Greenfield man looks to fill community need with entertainment center

GREENFIELD — Having lived in Greenfield for roughly 20 years, Cody Wilson couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

“I lived through my 20s in Greenfield, and I noticed that there was nothing to do,” he said. “There have been some things that popped up and closed down, but nothing that really stuck. The next closest place to go for an entertainment spot is down in Hadley.”

With this in mind, Wilson, who studied business administration at Greenfield Community College, has a goal of creating a Greenfield-themed miniature golf facility, laser tag arena, roller ring and an “entrepreneur-led arcade,” in which residents can buy and profit from arcade games.

“I’ve been in this community long enough to understand that this is something that is greatly needed,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be a big, big improvement to what’s available for the community youth and what’s available for community entertainment in general.”

Wilson intends to open Gaudium Galaxy, a 24,000-square-foot entertainment and recreation center abutting Home Depot at 246 Mohawk Trail. With plans to sign the lease in December or January and open the space in February, Wilson said he has been in communication with the Greenfield Business Association and will soon take part in the Franklin County Community Development Corporation’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator Course.

To help raise money for startup costs, Wilson is holding an event at Beacon Field on Saturday starting at noon. The event will feature a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) table with craft kits, lawn games, a snack and beverage bar, and a “Nerf Frenzy” activity in which residents can bring their Nerf guns and compete for prizes in longshot tournaments.

While the event is free to attend, the Nerf contest will cost $2 to participate in and a cornhole tournament has a $10 fee. Wilson hopes to raise $3,400 for legal fees associated with applying for business financing and a development office.

Once he is able to open the entertainment center, Wilson, who worked in the culinary field for more than a decade, said he wants to transform a small section of the property into a culinary display area where residents can attend cooking classes or contests.

“I just want to provide the community a resource for it, because being able to cook your own food is one of those things that’s necessary, but the resources for learning that skill are dwindling,” he said.

Wilson said that given the fact the site has been vacant for roughly 20 years, he hopes he’ll be able to negotiate a fair rental fee with Home Depot, which owns the space.

“I really just want to see something positive come to Greenfield,” he said, “and I think this is really the most viable option for that to happen.”

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