GREAT SPRINGFIELD – The historical links provided by the Connecticut River still hold western New England together as displayed by the program at the Mayors’ Fall Economic Forum hosted by the New England Knowledge Corridor partnership at Center Connecticut State University on Oct. 5.

Mayor Richard Kos of Chicopee and Mayor Domenic Sarno were among the mayors asked to speak at the forum. Also speaking were Mayor Tony Harp of New Haven, Mayor Luke Bronin of Hartford, CT, and Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain, CT.

The Knowledge Corridor describes the area that follows the Connecticut River through western Massachusetts to New Haven, CT. According to information supplied by the Knowledge Corridor organization in that area there are 41 colleges and universities with 215,000 students. It is the nation’s 20th largest metro region with 2.77 million people. It has a workforce of 1.34 million with 64,000 businesses and when compared to other locations along Boston-New York City-Washington mega-corridor, the cost of living is 15 to 50 percent less expensive.

Kos explained that much of the forum was about the economic health of the region as reflected by the five largest communities in the corridor.  He said he spoke about the success Chicopee has had in attracting new businesses and used the recently announced expansion of U.S. Tsubaki has an example.

He said he told the audience at the forum the Japanese based company was considering expansion in Tennessee or in Mexico along with its existing plant in Chicopee. Ultimately the company chose to enlarge its Chicopee location.

“Of the resources they considered, one of the most important them was the human resource,” Kos said of the area’s trained workforce.

The Lyman Mill project, which will transform the former textile facility into market-rate housing in the downtown area, was another topic of Kos’s remarks at the forum.

Kos added that he and members of his administration are “trying to be creative” in encouraging development of the area. One such project is the city grant available to people who purchase a three-family home. He explained the $16,000 grant is given to a person buying and living in a three family. The funding can be used to help the purchase of the property or to improve. With every passing year the owner continues to live in the home, $1,000 is forgiven.

Kos explained this is an effort to cope with some of the problems created by absentee landlords. There are four such three-family housing grants “in the pipeline” this year, he added.    

 “I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss Western Massachusetts, specifically in my case, Chicopee,’ Kos said.

Sarno told Reminder Publications he was heartened by the analysis of the region’s economy at the forum by Don Klepper-Smith, the chief economist and director of Research at DataCore Partners, LLC and the economic advisor to Farmington Bank, who said that Springfield is “ahead of the curve.”  

The mayor mentioned projects such as Union Station, the Chinese Rail Car Company and MGM Springfield as pushing the city forward.

He added in order for the city to undertake such projects it has been necessary to “have the fiscal house in order.”

Sarno noted, “Western Massachusetts mayors all work together for regional development.”

He added, “A lot of cross pollination occurs in the Knowledge Corridor.”

Sarno said Klepper-Smith the Knowledge Corridor has moved ahead of other areas in the country in terms of economic development.

Speaking of the forum, Sarno said, “It was good. We got some good feedback. It was very impressive.”