While one facet of Northampton’s economy appears ready to depart this summer, another will be back in weeks.
That was among the topics discussed Monday as the city’s mayor and local legislators gave a tour of NoHo to Yvonne Hao, Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.
“I personally love western Mass., because that's where I first came to Massachusetts, and I have a lot of fond memories as a college student of driving in Northampton, eating at the Indian restaurants, shopping at the thrift shops, going to all the bookstores, and seeing music with my friends,” she said. “So, this is a very special place for me.”
Hao, a graduate of Williams College, was in the area to get a look at the Coca-Cola bottling plant that will be vacated later this summer and the iconic Iron Horse Music Hall, set to return under new ownership in mid-May.
State Senator Jo Comerford of the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district was among those leading the tour.
She tells WAMC that as the city prepares for the next chapter of the bottling plant off I-91 and Industrial Drive, the city partnering with the state is a priority.
“We need the best possible, next chapter for that building, and that's going to require a city-state partnership,” Comerford said. “And we've already had that partnership, but we wanted to make sure that the secretary could see the building, and see the potential in the building.”
The plant, which employed some 300 workers at one point, has been on the chopping block since at least 2023, according to the Associated Press, with delays keeping it open but winding down production.
“They have been really amazing partners, with us in terms of trying to plan for when that fully shuts down and trying to market that space and trying to get someone in there to replace - the jobs that are leaving,” said Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra.
Sciarra anticipates the city taking a hit in more ways than one with the closure, since the plant has been one of Northampton’s biggest water and sewage system customers.
The plant was just one leg of the tour for Hao, as well as her office’s undersecretary, Ashley Stolba.
Walking from city hall to Center Street, the group made their way to the Iron Horse Music Hall.
Dating back to 1979, the venue has hosted the likes of John Mayer, Tracy Chapman, They Might Be Giants and many more, but seemed to shutter for good during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in late 2023, The Parlor Room, a local non-profit dedicated to the arts and education, acquired the space and began its renovations.
When Hao, Comerford and others came through Monday, it was still an active construction site, but with the flooring, bar, and other elements coming together, Parlor Room Executive Director Chris Freeman was upbeat about its May 15 opening.
“All we really had was that - when we started this - was community support and an understanding that this is a historic space in Northampton and a place that's part of our past and part of our future,” Freeman told the state officials as they toured the upper levels of the stage area.
The building has been around since 1914. Freeman noted the full renovations have cost around a million dollars, though many involved in the process, including contractors and architects, have donated a great deal of labor free of charge as work continues.
The Iron Horse returning would also carry a great deal of symbolic weight. According to Northampton Arts Council member Steve Sanderson, it comes at a time when the area music scene has become more vibrant in recent years – something he considers a return to form.
“In the mid-90s, this place was thriving - there were bands everywhere,” he told WAMC. “Everybody walking down the street was a musician. There were places to play everywhere - not just the Iron Horse, smaller venues and I think that we are on the threshold - actually, I don't think this is the threshold - I think it's already begun, we are in the new ‘roaring 20s,’ if you will.”
Sanderson, a founding member of the local band, Drunk Stuntmen, says his first real gig in western Massachusetts was at the Iron Horse.
He says he plans to be back on the stage on May 24, raising funds for a cause named after his late bass player, J. Scott Brandon.
Hao says the Healey administration considers the creative economy a “very important priority.”
The secretary also touted the governor’s economic development bill, also known as the Mass Leads Act.
“Governor Healey just filed the Mass Leads Act, our $3.5 billion dollar economic development bill,” she explained. “In that bill, we particularly highlight the importance of the creative economy, and making sure that we celebrate, but also support this whole ecosystem of museums and concert halls and music and food festivals and restaurants and sports and culture and all things that we have to offer.”
The bill is currently scheduled for a hearing on May 7.
