CEO's Comments, Spring 2007
Few will argue that downtown is on an upswing. All the signs are positive, from private investment to foot traffic and media interest. People are asking, why now? What has changed to make this happen? What was our "silver bullet"? Main Street's answer is always the same: that many people have been working hard for many years to support this trend. Private developers have stepped up to the plate and become stakeholders, and downtown organizations, supported by the City, have successfully collaborated to clean up the streets, make design improvements and bring new people to town to celebrate the results.
Our work has been thoughtful and targeted. For the past year, the Main Street Board of Directors has dedicated the organization to better integrating the waterfront and transportation area with the rest of the district. Festivals, design projects and promotional materials were all geared to connecting our visitor-rich transportation and waterfront area to the rest of the commercial district. For example, our Map & Guide, distributed in racks at Union Station, contains information on the newly completed Heritage Trail, thus enticing visitors to explore our streets. The Food Strolls have included a party boat on the waterfront and, at Lights & Song in December, Santa arrived by tugboat, again, to establish the connection between the two parts of our district.
A new project that promises to give our downtown an additional boost is the Smizer Perry Pro Bono Award which was granted to Main Street this spring. Smizer Perry is a top notch marketing and public relations firm with an office on State Street. Co-owner Amy Perry is a New Londoner with intimate knowledge of downtown. Perry's firm, based on a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders, including the City, New London Landmarks, Downtown New London Association and City Center District, will be developing a "brand" for downtown - a look and a message that will convey the energy and specialness of this place.
So, it is no accident that the Historic Waterfront District is charting a very positive course. If you have not been part of it up to now, think about joining us as we move forward.
