Insurance Center of New England Renovating HQ

AGAWAM — Construction has begun on the new headquarters for the Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) on Route 75 with a scheduled completion date of Dec. 1. The new ‘campus’ will be on the former site of the Oaks wedding and banquet facility. David Florian, ICNE chief financial officer, noted that the business had outgrown its present location on Park Street in West Springfield and was also pursuing a higher-quality, greener, and healthier work environment for its employees. The company has 35 employees at its West Springfield office and 30 employees at its Heritage Insurance Agency subsidiary in Gardner. The interior of the new headquarters will be renovated and configured into efficient office space with multiple conference rooms and a modern exercise room for employees. A feature of the building will be windows that open to allow fresh air from the rural environment to flow through the building. The exterior façade will also be completely redesigned, and the exterior grounds will be renovated into a much greener setting with extensive landscaping. The renovated building will also have an additional 5,500 square feet of office space available for lease. Collins-Crochiere Construction of Wilbraham is the general contractor for the project.

Baystate Health Wins Top Employer Award

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health recently received the 2010 Employer of the Year Award at the Massachusetts Jobs and Workforce Summit in Sturbridge. Gov. Deval Patrick and more than 300 business, labor, education, and workforce leaders gathered to discuss employment and training strategies for the state as it begins its climb out of the recession. Baystate Health received the award for its innovative training and career-development programs, according to Alan Macdonald, executive director of the MA Business Roundtable, a sponsor of the event, and a member of the Workforce Solutions Group Executive Team. The Workforce Solutions Group is a coalition led by Crittenton Women’s Union, the Mass. Communities Action Network, the Mass. Workforce Professionals Assoc., MA Business Roundtable, the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, the Mass. Workforce Board Assoc., Mass. AFL-CIO, and SkillWorks. For more information on the coalition, visit www.workforcesolutionsgrp.org.

WSC Seeks Name Change

BOSTON — Westfield State College is among several state colleges that seek a name change under a bill recently approved by the state House of Representatives. Under the bill, Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield, and Worcester state colleges would be renamed as state universities. The Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne would retain their names but would be included in the new state university system. Supporters of the bill note the name change could help boost student enrollment and donations.

Cedar Ridge Community Breaks Ground

WILBRAHAM — The Pecoy Companies recently broke ground on its new Villages of Cedar Ridge condominium community with a new design platform for the 404 Stony Hill Road project. Opened in 2007 as Cedar Ridge, a 55-and-over, age-restricted community, the development was stymied by the collapse of the regional and national housing market. As a result, Pecoy representatives met with small groups of potential buyers to determine what changes to the design and living space might be preferred. Pecoy learned that buyers are interested in standalone structures, with more efficient layouts and a smaller footprint than Cedar Ridge’s first units. Kent Pecoy, owner of the Pecoy Companies, noted that the company is planning standalone two-story homes, as well as a standalone ranch style. The design includes several small village clusters within the Cedar Ridge community using a cul-de-sac layout, each with unique design characteristics. Carlson GMAC Real Estate in Wilbraham is marketing the units.

Community Dental Clinic Opens at STCC

SPRINGFIELD — Area residents now have additional options in dental care services with the opening of the Springfield Community Dental Clinic on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). The clinic is operated by the Holyoke Health Center, under contract to Western Massachusetts Hospital. The clinic’s location was selected on the basis of the families in close proximity to STCC who could benefit from the dental services, the college’s accessibility by bus, and other factors, including becoming a clinical site for STCC dental-assistant students. The clinic is located on the second floor of Building 20, STCC’s health building, in room 218. To make a dental appointment or for more information, call (413) 420-6250. A Spanish-speaking staff member is also available. Clinic hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a staff of three dentists, alternating by day, and one dental hygienist, working on Friday. As the patient volume increases, clinic hours will be expanded. Insurance accepted at the clinic includes MassHealth, Commonwealth Care, Health Safety Net, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Children’s Medical Security Plan (Unicare), Delta Dental, MetLife, and Principal Dental. Funding for the project came from the Oral Health Foundation (funded by Delta Dental of Massachusetts), Western Massachusetts Hospital; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management, Partners for a Healthier Community Inc., Mass. Dental Society, and STCC.