HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A step towards revitalization in Holyoke passed unanimously through the city council — and has residents excited for some big changes in their city. Western Mass News headed over to the Kmart Plaza on Route 5 where that space is soon going to be demolished.

First demolished, but then rebuilt from the ground up. While we aren’t yet sure which retailer plans on taking over, it’s sure to be a huge step for the revitalization of the city.

“A Walmart would be nice. Maybe a Lowe’s or, I don’t know, maybe an Ollie’s,” Holyoke natives like Elizabeth Greco already made their guesses on what could fill the vacant Kmart building, “and I think it would be good to have some more retail here. I like retail. I miss going to the mall. I miss shopping. All this online stuff has killed retail shopping.”

City leaders said this is a big step towards a better Holyoke, “for those of us who’ve been looking at this and working on it for years, it’s one of the best things that’s happened since I’ve been on the city council,” Ward 5 City Councilor Linda Vacon finds this to be a win for the other businesses in the plaza as well, “you’ll see an upgraded, nice, modern view. I think it will attract more business.”

Eric Nakajima, the Director of Planning and Economic Development in Holyoke, said that the announcement has been a long time coming, but there’s a lot more work that has to be done, “they still have to go through, you know, a site plan review, which will lay out more fully the plans for the plaza. And, you know, they haven’t revealed who the retailer is yet.”

But regardless, Nakajima said that these questions have now been answered, “is Holyoke a world-class city? Is this a world-class destination? Is this a place that deserves investment and can be invested in by businesses? The answer is absolutely yes.”

According to officials, next steps are set to be announced over the summer months, we’ll keep you updated on-air and online for what they plan on putting here– and how this impacts the city.

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