AMHERST — Business leaders and the town of Amherst are partnering on a $250,000 project over the next 2½ years that will focus on commercial growth, entrepreneurship, and arts and culture as ways to rebuild economic vitality diminished by the pandemic.
In this economic empowerment initiative, Amherst is dedicating money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act toward the project in which connections will be made with existing and prospective businesses, as well as Hampshire College, Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts, to sustain local shops, artists, cultural organizations and entrepreneurs.
Amherst Business Improvement Executive Director Gabrielle Gould and Amherst Area Chamber Executive Director Claudia Pazmany will oversee the project, and the initiative also will include Lizzie Alwan, who will join the BID staff as the economic empowerment analyst.
“My goal is to listen and learn from current Amherst business owners and experts, and translate that knowledge to remove barriers for future Amherst business owners,” Alwan, who is completing a master’s degree in public policy and administration at UMass, said in a statement. “I hope to protect the integrity of Amherst while ushering it into a vibrant, equitable future.”
Alwan, who has previously worked with the Franklin Council of Governments, will be the main point of contact for Amherst-area entrepreneurs and artists looking to start or rejuvenate their businesses. In addition, she will collaborate with town officials to create a small-business permitting guide, and a document that provides an overview of the arts, culture and destination-worthy places in town.
In addition to streamlining the startup process for small businesses and finding ways to attract larger businesses, Alwan’s responsibilities will include showcasing businesses by leading and organizing regular events with local artists, cultural organizations, and the institutions of higher learning.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said in a statement that economic empowerment is the focus of one-third of the $750,000 of ARPA funds targeted for economic activity. The remaining $500,000 is being allocated for small-business grants and downtown improvements.
“We have focused the town’s economic recovery funds to rebuild and empower small businesses, leverage our cultural assets, and work together with the town’s colleges and university,” Bockelman said.
Before the onset of the pandemic, Amherst had an economic development director, but that position has remained unfilled since Geoff Kravitz departed to become Sunderland’s town administrator in January 2020.
Both Pazmany and Gould see the economic empowerment work as critical for the town’s future.
Pazmany said she would like to see cohesive town centers, retention of existing businesses and the promotion of equity in the commercial sphere.
“We believe we have a fertile economic footprint from which we can all thrive and grow,” Pazmany said.
