GREENFIELD — Local entrepreneurs shared their views on an array of topics impacting business during a listening session with the mayor on Tuesday, with a focus on parking downtown, construction and future economic development projects.

As attendees took their seats at the John Zon Community Center, Mayor Ginny Desorgher kicked off the discussions with announcements on the city’s efforts to expand outdoor seating for restaurants, increase the police presence downtown and pursue a $7.78 million Main Street reconstruction project, which will include repaving and reconfiguring a large portion of Main Street spanning from Colrain Street to High Street.

Although the project was originally slated to begin in the fall of 2026, Desorgher said contractors will likely break ground on the street’s reconstruction in 2029. When Desorgher’s Chief of Staff Keith Barnicle opened the meeting to public comment, Franklin Associates owner Wayne Gass asked Desorgher for a description of the scope of the project, noting that a closure of Main Street for utility line replacement would be detrimental to local businesses.

“This is going to be a very, very disruptive process, not just coming in and doing some paving. This street is going to be torn up, at least in sections, for I don’t know how many years,” Gass said.

In response, Community and Economic Development Director Amy Cahillane said the city has not yet completed its 25% plan of the project, as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is still working on a road safety audit. After the audit, Cahillane said, the city will be able to complete its first project plan and will have more information on the scope of the work to share with business owners and the general public.

Danielle VerPlanck of VerPlanck Law also expressed concern over the project’s potential impact on business growth and economic development in Greenfield. She said although her law firm is not located downtown, the closure of a large portion of Main Street for years of repairs will serve as a blow to the city’s growth overall.

Desorgher responded that she is not sure how the city could mitigate the construction’s impact on commercial businesses, but noted that repairing and improving Greenfield’s infrastructure is an important goal for the entire city.

“We all know that we need water, and we know what problems we’ve had in the city by not taking care of some of our infrastructure. Can I plan for all of that appropriately and not have any effect on the downtown businesses? I’d be lying if I said I could,” Desorgher said. “You have to take care of your infrastructure, you have to replace the water mains and repair the roads. You do your best to notify one business at a time.”

Multiple business owners voiced their concerns over parking in the downtown area. The city finalized the results of a parking study last summer that revealed the city’s parking supply significantly outweighs demand, with roughly half of the city’s nearly 3,000 parking spots being vacant at all times. Ice Cream Alley co-owner Tim Dolan mentioned the city’s study when he asked Desorgher and her team if the city plans to ensure that the more desirable parking spots cost the most to park in.

Dolan also criticized the city’s decision to make library parking free permanently, arguing that the lot is being used as a spot for all-day parking. Desorgher noted that the city implemented it’s “Plan B” on free library parking by limiting free parking to the library’s business hours.

“We have let Fran, our parking officer, know and [Police Chief Todd] Dodge knows that we probably could make a fortune [in parking tickets] at 9:15 a.m. before the library opens,” she said. “So, let that be a word to the wise for any of you who work at the courthouse or a local bank or business that they will be knowing that at 9:15 in the morning you in all likelihood are not in the library, as it is an open yet.”

Desorgher also mentioned that the city plans to make changes to parking payment systems prior to the Main Street reconstruction project in 2029. She said the Parking and Traffic Commission is weighing its options on payment systems between coin-operated meters and pay-to-park apps such as Passport.

Greenfield Records co-owner Maria Danielson also brought up parking, explaining that her store’s customer base is largely made up of out-of-town shoppers who either drive to Greenfield to go record shopping or drop into the shop spontaneously while touring the downtown on foot. She asked Desorgher if the city plans to establish low-cost or free parking in the downtown area during the Main Street construction work to attract visitors to the city.

Barnicle responded to Danielson, commending her idea for parking mitigation during the upcoming period of redevelopment.

“That was a great suggestion for thinking about ways to potentially incentivize parking during redesign or figure out ways to make it more accessible, because that would be a way to help overcome some of these challenges,” he said.

The listening session was coordinated in a partnership between the city, the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the Greenfield Business Association. Before business owners took turns sharing their organizations’ upcoming events, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessye Deane closed by thanking attendees for their time and collaboration.

“When it comes down to it, what we all really want is that connection, and to see Greenfield and all of Franklin County move forward and become the best community it can be,” Deane said. “We’re all here because we believe in this area, so I appreciate the fact that we’re all here and we’re willing to do the work.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.