Hampshire County is suddenly becoming the “it” place in the hunt for the best site for medical marijuana dispensaries.
Already home to the only dispensary in the state’s four western counties — New England Treatment Access operates in Northampton— backers of the industry are zeroing in on at least three other communities in the county whose leaders are wisely greeting most of them with open arms.
It’s hard to say which of these proposals will clear the regulatory hurdles, but three companies have expressed interest in Amherst in recent months, one in Hadley and one in Easthampton. Inquiries from other companies have also been received.
The plan for Easthampton, however, is different than the others and is exciting on many fronts. Not only is Hampden Care Facility Inc. planning to convert an old, partially vacant mill building at 122 Pleasant St. into a cultivation facility that would supply the company’s proposed dispensary at the same site, it is looking at opening two other dispensaries, possibly in Amherst and Hadley.
This project, next to the thriving Eastworks Building, offers an opportunity for economic growth and could help kick-start an alternative to the days of buttons, cotton and other industry giants that once called Easthampton’s mill district home.
Like many Valley communities, Easthampton has struggled in its transition from its 20th century industrial roots to a more diverse, service-based economy. The transition requires finding economic sectors that work in the 21st century, from information technology and office support to health and medical facilities.
Medical marijuana and perhaps in the near future recreational marijuana hold significant potential for operators and surrounding businesses. In its comprehensive special permit application filed with Easthampton last month, Hampden Care said it would create 34 full-time jobs with expected future workforce growth. Its arrival in a mixed-use mill industrial district would generate pedestrian traffic that would benefit other retail businesses both in the mill building and in the surrounding district that already includes the Eastworks building. The company anticipates 100 patient visits a day in the first year, a figure that would increase to 200 patients annually in year three of its forecast. In its application, the Chicopee-based company said it can “raise the value of adjacent retail properties and sales receipts of adjacent businesses.”
Hampden Care’s $1.65 million project, approved by Easthampton’s Planning Board this month and awaiting state approval, calls for a 27,000-square-foot growing operation and dispensary and headquarters space in the old mill building. The cultivating operation is expected to be the main focus of the business. Once in operation, the business would generate an incremental $25,725 in property taxes annually for the city. Not only that, it would boost the value of other properties in the area. Of course, it’s not altruism shaping plans for these dispensaries. The industry believes it has a big future. Many have an eye on November, when voters in Massachusetts will decide whether the state should become the fifth in the country to legalize recreational marijuana.
Ballot approval would be a boon to operations already running, opening up a customer base beyond those who obtain marijuana for medical reasons. Polls say it will pass.
Hampden Care’s leaders have developed 11 medical or recreational dispensaries and four cultivation facilities in Colorado. They choose a location that Easthampton officials liked. The city had identified it as an area appropriate for a marijuana dispensary. The mill building has been partially vacant for years and is in need of significant repairs. Couple these upgrades with the tight security expected of all marijuana cultivation and dispensary operations, and it’s easy to see why Easthampton officials are excited about this economic development opportunity.