NORTHAMPTON — As the coming arrival of the Picture Main Street project continues to loom over the city, both advocates and opponents of the project are ramping up efforts to either promote or change the plan before it’s set to begin next year.
The $29 million project envisions reducing traffic to one lane in each direction while adding a bike lane and expanding sidewalk space through the downtown area. In addition to redesigning Main Street above the surface, the project also calls for replacing sewer, water and stormwater infrastructure, currently more than 100 years old.
Though originally projected to begin this fall, the start date has been pushed back until 2026, and the project has yet to be advertised for construction by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, according to Gary Roux, a principal planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
As a result, the first $16 million of state and federal funds meant to be awarded for the project has been postponed. Roux said the money would likely be awarded after the start of the next federal fiscal year, which begins in October. The remaining $13 million to pay for the downtown redesign would be awarded as the project moves ahead.
“Based on the latest info from the MassDOT and the city, it was best to be moved out until the next federal fiscal year,” Roux said. “We continue to support the city on this project.”
Inside Edwards Church on June 12, skeptics of the city’s plan coalesced under a group known as Save Paradise City met to discuss further advocacy for an additional trial run of the project, raising concerns about safety and accessibility of the project and proposed suggested changes. At the workshop, which about 75 residents attended, the group also heard from representatives from the city of Pittsfield regarding how community feedback led to a change in redesign of one of that city’s busiest roadways.
Michael Kane, a Northampton resident and a member of the Save Paradise City group, said a trial run would be beneficial for spotting any possible flaws to the current design.
“Rather than go through the process of having to make changes once the design is in place, can’t we do the trial run and avoid having to go through that?” he asked.
The city held a brief trial run in 2020 under former Mayor David Narkewicz, although it ended after less than one month. When reached for comment, the city directed the Gazette to an FAQ page for the project on its website, which states that a trial run of the project is not a realistic option.
“We do not have the ability to conduct a demonstration project that would put all the pieces accurately together,” the page states. “The project involves interrelated measures that would be impossible to implement in a trial run. Some of these measures would require long lead times. If we only do the easy stuff and leave out important elements, a trial run will not show how the system will actually work. Rather, it will be a waste of time and money.”
The city meanwhile has tried to allay concerns about the project and promote the plans through the launch of an initiative titled “Pardon Our Progress,” or POP, earlier this year. That group is a collaboration between the city, the Downtown Northampton Association and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. It’s led by Jim Nash, the former city councilor for Ward 3, and is split into multiple teams handling issues relating to outreach, promotion, funding and construction mitigation, according to Nash.
Earlier this month, POP sent a group of people to survey downtown residents to see what kind of people frequent the city’s downtown.
“I’d say 80% of those surveyed were coming from outside Northampton,” Nash told the Gazette. “They really drive the economy here.”
Nash also shared a document showing the city had spent $190,000 to help support and promote downtown business and economic development in the city. Sources of funding derive from the American Rescue Plan Act, casino mitigation funds from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the city’s undesignated fund balance.
Nash also said the group had hired a consultant using funds from a state grant to produce a report on how city and businesses can operate amid the construction of the three-year plan. He said he expected the report to be completed around the end of July, and that the project was expected to go out to bid in February 2026.
“Our goal is to turn construction into a bump in the road,” Nash said. “We need to drive customers downtown, and we need local folks to support our economy.”
Despite the city’s assurances, a sense of anxiety pervades among some downtown business owners, exacerbated by the impact they suffered from COVID-19 pandemic. Mischa Roy, whose Spill the Tea Sis Apothecary is one of downtown’s featured storefronts, said she supported the idea of an additional trial run.
“I don’t think the ask is unreasonable,” Roy said. “We have really good tourism and economic development in downtown right now. What happens if that goes away?”
Roy said she didn’t have a “horse on either side” when it came to supporting either POP or Save Paradise City, but felt it was urgent to make sure downtown businesses would not be harmed by the project.
“We have to be more considerate of our small business community,” Roy said. “We have to keep businesses afloat.”
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
