GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Business Association will move into its first independently operated office at 278 Main St. on Thursday, a switch from remote operations to a brick-and-mortar location that Director Hannah Rechtschaffen said will be useful when the city begins its roughly $13 million Main Street redesign project.

After the GBA separated from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce five years ago, leaving behind its shared location at 393 Main St., the organization operated for a brief period in a shared space at Greenspace CoWork, also at 278 Main St., before switching to remote work.

Now, the GBA will use its new 687-square-foot space in its own suite, rented from Cohn & Company Real Estate, as a central office space, to be equipped with a 10-person conference table and desk space for Rechtschaffen and one other employee to host programs and board meetings. After the move, the GBA plans to establish office hours beginning Sept. 1.

“We’re still swimming upstream on the reputation that the GBA is only a downtown organization, so deciding to take an office downtown was a consideration, but when we really thought about the visibility for businesses, I’m constantly asked, ‘Where can we find you, where can we go to get more information?’” Rechtschaffen said. “Even post-COVID, when it’s become so normalized to be working from home, that response doesn’t inspire much confidence in a business owner.”

Rechtschaffen said the Main Street redesign project, which will include repaving and reconfiguring a portion of Main Street from Colrain Street to High Street and significant sewer system repairs starting in 2029, will have a unique set of challenges to businesses, such as road closures or parking shortages. Having a central location for businesses owners to meet and help navigate these challenges, she noted, will be crucial in years ahead.

“[The redesign project] is already something that the business community is really aware of and something that will impact Greenfield as a whole, both in challenging and beneficial ways,” she said. “I also really wanted the business community at large to know that we are here, we are looking to grow alongside them, we’re looking to provide better services and be a strong connecting hub for the businesses in Greenfield services. ... A physical space was a real statement of that.”

On Aug. 19, the GBA will host a roundtable discussion on the best ways to support businesses located in the corridor between Deerfield, River and Mill streets — an area that serves as an entryway to the city. The GBA’s new location, within walking distance to local businesses, Rechtschaffen said, will allow the organization to more seamlessly connect with business owners and gauge the challenges they face.

“My hope for myself and for my organization is that being downtown will make it easy for me to just get up from my desk and go for a walk, even amid construction chaos,” she said.

In a statement, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessye Deane said the chamber is excited to see the GBA establish itself downtown.

“We are thrilled to see the GBA set roots in downtown, and continue to stabilize and advance the organization toward a full-time directorship,” Deane said. “The GBA is an invaluable partner in the chamber’s efforts in Franklin County and this move will expand their role within Greenfield’s economic development initiatives, which is great.”

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