Mayor Peter Marchetti announces a $1.6 million planning grant for the West Street area during his State of the City address at Taconic High School on Thursday.
City staff listen to the mayor's speech.
The auditorium was sparse on the frigid night. The address was also carried on Pittsfield Community Television.
This was Mayor Peter Marchetti's first State of the City address in his four-year term.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Peter Marchetti invited residents to join "One Pittsfield" during his first State of the City address on Thursday.
He used the slogan during his campaign and continue to as a term of collaboration and unity.
"The one thing that I know that Pittsfield is is that Pittsfield is resilient. Believe it or not, I love my job and the city of Pittsfield. Together, we can overcome the obstacles and change our challenges into opportunities," he said to a crowd of city staff, friends and family, and community members at Taconic High School. The address was also carried by Pittsfield Community Television.
"Tonight, I stand before you to renew my commitment to the city of Pittsfield and invite all of you that have not joined One Pittsfield to come aboard on One Pittsfield. We have a lot of work to do over the next three years and my plan is to create a city that we're all proud of. We all know that this is not an easy task but together, we can achieve great success."
City Council President Pete White ushered in the 2025 address, explaining that Pittsfield has its challenges ahead but he knows the city is in good hands.
While it is Marchetti's first four-year term in the corner office, he has known City Hall quite well for a total of 17 years — 16 as a councilor and eight of those as council president.
"Pittsfield has experienced great success over the last year but we have also faced adversity. In those moments of challenge, we need to rely on our leaders to listen to us and guide us through," White said.
"From working with him for over 20 years on the Fourth of July parade committee, the Morningside Initiative, on the City Council, and especially the past year as mayor and council president, I know that we have the right leader in place to help us overcome these struggles but we must all work together to make Pittsfield the best it can be. We have so much potential ahead, and I look forward to continuing to being a part of this work along with everyone in the room."
Last year ended on a less-than-positive note, with Pittsfield High School becoming embroiled in a staff scandal right around the holidays. Early in his remarks, Marchetti addressed the situation and pledged to bring forward answers, asserting "The community is entitled to the truth."
"I know these last few weeks have been challenging and have provided us with many unanswered questions but I have made a commitment to this community by making the recent allegations and investigations as transparent as possible once they are completed. I want to remind all residents that in the near future, we need to be patient and let the process take its place as we work through the investigation," he said.
"After the investigation is complete, we will utilize the results to hold those engaging in appropriate behaviors accountable for their actions but we must also remember our students, teachers, and staff. They need our help now more than ever and they need our support, not just in challenging times, but at all times."
Marchetti said 2025 will be a year during which the city works on reconnecting communities, rebuilding relationships, and further developing partnerships.
The city has received a $1.6 million planning grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to study the deconstructed of urban renewal from the West Side to the downtown.
This is a long-term project to rework the area of Government Drive, College Way, and Center Street, which has on-off ramps created for future connections to the highway that never was. This area was overhauled in the 1970s as part of urban renewal efforts.
"The deconstructed urban renewal study will establish a comprehensive plan to remove the arterial interchange that splinters the West Side from downtown and restore the urban fabric in our city," Marchetti said, explaining that the city will begin with gathering data from the 86-acre area.
"We will then transition to a community-led concept design phase to establish a vision program and preferred alternative concept design. The schematic design phase will layer complex engineering with strategic recommendations and immersed visuals for a final master plan with a high probability for long-term success."
He pointed out that the project is in "no way, shape, or form" finalized and there are many years of work ahead before any potential transformation happens.
There were 274 applications for the planning grant from communities across the country and only 67 of those committees were awarded, which he said is an "amazing accomplishment for team Pittsfield."
The study, estimated to cost about $1.5 million, is a part of the 80 percent reimbursable costs from the MSBA.
"This milestone is a significant first step in the MSBA's grant approval process and reflects our shared commitment to providing Pittsfield children with the best possible education facilities.
"The invitation includes plans for grades pre-K to five at Crosby Elementary School and offers an exciting opportunity during the feasibility study to explore the consolidation of Crosby Elementary School with Silvio O. Conte Community School. This phase, in conjunction with the middle school restructuring, will also examine the potential of Grade 5 students from these elementary schools transferring to our middle schools."
He emphasized that the process requires close collaboration with the MSBA at every stage and "Rushing ahead without the MSBA approval would jeopardize our ability to qualify for grant funding, which underscores the need for patience and thoroughness."
The earliest potential time for MSBA to approve an invitation to the project scope and budget phase would happen no sooner than July 2027.
"The work ahead will not be easy but the work is worth doing. Together we can transform our schools to better serve the needs of Pittsfield families for generations to come. Thank you to the MSBA for their partnership and for recognizing the importance of investing in Pittsfield's future," Marchetti said.
"Each of these projects is essential to the future progress of our community as we find ways to rebuild connections to one another and to the city as a whole."
He closed by sharing some metrics that are a "reflection of the work that we've accomplished, both as a city and as a community." In 2024, there were 12 new businesses, 39 new appointments to boards and commissions, 66 reappointments, and $13.5 million received in grants and gifts.
"And maybe the most important one was utilizing $40.6 million of ARPA money that we use to make investments in housing, public infrastructure, and other community organizations," he said.
"Without this money, much of this work would not be possible."
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