Downtown Update

Newsletter of the Connecticut Main Street Center
 

June/2014

Vol.14, Issue 6     

Inspiring great Connecticut downtowns, Main Street by Main Street.
Awards of Excellence Bring Out The Best In Main Streets  

CMSC held its annual Awards Gala last week at Roia Restaurant in New Haven, bringing Main Street executives, organizers and supporters together for a night of celebration. This year CMSC changed the format, giving guests more time to mix and mingle throughout the restaurant, which is located in the gorgeously restored Taft Hotel .

 

Town officials, local stakeholders and downtown organizations beamed with pride as they received their awards. CMSC members congratulated their colleagues on a job well done as they celebrated their own accomplishments for the year.

 

Click here to view photos from the event.

The group from Seymour proudly shows off their Award for Renewed Commitment to Main Street

2014 Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence

Events & Programming

Award of Excellence for Wine on Main Street - Main Street Waterbury, Terry Boyd, Braza Churrascaria, Courtyard by Marriott, Diorio's Restaurant, Shamrock Pub & Grill, Tryst Lounge, Signature's Restaurant, City Hall Caf�, Howland Hughes Center, Nutmeg Fine Wine & Spirits.

 

Marketing & Communications

Award of Excellence for Discover NW CT - Northwestern CT Regional Planning Collaborative (representing the Towns of Sharon, Falls Village, Goshen, Cornwall, Canaan, Salisbury, Kent, and Norfolk), Studio Two, local business owners in the eight towns in the "Secret Corner", and local historical societies.

 

Public Space

Award of Excellence for Complete Streets Master Plan for Downtown New Britain - Downtown Streetscape Working Group, City of New Britain (including the Mayor's Office, Public Works, Planning and Parks Departments), New Britain Downtown District, Polonia Business District, Central Connecticut State University/ITBE, Capitol Region Council of Governments, and Project Consultant Team.

 

Renewed Commitment to Main Street

Award of Excellence for Seymour Downtown Action Strategy - Town of Seymour, Seymour Economic Development Commission, Seymour Downtown Committee, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, Naugatuck River Greenway Steering Committee, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, Downtown Merchants Association, Planimetrics, Milone and MacBroom; CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 

Main Street Partnership

Award of Excellence for Axis901 and MCC on Main - First Niagara Bank, Manchester Community College (MCC) Foundation, Town of Manchester (Board of Directors and Staff).

 

Economic & Business Development

Award of Excellence to The Business Women of Grand Street - Main Street Waterbury, The Dutch Flower Lady, Technology Forensics, John Bale Book Company, Fine Craft Jewelers, Dottie's 2, Princess Lingerie, Brass City Market on Field, Fashion Addict.

 

2014 Nationally Accredited Main Street Programs

Simsbury Main Street Partnership

Upper Albany Main Street (Hartford)

Westville Village Renaissance Alliance (New Haven)

Main Street Waterbury

 

2014 Volunteers of the Year

▪ Jordan Whipple - New London Main Street 

Michelle Muddy - Simsbury Main Street Partnership 

▪ Rob Gardner - Main Street Waterbury

▪ Kathleen Bradley - Westville Village Renaissance Alliance

 

2014 Board Members of the Year

▪ Renee Fournier - New London Main Street 

▪ Grace Connors - Simsbury Main Street Partnership

▪ Eileen LeMay - Main Street Waterbury

▪ Eric Epstein - Westville Village Renaissance Alliance

 

Spotlight on 2014 Awards of Excellence Sponsors
CMSC says Thank You! 
John Simone stands with some of our wonderful sponsors.

CMSC's 2014 Awards Gala was a smashing success thanks to our generous sponsors. Their support allows us to celebrate the best in downtown revitalization, while raising awareness for our Main Streets and local businesses.

 

CMSC would like to recognize the following sponsors for their commitment to inspiring great downtowns:

 

Main Street Sponsors

Baywater Properties

EDC New Haven

First Niagara Foundation

Fuss & O'Neill

Liberty Bank

Southern Connecticut State University School of Business

UIL Holdings Corporation

Yale-New Haven Hospital

 

Leadership Sponsors

CDM Smith

Colliers International

Community Investment Corporation

CT Economic Development Association

Corporation for Independent Living

Express Strategies

Yale University Office of New Haven & State Affairs

CT Economic Resource Center

 

Award for Public Space Sponsors

Jasko Development LLC

Webster Bank

 

Award for Economic & Business Development Sponsor

Webster Bank

Our sponsors helped make this a great event.
Pictures from the 2014 Awards Gala have been posted to our Facebook page. Learn more about the winning initiatives and individuals here. 

