Property developer Eric Suher of Northampton and Holyoke infamy has reportedly purchased the former location of The Runway restaurant at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
Suher, recently making headlines for holding hostage a number of liquor licenses in the Northampton municipality, visited the Barnes base in Westfield to finalize an agreement to develop the now closed Runway restaurant into a concert venue he's calling 'Squirrel Street'.
"We've been in talks with Mr. Suher for several months," explained Westfield Mayor Dan Knapik, "but with the election and all, we decided to hold off on any announcements".
"There's nowhere in that town to see a concert and no artist has ever heard of Westfield," said Suher in a phone interview Wednesday. "In a year or so, I don't see why we can't be booking Beyoncé and The Lumineers for shows out on the tarmac. There's just no reason why Squirrel Street can't be a success."
Having recently found himself under scrutiny with the license commission in Northampton, Suher was quick to offer a timeline by which residents can expect to see the developer's plan come to light.
"It's 2013, but let's call it 2014. We've got to poke around in there and get rid of a huge infestation problem and throw some fresh paint on the walls. I'd safely say doors will open before 2025, and I'd personally hope it's well before that."
For the best of all things local, it's got to be The Westfield Noise.
With today comes the conclusion of a long, arduous battle for public office. Mike Roeder and Dan Knapik are both
vying for your vote in today's mayoral election, but only one can be the victor.
Throughout this election season, we've provided information on both candidates in a sporadic, nauseating kind of way. We were on the scene when Mayor Knapik was working from a satellite office in Boston reportedly costing taxpayers over $1200 per day. We were also the first to report on Mike Roeder and his plan to pave all city roads within his first week as mayor.
Few would envy the job sought by these two men, as Westfield continues to spiral further and further from recognition. Many residents have expressed discontent with the way things are going. A "concrete jungle" now replaces the town green, and the lights are so bright that the most hardy of shrubs cease to survive. Neighborhood schools may be a thing of the past, though neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts locations are on the rise. Crime against black squirrels is rampant, and many have expressed concern for the future of the Westfield mascot.
Nevertheless, the race has gone on, and desperate times seem to have been cause for disparate measures.
At the final mayoral debate last Thursday, Mayor Dan Knapik was interrupted by a resident who began twerk dancing in his face. Rather than lose composure, Knapik raised his hands to encircle the dancer's bottom and bit his bottom lip, eyes locked on the display before him.
"Incredible, wasn't it? The people of Westfield have many talents. Tonight we all got to experience one way that these townspeople are helping to move this city forward," explained Knapik shortly after the incident. "Leopard pants. Wow. Is my wife still here? I feel 18 again."
With the Mike Roeder camp this Saturday, Spring was in the air and it seemed to be just the reason the candidate needed to bare his wares for the voters.
"I want the people of Westfield to see that I don't need fancy suits to be mayor. Today I'm wearing this barrel. This barrel belonged to my parents. My father came to this country with only a fork and a small box of jacks. My mother didn't learn to walk until her 43rd birthday. We're not so different, the voters and me," shared Roeder crouched inside a large wooden barrel.
Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight and TWN will be here with all the live updates on the most important election in Westfield's history.
