In the mid 1930s, during the Great Depression, GE began to use a compound in its transformers to replace mineral oil. This compound, which contained large amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), was used in transformer production in Pittsfield until 1976, the year Congress banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of PCBs. 

In 1999 GE, working with federal, state and local agencies, forged an unprecedented Consent Decree and a Definitive Economic Development Agreement (DEDA), to clean the plant site and surrounding area and rehabilitate the plant for future economic growth and development.

Pursuant to a special act of the legislature, Pittsfield formed the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA) for the purpose of planning and implementing the redevelopment of a portion of the total GE site – a 52-acre parcel that is part of the area defined by the USEPA as the “Plant Site.”


GE agreed to demolish the buildings on the 52-acre parcel, remediate the soil and leave 350,000 square feet of development-ready building space to be transferred to PEDA.

PEDA intends to redevelop the plant site and attract new jobs to Pittsfield, providing excellent facilities for industrial and commercial businesses that will complement retail, office and service sectors in the downtown area. The redevelopment will serve as a strong industrial component in the economy of Pittsfield and the entire surrounding region.

The Naming of the Former GE Plant Site

PEDA announced the name of the 52-acre parcel – The William Stanley Business Park of the Berkshires. The name memorializes William Stanley, Jr., who one hundred years ago brought innovation and industrial leadership to the Berkshires. Stanley was an entrepreneur of the highest standard and he represents the community’s perseverance over the past century. 

During the 1880s every system for distributing electricity used direct current (DC), but DC transmission over long distances was impractical. It was known at the time that alternating current (AC) voltage could be varied by use of induction coils to make long distance transmission feasible, but no practical coil system had been invented. With the support of George Westinghouse, Stanley demonstrated the first prototype system of high-voltage transmission using his transformer on March 20, 1886. Stanley actually used the system to provide lighting for offices and stores on the Main Street of Barrington, a first in the U.S.

Awarded a patent for his transformer “Induction Coil,” Stanley established businesses in both Great Barrington and Pittsfield and by the end of his life had been awarded a total 129 patents covering a wide range of electric devices. He died on May 14, 1916. The William Stanley Business Park of the Berkshires is an outgrowth of the heritage of entrepreneurs who inspire a true sense of strength and loyalty in Pittsfield and Berkshire County.

Return To Top

A comprehensive site plan as well as site specific and/or regional workforce demographic data can be obtained by contacting:
Tom Hickey
Director of PEDA (Pittsfield Economic Development Authority)
81 Kellogg St.
Pittsfield, MA, 01201
413-494-7332
thickey@peda.cc