The message from WMass developers confab: ‘All the ingredients’ for growth are here
SPRINGFIELD — Buildings. Land. Education. Innovation. People.
"You have all the ingredients in this room to ensure that Western Mass. continues to grow and thrive now and well into the future," Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll said Wednesday at the Western Mass Developers Conference.
The annual event was held at MGM Springfield.
The conference was an optimist's event, drawing 500 registered guests to the casino's banquet space for the morning.
That's a larger crowd than in past years, said Richard K. Sullivan Jr., the soon-to-retire president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.
President and owner of the Wyckoff Country Club Cesar Ruiz offers welcoming remarks at the 2025 Western Mass Developers Conference at MGM Springfield on Wednesday. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
But there were some undertones of looming peril at the otherwise positive gathering.
Megan Burke, president of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, said she and many others are preparing for high needs and fewer federal resources. She moderated a CEO panel to start the day.
The need for skilled workers is also apparent.
And that need is directly linked to a statewide housing crisis, said Edward M. Augustus Jr., secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
"Let me be clear. The shortage of housing is pushing household budgets to the limit. And as a result, in recent years, more than half of the residents who've left Massachusetts are those between the ages of 25 and 35," Augustus said. "That's our workforce walking out the door."
Statewide, there are 3 million homes in Massachusetts for 7 million people. Housing in the state has a 1.6% vacancy rate. A healthy housing market would have somewhere between 3% or 7% of its housing stock available at any given time.
Builders, developers and other stakeholders enjoy a break at the 2025 Western Mass Developers Conference at MGM Springfield on Wednesday. The Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council and the Economic Development Partners hosted the event. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
He cited success, though, including the 40-unit Gemini Townhomes in Springfield's South End financed through the CommonWealth Builder Program, as well as the upcoming Merrick Park Apartments and Old Hill infill developments in Springfield.
Sullivan said the most valuable part of these developers conferences are always the conversations in the hallways.
Visitors got a chance to meet with small and large utilities — including Westfield Gas & Electric and Eversource — and check out development opportunities as varied as the old First National Bank Building in Greenfield or the Chicopee River Business Park .
Stories by Jim Kinney
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