Re-Mains of the Day 

 

CMSC Board Member David Sousa shows towns how to create WALQ-able communities. - Last year CMSC introduced the Come Home to Downtown program, which aims to bring housing above commercial space to small downtown buildings. Three towns were chosen for the program's first year: Middletown, Torrington and Waterbury. Each of them received customized technical assistance in how to redevelop a select building into a mixed-use development. As part of the program, each community also received a WALQ audit from David Sousa, a landscape architect and urban planner with CDM Smith. These audits assessed the community's downtown area and provided recommendations on how to increase connectivity, walkability and enable human-scaled designed. As a follow-up to his report, Mr. Sousa has been meeting with officials from these communities, walking the streets with them and providing a real-world discussion on how their downtowns can be improved. Click here to view a video of his visit.    

 

CMSC Board Member Toni Gold Pens Op-Ed on new Rock Cats Stadium - Toni Gold, a transportation consultant and member of the I-84 Public Advisory Committee, wrote a compelling opinion piece for the Hartford Courant on why it's imperative for Hartford officials to consider the re-design of I-84 when planning the construction of the proposed Rock Cats baseball stadium, as merely locating the new ballpark near I-84 and I-91 is not a guarantee of its success, nor does it ensure it can be easily reached by patrons.  Read the full article here.

   

Take a virtual tour of the new CTfastrak - There's been a lot of media coverage about CTfastrak, the dedicated busway coming to Connecticut that will offer quick, convenient access between New Britain and Hartford. A new animated video offers a great way to visualize just what the final system will look like, including the new stations and dedicated roadway.  CMSC fully supports CTfastrak's arrival, viewing as a great alternative to the car that will bring people, housing and retail back to our town centers.  

Main Street Waterbury thanks CMSC for decade of support - CMSC Designated Member, Main Street Waterbury, recently presented CMSC with a token of its gratitude for ten years of support at its recent annual meeting.  This inspiring event celebrated the work of MSW's committees and volunteers over the last year, including events such as the popular Brass City Brew Fest and the new Vibes After Five website.   They also reflected on the organization reaching the ten-year milestone, including CEO Carl Rosa, who was presented with a collage of the many events he has helped bring to the downtown over the years.

President's Message 

Why Supporting Main Street Matters   

Our Awards Gala is our biggest public event of the year. It's a time for us "Main Streeters" to gather and celebrate our achievements. This event is also the perfect time to talk about how important it is for all of us to support our downtowns and Main Streets.

 

Our Main Streets matter because they bring us together, offering us a chance to celebrate our past while creating a new, better future, designed not just to meet our current needs, but our desired outcomes, whether that's shorter commutes, a greener planet, more entertainment choices or a greater variety of housing options. When our sponsors contribute, they give so much more than money, they provide us and our members the opportunity to do great things and to share that knowledge with others. 

 

Our Awards Gala  is as well-received as it is because of the generous support of our sponsors. In doing so, they show they believe in our work, and that of our members. They understand that when our downtowns thrive, so do our local economies. Creating public spaces, affordable housing and growing businesses gives people the opportunity to improve their lives. By supporting us, we are then able to help our members create just such places. And when they do, we're able to bring attention to their work and show others that it is possible, providing the tools to create their own great places.  

 

To all of those who support CMSC including our sponsors, Board of Directors, members, colleagues and more, we say thank you for your continued commitment to Connecticut's downtowns and Main Streets.

Connecticut Main Street Center

c/o CL&P

PO Box 270 

Hartford, CT 06141

860/280.2337

www.ctmainstreet.org

 

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In This Issue
Awards of Excellence Bring Out the Best in Main Streets

Spotlight on 2014 Awards of Excellence: Our Sponsors
 
Re-Mains of the Day - CMSC Board Member David Sousa shows towns how to be more WALQ-able; CMSC Board Member Toni Gold pens op-ed on new Rock Cats stadium; Take a virtual tour of CTfastrak; Main Street Waterbury thanks CMSC for decade of support
 
President's Message:
Why Supporting Main Street Matters
Upcoming Events

 

Business After Hours at Custom House Maritime Museum  

New London 

June 18

More Info 

 

Drive-In Movie

Enfield Public Library 

June 27 

More Info 

 

Square Fair

Storrs Center 

June 27   

More Info 

 

Talcott Mountain Music Festival

Simsbury

June 27 - July 25

More Info 

 

CMSC Offices Closed for Independence Day

July 4   

 
 
Courtney Hendricson

Enfield

 Assistant Town Manager of Development Services
Photo Credit: Enfield Patch
 

Courtney has spent many years helping towns grow their local economies, including five years as Farmington's economic development director during which the town saw economic growth as new businesses moved in.

 

Although Courtney has been in her current Enfield post since 2013, she has already helped usher in new zoning regulations that will allow medical and research facilities to be built in town.  

 

She also empowers local businesses with events like a business breakfast specifically for commercial real estate brokers, developers and investors to learn more about the town's vision for Enfield, and making sure small businesses looking to expand into the Thompsonville area are aware of financial resources provided by the town.

 

As a testament to her commitment to helping Connecticut's communities, Courtney was presented the 2011 Economic Developer of the Year award by CERC for her significant contributions to commercial real estate and economic development in the state.

 

We celebrate Courtney for her efforts to support downtown revitalization.  

 

WAY TO GO Courtney!! 


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