week announced its closure and layoffs at its Pittsfield location amidst a company consolidation.  

 

"The question of office location I think will definitely be on the table this year," said Callahan.