Kudos to Bill Martin and MJ Adams for jumping at an opportunity to fill the vacant storefronts in downtown Greenfield. As reported Wednesday in the Recorder, the mayor and the head of economic development have been keeping a close eye on the progress of the state’s new Vacant Downtown Storefront District Program. The program, 18 months in the works, matches municipal support with refundable tax credits up to $10,000 for leasing or occupying a building previously vacant for at least 12 months. Preference goes to applicants who will generate high foot traffic or complement existing businesses. “We’ve been keeping our ears to the ground,” Adams told the Recorder’s Melina Bourdeau. “And we were in the first round of applications.” New tenants and more foot traffic is just what Main Street needs.
Philip Elmer (candidate for City Council At Large)
Greenfield