Economic Development
Chicopee needs smart, forward-thinking development. I’ll work to revitalize our downtown, support local businesses, and ensure city projects strengthen our economy and community for the long term.
Chicopee once had a well-earned reputation as a pro-business city, a place where opportunity thrived and development was welcomed. But over the last several years, that reputation has been clouded. Developers and small businesses have too often been met with hostility, stalled approvals, and public opposition that discourages investment and tarnishes reputations.
This environment is not only damaging, it’s unsustainable. When we fail to attract and retain businesses, the burden falls on residential taxpayers. That threatens our ability to fund schools, city services, and infrastructure. We need a new approach. One rooted in leadership, smart growth, and a long-term strategy to move Chicopee forward.
My Vision: A Smart Growth Chicopee
I believe we must embrace a smart growth model—welcoming development that fits Chicopee’s identity, enhances our neighborhoods, and strengthens our tax base. To do that, we need proactive leadership, full-time professional staff, and a clear plan.
Key Initiatives and Policy Positions
Hire a Full-Time Economic Development Director
When I first served on the City Council, I pushed for the restoration of this long-vacant position. It’s time we finally fill it. Chicopee deserves a qualified leader who can attract strategic investment, guide development projects, and advocate for the city regionally and statewide.
Acquire the Former Holyoke Catholic / Holy Name School Building for Central Office Relocation
Chicopee Public Schools’ central administration currently operates in leased non-central location. I propose the city acquire the former Holyoke Catholic / Holy Name School and convert it into the new home of the Chicopee Public Schools central office. This move would consolidate administrative operations, end long-term lease dependencies, and bring much-needed stability and foot traffic to the downtown corridor. It would also preserve and reactivate a historically significant property that has sat vacant far too long.
Leverage the City’s Power to Redevelop Cabotville into a Mixed-Use Hub
Cabotville has sat idle for genrations and people of sick of hearing about every failed proposal that has promised to redevelop the property. Chicopee must use every tool — zoning enforcement, permitting leverage, and local/state/federal funding — to push this development forward. The goal: a vibrant, mixed-use destination with market-rate housing, commercial space, and community assets. It is not going to happen on its own and the city must take a more pro-active approach.
Restore Two-Way Traffic Downtown to Support Small Business
Downtown Chicopee’s one-way streets are hurting local businesses. Urban planners and economists agree: one-way street systems reduce storefront visibility, harm pedestrian activity, and discourage local shopping. Cities across North America—including Charleston, Hamilton, Vancouver, and Cincinnati—have seen economic revival after reverting to two-way streets. Chicopee should follow suit.
Restoring two-way traffic will:
Increase business visibility and drive-by exposure
Encourage pedestrian traffic and downtown walkability
Support mixed-use development and “complete streets” upgrades
Reinforce our investments in downtown revitalization
Fill Vacant Storefronts and Support Local Entrepreneurs
We must support the small businesses that define our neighborhoods. That includes façade improvement programs, microgrants, and technical assistance. Strong partnerships with organizations local economic development organizations and quasi state agencies like the Mass Cultural Council are key.
Advance Redevelopment at Uniroyal and Other Underutilized Sites
The Uniroyal site is a transformative project for Chicopee. After sitting on a contaminated site for decades, the clean-up is finally complete. Now Chicopee must incentivize development that addresses the housing issue in our region while also generating economic development that attracts restaurants, breweries, and other entertainment options.
The Bottom Line
Chicopee’s future depends on our ability to grow in the right way, with purpose, with vision, and with equity. I’ve fought for smart development before, and I’ll do it again. With your support, we can make Chicopee a city that welcomes business, respects its neighborhoods, and delivers for its people.
Housing
Chicopee’s growth depends on expanding our housing stock. I’ll focus on redeveloping sites like Uniroyal and Cabotville to add over 1,000 new units, while using city tools to clean up blighted properties and return them to productive use—all while ensuring we balance affordable and market-rate housing to strengthen neighborhoods and support economic growth.
Western Massachusetts is facing a serious housing stock shortage and Chicopee is no exception. The lack of available, quality housing is holding back our city’s growth and limiting opportunities for working families. For Chicopee to thrive, we need more housing, and we need to build it the right way.
We must strike a careful balance between affordable and market-rate housing. Concentrating needs based housing only deepens economic challenges. A healthy housing strategy supports mixed-income neighborhoods that foster stability, economic development, and long-term investment in our city.
Key Initiatives
Unlock Major Redevelopment Projects
I will focus on transforming the Uniroyal administration building and the Cabotville Mill into vibrant residential communities, bringing more than 1,000 new housing units online. These long-dormant sites represent Chicopee’s greatest opportunity to increase housing supply and attract new residents and businesses.
Clean and Lien Blighted Properties
I will push for aggressive use of the city's “clean and lien” authority to improve blighted properties where owners are unwilling or unable to act. This not only revitalizes neighborhoods—it adds to the tax base and improves quality of life for nearby residents.
Strategic Use of Tax Title Takings
I will encourage the city treasurer to proactively pursue tax title takings for abandoned or derelict properties, ensuring they are cleaned up and returned to productive use. Importantly, we must pair this with support and protections for any residents impacted by these actions, to ensure people aren't displaced without options.
Modernizing City Government
Chicopee’s government needs modernization. I led the push for charter reform and support professionalizing key roles, creating a 311 help line, eliminating online payment fees, and updating our charter to include four-year mayoral terms, staggered council terms, and an impeachment process for elected officials to ensure accountability and stability.
City government should work for the people, and that means making it more accessible, efficient, and professional.
As a City Councilor, I led the effort to establish the Chicopee Charter Review Commission, bringing together dedicated volunteers to review and recommend long-overdue reforms. Their work laid the foundation for how we can modernize city operations and make government more effective and responsive.
Key Priorities:
Professionalize Key Positions
While we’ve been fortunate to have capable leaders in offices like City Collector and Assessor, it’s time to move these roles out of the political arena. I support changing the City Charter to make these positions appointed, so we can recruit the most qualified professionals based on experience, not politics.
Create a 311 Help Line & Expand Digital Access
Residents should be able to get the help they need with one phone call or a few clicks. I support launching a 311 system for reporting issues and accessing services, and modernizing our website so residents can easily find information and request support.
Eliminate Online Payment Fees
Paying taxes and bills online should be easy, and free. I will push to eliminate electronic payment fees, which will encourage compliance, boost revenue, and ultimately pay for itself.
Extend Mayor’s Term & Stabilize Leadership
To promote long-term planning and reduce constant campaigning, I support expanding the Mayor’s term to four years. I also propose staggered, rotating four-year terms for At-Large City Councilors, ensuring continuity and institutional knowledge while preserving accountability.
Add an Impeachment Provision for Elected Officials
No one is above accountability. I support adding an impeachment process to the charter that would allow the City Council and School Committee, acting together while adding a high threshold to vote to remove elected officials for misconduct.
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.