Holyoke Innovation District Design

Mass Economics, in partnership with Interface Studios, worked with MassDevelopment and the City of Holyoke to create an economic development and real estate strategy for Holyoke’s TDI (Transformative Development Initiative) District. The project team performed a demographic, workforce, and cluster analysis of the city and region and then conducted an inventory of vacant and underutilized space in the District by means of an on-the-ground, walking survey. By combining these findings with QA-ed parcel-assessors data, Mass Economics identified priority economic activities specific to Holyoke’s strengths and compatible with TDI real estate. As part of this work, Mass Economics interviewed business and property owners and worked intensively with the city and MassDevelopment to identify appropriate and accessible economic growth clusters and building- and site- specific opportunities for the district. The initiatives and programs prescribed by the project team are currently being implemented by the city and an RFP process to redevelop TDI sites with specialized real estate is underway.