Latest news with #PaperCity
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paper City Clothing Co. opens new location, saving historic Holyoke building
HOLYOKE — Carlos Peña and Katy Peña Moonan are reopening the Paper City Clothing Co., at 144 High St., and also saving a historic building from demolition at the same time. The building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been fully restored and will serve as the new location for the business, as well as a community art gallery and event space. 'We are a small business, not developers, but jumped at this opportunity,' said Carlos Peña. 'There are still many vacant and abandoned properties that take away from how special this city is. With the right partnerships in place, what we've done could be a replicable model for other small businesses ready to own instead of rent their space.' Peña's inspiration for the business came from a 'Thundercats' T-shirt he saw in New York City in 2000. 'I wanted to know why this vendor in Harlem was selling T-shirts for $100. I was like, 'Why the T-shirt is so much money, and he was like, 'Because it's an original T-shirt, and I made it myself; this is my design.' I was intrigued about that,' he said. Peña attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he discovered silk screening at the craft center. After graduating, Peña and Peña Moonan turned his passion into a real business, with her handling the paperwork and taxes, and they officially opened Paper City Clothing Co. in December 2016. Paper City Clothing Co. aims to expand opportunities for youth through custom printing services, creative retail, and an art gallery and event space. The couple mentors kids in entrepreneurship, teaching them how to create designs and become entrepreneurs. The building also features three residential units on the second floor and two commercial storefronts on the ground floor. The first show at the new Paper City gallery, 'Memes, Screams and Dreams,' will feature 10 local artists and is curated by Billy Myers, head curator at Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield. 'It's always been our dream to revitalize a vacant building, living in Holyoke with so many vacant properties around us. We would drive around, thinking maybe one day we could find a way,' Katy Peña Moonan said. The thought of renovations costing millions of dollars made it seem impossible, but they also knew renting a place wouldn't be sustainable if they were to continue to provide opportunities to the community, they said. 'Having a gallery and selling T-shirts are not necessarily money makers,' Carlos Peña said. A friend then informed them about Holyoke's list of surplus properties, updated every Monday at 7 a.m. The building's restoration took three years and cost nearly $700,000, funded by public and private sources, Katy Peña said. Initially, the contractor estimated $300,000, but unexpected costs because of COVID-19 and the need for sprinkler installation caused everything to change, leading to the higher final cost, she said. Despite these hurdles, the couple was committed to creating a space for marginalized artists to showcase their work. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today at 11 a.m. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia and state Rep. Patricia Duffy delivered remarks, along with leaders from MassDevelopment, the chief funding partner for the building restoration. Aaron Vega, director of the city's Office of Economic Development, praised the couple's efforts in revitalizing the historic building. 'Seeing people like Katy and Carlos supporting the revitalization of High Street is important. They have vision, and it's contagious. It excites others,' Vega said. At one point, the city considered demolishing the building, which would have cost around $90,000 or more, he said. The city instead put out requests for proposals and received several inquiries. Turning around a property that could have been a $100,000 liability on High Street has huge economic effects, he said. 'It's great to get retail back on the ground floors and residential units on the upper floors,' Vega said. Many buildings in Holyoke are historic, and the city loves to see rehab projects, though not every building can be saved, Vega said. The city keeps a comprehensive list of properties and meets monthly to discuss challenging ones. 'We talk about properties with back taxes, absentee owners, or those damaged by fire. We work together to either demolish or return them to private hands,' Vega said. Other historic properties undergoing rehabilitation include The Caledonian Building at 185-193 High St., built in 1874. Weld Management Co. Inc. is leading the revitalization efforts for this landmark. The 111-year-old Appleton Mill in downtown Holyoke, formerly the Farr Alpaca Co., is being transformed by WinnDevelopment into 88 affordable apartments for seniors aged 55 and older. This project is supported by MassDevelopment, MassHousing and tax credits. Additionally, C Elliott Developers LLC, which has already revitalized a building on Main Street, is now working on 174 Lyman St. This project will bring 14 residential units and commercial space back to downtown Holyoke. 'The last business in that building was Saint Marks Paint Company, which closed about 10 years ago,' Vega said. That building has been a little bit of eyesore, as it's right at the start of Holyoke's annual St. Patrick's Road Race, Vega said. 'We're hoping by next year when the when the road race kicks off that people live in that building, and the property is already being cleaned up and improving that neighborhood,' he said. Vega said a historic property the city hopes to see revitalized is the Armory building next to the Senior Center. It's a good area that is right off Interstate 91, Vega said. While its historic front structure is intact, the rest of the building is falling down but can be rehabbed, he said. Read the original article on MassLive.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Entering NBA offseason, Rockets focused on both talent and chemistry
Entering NBA offseason, Rockets focused on both talent and chemistry 'A winning basketball team not only takes a lot of talent, it takes a lot of chemistry,' Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta says, via PaperCity. 'You can't just look at it from a numbers standpoint.' The Houston Rockets clearly aren't ruling out superstar trade pursuits this offseason, but it's far from a given that any will reach the finish line. After leading the league in roster continuity prior to the 2024-25 season, the Rockets rose from 41-41 and No. 11 in the Western Conference in 2023-24 to 52-30 and No. 2 in the West in 2024-25. As owner Tilman Fertitta sees it, that's no coincidence. And a further leap might happen in 2025-26, should Houston simply stay the course. 'A winning basketball team not only takes a lot of talent, it takes a lot of chemistry,' Fertitta said during the recently completed 2025 playoffs, as captured by Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Magazine. 'You can't just take players, move them in and out, and change out half the team and not worry about the chemistry of the team. You can't just look at it from a numbers standpoint.' 'You have to play together as a team. And I think one of the positives about this team is they all really like each other and they all know their place (on the team). And they all respect each other.' 'The continuity is definitely a competitive advantage,' added Patrick Fertitta, Tilman's son and ownership's day-to-day representative in basketball operations. The Rockets also have in-depth knowledge of their young prospects, since each was selected after an extensive pre-draft scouting and interviewing process in recent years. 'We studied all these players that are on this team,' the elder Fertitta said, via PaperCity. 'We know everything about every player on this team. Their whole life.' In the same article, general manager Rafael Stone credited continuity as at least part of the reason for the leaps taken by some of Houston's young players last season. Alperen Sengun became a first-time NBA All-Star and drew All-NBA votes for the first time, while Amen Thompson earned Most Improved Player votes. 'Especially with a young team, we thought that continuity would be helpful for the younger players,' Stone told PaperCity. 'The more you know people, the more secure you feel. The easier it is to be yourself and grow.' As things stand, Houston has a 'young core' comprised of seven players selected in the first round of the 2021 through 2024 draft cycles: Jalen Green, Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard. All were 23 years old or younger last season. Should the Rockets stay the course, that's probably the group from which further developmental leaps can be found. More: 2024-25 NBA awards ballots: Who voted for members of the Rockets?
