Town of Charlemont Located in the northwest corner of Mass., Charlemont, on the scenic Mohawk Trail, is a short drive for day or weekend retreats, outdoor recreation and relaxation easily accessible from Albany and Boston via Route 2 and Hartford via Route 91. Modern- day worries melt away as you cross the Economy Deerfield River, pass open lands and farms, see the river views, and finally enter a • This town of 26 square miles is recognized as Victorian Village surrounded by verdant hills a center for outdoor recreation and untarnished natural beauty. • Established recreational businesses providing downhill skiing, zip lines dropping 600, 700 and 1,100 feet, white water rafting, fishing, mountain biking, snow and water tubing, hiking, birding, camping, and 3,870-foot downhill mountain coaster ride • 1870 Historic Fairgrounds • Home to Summer Chamber Music at Mohawk Trail Concerts • Ongoing infrastructure improvements Opportunity Zone Goals Recent Success Preserve and protect natural beauty Pioneer in new approach with innovative elementary education with hands-on Create second home, senior and multi- experimental learning that combines family housing agriculture and community involvement with Increase the number of food traditional curriculum at the Hawlemont establishments Regional School located in the Village Develop accessory commercial and Growth in the recreational business sector retail spaces Provide local jobs Contact [email protected] Town of Colrain With views of winding rivers, old farmhouses and plentiful orchards, Colrain is a quintessential rural New England hilltown. The designation of Route 112 (the state highway that traverses the town and connects Route 2 to Vermont Route 100) as a scenic byway celebrates these landscapes. Despite its rural location, residents only have a 10 minute drive to connect to Interstate 91 from Economy which they can access major employment hubs. • A manufacturer of cotton fiber processing for This town of 1,600 people is exploring health and medical industry infrastructure investments to direct its future • Active farm & food system that includes growth, including a new fiber-to-the-premise vegetable growers, sheep fiber producers, broadband network and an extension of the lumber, orchards, a cider winery wastewater system to the village center. • Artisans and makers, including fine These investments are to inspire new housing woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber arts, and a production to meet the needs of working families brewery and seniors, as well as to spur new business development. • Opportunity Zone, New Market Tax Credit and Tax Increment Financing eligible area • Local tax rate of $20.24 (FY 2018) Recent Success • Completed design & engineering to construct a fiber-to-the-premise broadband network • Designated a Mass. Green Community Pine Hill Orchards Barnhardt Manufacturing • Leveraged over $1.5 million of federal and state aid to construct a new highway garage Opportunity Zone Goals and community meeting facility in 2018 Create jobs and new businesses by building • Brought over a dozen vendors together to on the town’s manufacturing heritage and launch the Hill-Towns Farmers Market in 2018 capitalizing on the region’s tourism economy • Established the Crafts of Colrain self-guided Leverage infrastructure investments to create studio tour that showcases 20 local artisans more workforce and senior housing in and makers and is held annually in November Colrain Center Develop the Center as a focus of economic Contact activity for residents and visitors Kevin Fox | 413-624-6306 [email protected] Town of Hawley Hawley is among the smallest towns in Massachusetts, with 337 residents in its 31 square miles. Hawley, with its expansive state forests, is a popular site for outdoor recreation. Much of the business in Hawley is agricultural or forestry based, or small home- Economy based businesses. There are some exceptions, such as a hillside resort and cross- Agricultural and forestry based activities country skiing site. Strong outdoor recreation assets, including Currently cellphone service is limited, as is hiking, mountain biking, cross country access to high speed Internet. However, in skiing, hunting and camping the near future, residents will have access to Home to Stump Sprouts cross country ski both through a multi-town collaboration to retreat and Berkshire East Mountain build a robust and high performance wireless Resort’s Thunder Mountain Bike Park broadband system. Small businesses include artists, contractors, consultants, and others Recent Success Designated a Massachusetts Green Community, which is maximizing environmental efficiency in town buildings Rebuilding of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Irene Opportunity Zone Goals Pending new wireless broadband system Work collaboratively with partners, Applying for and advancing important including the Town of Charlemont, to grants and projects with strong volunteer improve and sustain a strong local and community effort economy Increase the tax base by supporting local business development that aligns with the Contact region’s rural character and values. Town of Hawley | 413-339-5518 [email protected] Town of Heath Incorporated on Feb. 14, 1785, Heath, comprising 24.91 sq. miles, was originally part of Charlemont, its neighbor to the south. The town’s first hundred years were spent in settlement. armsF sprang up, and water power ran several mills. Heath’s population reached its peak around 1830, when 1,199 people lived here. The current population is 699. A small rural town, Heath has for many years been a bucolic refuge for city dwellers as well as home to year-round residents. Economy Heath welcomes innovation and creativity and • Small business opportunities encourages the development of small • Home-based business opportunities business, sustainable farming and food production, forestry, and green business. It is • Local business community expanded a scenic area with access to natural and opportunities to support adventure historic amenities and fosters a welcoming tourism industry community. Located off Rt. 2, it is easily • Part of a region rich in cultural, accessible to major travel routes and recreational, and tourism opportunities transportation. This enables ease of commuting to surrounding, larger cities/ towns for employment, education, medical, and recreational purposes. High-speed Opportunity Zone Goals broadband expansion is underway, with the goal of being fully operational by the end of • Support small business growth 2019. • Broadband fiber to all residences • Business investment / site redevelopment • Opportunity for collaborative workspace/ incubator • Outdoor recreation and adventure tourism region • Small scale, sustainable farming Contact Town Coordinator | 413-337-4934 x 0 [email protected] Town of Monroe Located on the Deerfield River at the Vermont border, much of the town’s economy has been connected to this river. The Village of Monroe Bridge was first established in the late 1800s to house workers for the local paper mill powered by the Deerfield River. This paper mill expanded Vacant mill structure on the Deerfield River, 2018. and modernized over decades and subsequent owners, until operations ceased in the 1980s when Deerfield Specialty Paper Company closed. Economy Outdoor recreation businesses that cater to The power of the river continues to be harnessed rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, and hiking today, with Great River Hydro operating the #5 Station Dam. But this isn’t the only industry Renewable energy, i.e. hydropower dependent on the river. Outdoor recreation Opportunity Zone, New Market Tax Credit and continues to grow and has become an economic Tax Increment Financing eligible area driver for the region. Thousands of paddlers a year come to Monroe to enjoy the dam’s Residential tax rate of $13.01 and Commercial/ scheduled water releases that create Class IV Industrial tax rate of $ 26.63 (FY 2018) rapids in a section known as the Monroe Dryway. Water & wastewater system in village center Town has a population of 95 and a per capita income of $22,175 (2016 ACS Estimate) Recent Success Constructing a new overlook park on the site of a former mill in 2018, used $1.4 million in grants to remediate and demolish the previous After wood structure demolition but before park and retaining wall construction. Rafters launch from river wood structure and install a new retaining access platform and prepare to run the rapids. (2017) wall and build the park Exploring wireless broadband network options. Opportunity Zone Goals Awarded a $1 million state infrastructure grant in 2017 to improve Kingsley Hill Road, which Redevelop the former Ramage Paper/ connects the water treatment plant to the Deerfield Specialty mill property village center Create job opportunities and new business ventures Contact Expand local tax base Marcella Stafford Gore | 413-424-5272 [email protected] .