Mayor John Vieau (left) talks to “So That Reminds Me” hosts Dennis Hackett (middle) and Lauren LeBel (right) about downtown Chicopee.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
SPRINGFIELD — While appearing on the most recent episode of Reminder Publishing’s podcast, “So That Reminds Me,” Mayor John Vieau talked about downtown Chicopee and its recent and upcoming news.
Vieau said one of his biggest focuses as mayor — to make sure Chicopee is successful — is public safety.
“We’ve invested in public safety like no other community right now,” Vieau said, “There’s a real renaissance happening. Putting community policing, a unit down there has been very successful. Building those relationships with residents and stakeholders has been just a tremendous outcome and the support that they’re receiving is tremendous.”
The essential goals of C3 policing include creating a safe environment, fostering community relationships, reducing gang activity and violence, and establishing effective youth and parental programs. These goals are achieved through community meetings, walking and bike patrols, and events like Coffee with a Cop, youth sports events and community picnics.
Besides the two community policing units, Vieau also credited the recent launch of Chicopee’s new real-time information center and new WESTCOMM Regional Dispatch facility as key factors in making sure residents feel safe.
“We have over 500 cameras in Chicopee and it’s something I’ll share with anybody. We don’t tell you where they are, but I can say that it’s been beneficial in keeping bad guys out of Chicopee and keeping the residents safe because I’ll tell you what, I don’t care how good the services are where you live, if you don’t feel safe when you put your head down on your pillow, you’re not going to want to live in Chicopee. I think that public safety is paramount,” Vieau said.
The storefronts have also started to fill up on Center Street. Over the past year, downtown Chicopee, but more specifically Center Street, has seen many new businesses open their doors to the community.
Pizza Lino, SunRise Sweets and Video Game Giants have joined Island Spice, the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce, Goodworks Coffee House and Valley Opportunity Council as businesses on Center Street.
Vieau talked about all the new restaurants and businesses that have opened recently downtown and said, “Right now, it’s so diverse that you could probably go to four or five different nationalities of food. You can get Italian pizza, you can get Chinese food, a Sri Lankan restaurant, Island Spice; the Red Fez [Bar & Grill], the Munich Haus. There’s some great things happening.”
There is also a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Sept. 13 for the former central library project, which has been renovated to serve as a community space. The event will feature free activities, an outdoor market, food vendors and live music to celebrate Chicopee’s new community hub.
The original library was funded in 1853 and built in 1913, and has been designated as a historic building.
In 2004, the library expanded and moved to 449 Front St., leaving the former central library building vacant since.
Vieau said when the library was moved to Front Street 20 years ago, it left a void for residents visiting downtown. He also said the Fairfield Mall and Holyoke Mall “ruined” downtowns like Chicopee, but they are bringing it back.
“You can feel it. It’s a positive vibe,” Vieau stated, “Again, like I said, a renaissance is happening with storefronts and renovations and people are really interested in being stakeholders down there.”
Vieau also hinted that a new business will be moving into a vacant storefront on Center Street soon. He said that many stakeholders and business owners are looking to move to Center Street because of the positive reviews of the current businesses.
He shared, “It pays dividends for those who invest, and I think those stakeholders there will tell you that there’s been really a positive vibe that I had mentioned, and good things are happening downtown.”
