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Date: 6/13/2023
HOLYOKE — Office of Planning and Economic Development Director Aaron Vega sat down with community members for the latest edition of Holyoke Media’s “Ask” series where he broke down some of the ideas the city has brainstormed for future projects in the city.
Vega started the conversation explaining his office continually works on different projects, some with timelines stretching over years before they are completed. He also noted even with the time and energy spent working on some projects, not everything comes to fruition.
The first project in the pipeline shared by Vega was 216 Appleton St. where developers are bringing in 86 units of housing for ages 55 and over.
“That’s an exciting project. They’re finally going to be on site this July breaking ground and doing the work they need to do so that’s really exciting,” Vega said.
Vega added the city had just received almost $400,000 in Massachusetts Gaming Mitigation Grant Money and that the funds are utilized to create the Explore Holyoke website that has been used by the city as a vehicle for all the city’s 150th anniversary celebration information and other community events throughout the year. He added some of the funding would be used to expand on the site.
Vega also said with this funding will help support the city setting up a shuttle between MGM Springfield and the city of Holyoke for summer events such as Patronales Festival or the Day in the Yoke event in the fall, among others.
“We’re really trying to get those customers that come to the casino to come out of the casino and see what else is going on in the area, some to Holyoke and see what’s going on,” Vega said.
According to Vega another project his office has been involved in is with the Holyoke Housing Authority in South Holyoke. Vega said their phase one project of housing has been completed. He explained his office works with them to aggregate the property and once this is complete again, the housing authority can build the next phase of housing.
“We’re hoping that phase 2, which again goes around the Carlos Vega Park and starts making its way down. We’re hoping that project will come together, and this office just secured the property for phase 3 so we’re thinking ahead,” Vega said.
When asked about what Vega finds as his favorite or the project he is most interested in, he said since coming into the position he has focused on tourism in the city. He referenced the 2019 tourism plan that was created just before the coronavirus pandemic and was put off for the time being but has now been resurfaced and updated as the city moves out of that time and forward with growth.
“I really see the tourism as a way we’re going to support the retail we have here in Holyoke, support our restaurants, support our parks that people come in and enjoy,” Vega said.
Vega noted the 70,000 plus people that come to the Children’s Museum yearly as well as the tens of thousands of visitors that make it to the mall each year as the focus for expanding tourism, saying these people come to Holyoke and the city should take advantage of retaining their stay in the city for other attractions. He added there were “assets beyond Holyoke” that should keep people longer during their visit and see what the city has to offer.
“It’s always a balance and making sure we have things for people who live in this city to do, but again, our focus in this office is the economic development. How do we make sure our businesses are surviving, how they have those customers, and we have that foot traffic coming into the city which is always a challenge,” Vega said.