Owner Carrie Desmarais celebrates at the ribbon cutting ceremony for her new business on Aug. 1.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — The city hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Center Alternative Cooperative, 264 Exchange St., which aims to be an apothecary, local goods, event and education center focused on whole health and wellness.
Owner Carrie Desmarais said she is happy to open her store and share this with the community.
“I want everyone to feel good when you walk in and feel like they can ask questions and get answers,” Desmarais said.
Current vendors in The Center Alternative Cooperative were Wicked Woman Herbals, Hobbit Hollow Herbals, DMS Creations, Botanica and local art pieces. Desmarais said the space is more for Western Massachusetts and about collaboration.
“It’s all farmers market vendors for the most part whether it be from Chicopee, Easthampton, Springfield. I used to live in Shutesbury so my network is large from different farmers markets so I have all the vendors and connections I pulled together to create this grand experience. There is going to be so many more events.”
The Center Alternate Cooperative is currently open Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. but Desmarais said she is willing to stay a little later if needed. The hours will expand as the cooperative grows, according to Desmarais.
Desmarais said the Center Alternative Cooperative is about the vendors.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I couldn’t have done this without the community I’ve built up. My goal is to have revitalization without gentrification. It’s for everyone and I want to work together with everyone so everyone can grow,” she added.
Desmarais started Botanica nine years ago at farmers markets and gradually worked her way up to having a mocktail bar at Thornes Marketplace in Northampton, making bitters and elixirs.
After closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Desmarais said she felt lost but knew she always wanted to open an apothecary but figured she couldn’t do it in Chicopee due to the Herbarium already being in town.
Once she found out the Herbarium was closing, she thought of the idea to buy the building and create a space that brings together vendors and the community.
Desmarais said, “It’s an education center, a resource center, questions, thoughts, ideas, if you have a dream and your product fits in here and it’s handmade then I’ll sell it for you. I want everyone to support each other and in turn that will help the community grow and revive.”
Mayor John Vieau has talked about the revival of the Chicopee Center with multiple businesses opening, the farmers market at Lucy Wisniowski Memorial Park and the revitalization of the former central library building. Vieau said he was happy to hear the plans that Desmarais had to take over the Herbarium and continue to help downtown Chicopee grow.
He added, “It’s no secret that the Herbarium was an anchor downtown for many, many, many years and when Carrie had called me and told me that she was going to take over this space and create something similar to the Herbarium but take it to a whole other level that’s going to help bring people downtown. The downtown area is flourishing, there is a renaissance happening.”
Desmarais said she grew up in Chicopee and talked about the importance of the location of her new business.
She said, “The Chicopee Center just kind of got left by the wayside for so long and I know people have wanted to revive and it’s a great opportunity for everyone to revitalize the center of Chicopee because it’s a beautiful downtown and it’s underutilized. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got the best downtown in Western Massachusetts. There is so much potential here.”
Desmarais said she could not believe the turnout from the residents as well as representatives from each state senator for Chicopee being at the opening ceremony. Desmarais has been an herbalist for 25 years and added it was all worth it for this moment.
She added, “It’s amazing. I can’t even believe it. I just kind of left it and said things will grow the way they are meant to, and I had great faith in that and I can’t even believe the turnout today. Just to see the community come together, I’m in awe.”
For more information, readers can visit The Center Alternative Cooperative on Facebook.
