PITTSFIELD – Against a backdrop of new businesses, housing projects and infrastructure work, Mayor Peter Marchetti called on Pittsfield to build on last year’s progress during Monday’s State of the City address.
“We have made much progress in 2025, especially with issues surrounding economic development and housing, and I’m committed to continuing this momentum into 2026,” Mayor Peter Marchetti said following the Pittsfield City Council, City Clerk and School Committee inauguration. “I am confident that working together, we can move this city forward.”
Speaking before a packed City Council chamber, Marchetti outlined a vision of continuity and collaboration as newly elected councilors and School Committee members were sworn in for two-year terms.
The mayor highlighted several accomplishments from 2025, including economic growth, the arrival of 14 new businesses and major infrastructure improvements that smoothed miles of city roads. He also pointed to continued investments in affordable and supportive housing, as well as programs designed to support vulnerable residents and promote inclusion, such as the Pearl Ambassador Program.
Marchetti referenced a recent visit to Northampton that could help shape Pittsfield’s homelessness policies, following a year marked by debate over how to address homelessness while maintaining safety and sanitation downtown.
Urging the community to work together to build an even stronger Pittsfield in 2026, Marchetti emphasized that successful partnerships with residents, local, state, and federal leaders are critical to the city’s progress.
COMMUNICATION
Reiterating his “One Pittsfield” theme from last year’s address, Marchetti emphasized clear and proactive communication between city government and residents.
Marchetti pointed to the launch of a “brand new, modern and easier to navigate city website” designed to help residents stay informed and get involved. The new platform lets users sign up for press releases, meeting agendas and alerts delivered directly to their inbox, “providing you with all the resources and information that you need to know,” the mayor said.
Engagement also grew through quarterly meetings with downtown businesses, senior groups and RSVP volunteers, Marchetti said, as well as the mayor’s television show “One Pittsfield.”
Looking ahead, the mayor pointed to two key upgrades: a new online permitting system and an overhaul of the city’s emergency alert system.
“These systems currently do not meet our needs in an efficient way, and it’s time to make a change,” he said, adding that more details will be released as the transitions are finalized.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Calling 2025 a year of economic renewal, Marchetti said attracting and retaining businesses remains a top priority for his administration.
The city has invested $1.7 million in General Electric economic development funds to support four new and existing businesses, including Jain Americas’ manufacturing operations, the expansion of Elegant Stitches and a partnership between Myria Optics and the Berkshire Innovation Center to establish Myria’s local base and build a new optics manufacturing laboratory.
“These investments will result in the creation of 97 jobs with salaries ranging from 38,000 to 150,000 across a variety of industries,” Marchetti said. “Investing $1.7 million for a return of at least $19 million in creation of almost 100 jobs, is a choice I will make time and time again in 2026 and beyond.”
He also praised the Red Carpet Team for welcoming new businesses and strengthening relationships with major employers, while noting that the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation provides programs and funding for smaller companies.
Through partnerships with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and the Transformative Development Initiative, the city has launched programs such as Boost grants, the TDI equity investment program, public murals and improved signage, all aimed at creating “a lively, creative and sustainable environment in the heart of our downtown.”
Using funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s technical assistance program, the city is examining ways to address “employment gaps in various industries” and build a more “skilled workforce,” Marchetti said, including expanding vocational programs at Taconic High School and strengthening partnerships with workforce development programs at Berkshire Community College.
“If we can create a pipeline from our education system directly into the market, we can help fill those identified gaps across all sectors,” Marchetti said. “My administration will continue to support this work in the year ahead, as we continue to help provide and develop new programs or support existing ones.”
HOUSING
While affordable housing dominated public debate throughout the year, Marchetti did not mention his proposed camping ordinance. Instead, he highlighted Northampton’s Division of Community Care initiative, a public health-led program that deploys trained responders to help residents in crisis, as a potential model for Pittsfield.
The mayor said 116 housing units — including affordable, market-rate and permanent supportive housing — have either come online or are nearing completion.
“Supportive services paired with housing will be critical to help individuals achieve the skills necessary to maintain stable housing,” he said.
He also highlighted services aimed at assisting people experiencing homelessness, including a social worker at the library, a resource center at Zion Lutheran Church and continued funding for the Pearl Ambassador Program, which integrates shelter residents in downtown beautification efforts.
“This work has helped reduce the stigma that comes along with homelessness, while finding new ways for individuals who are experiencing homelessness to find a way to be connected to the community,” Marchetti said.
“As we enter this new year, I renew my commitment to working with the community partners and organizations and addressing the needs of our most vulnerable residents through the exploration of both new ideas and options that have already shown proven success,” he added.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Addressing downtown safety concerns, Marchetti said the city’s police department, working with the Sheriff’s Office and state agencies, focused on violent crime and substance abuse.
“Community members and businesses in our city deserve to feel safe and protected,” he said. “We have proven time and time again that we are listening and taking steps to address your concerns.
In 2025, the city added two behavioral health co-responders to “provide on scene crisis intervention for behavioral health emergencies, including those with substance use disorder and mental health conditions,” and plans to expand the program with two additional positions funded through opioid settlement funds.
Marchetti also announced a search for a new police chief as Thomas Dawley prepares to retire and highlighted upgrades within the Fire Department.
EDUCATION
Calling education “the greatest responsibility,” the mayor praised Dr. Latifah Phillips, the first person of color to serve as interim superintendent, and celebrated the city’s first all-female cabinet in the school district.
Major projects for this year include the feasibility study for a new elementary school at the Crosby campus and the development of new middle school programming to support the city’s middle school restructuring.
“When we work together, we can make the necessary improvements for the current and future generations of students,” he said, adding 29 new school buses will be rolled out this year, as well as a pilot program to increase student safety at bus stops.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Over the past year, Pittsfield crews and contractors paved 11.55 miles of roadway across the city and implemented measures designed to extend the life of those improvements, Mayor Peter Marchetti said.
“To help extend the life of roads that were recently resurfaced, we have fixed several types of road treatments, including micro surfacing, fog and crack sealing along two and a half miles of road,” he said.
The city also advanced two major roadway projects. Work on East Street is expected to move toward full resurfacing now that complex underground utility work has been completed, Marchetti said. On West Street, construction is underway to improve lighting, traffic flow, pedestrian safety and ADA accessibility. New cameras are also being installed at the intersection of West and Onota streets to help ease traffic congestion, changes residents are expected to see soon.
Among the most significant projects, more than $4.4 million in state funding was used to resurface portions of Route 7, including North Street, First Street and South Street. The city also completed major utility upgrades, installing new water lines on King Street and Valentine Road to address longstanding infrastructure issues.
“I’m glad that this work is finally complete, as I’m sure the many people who complained to me over the last three years are as well,” Marchetti said.
Looking ahead, the city council is considering a $15.2 million proposal to build an updated administration and laboratory building at the wastewater treatment plant — a facility originally constructed in 1938.
Despite uncertainty around future federal funding, Marchetti said continued collaboration with state and federal partners remains critical.
“I know this work is not easy, but with our hard work and the partnerships, we can accomplish great things together,” Marchetti said.
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