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| Our mission is to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut's Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities. |
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Spring is in full swing, and that means it's the perfect time to take fresh look at our downtowns and Main Streets. Whether you're checking out the investment opportunities in downtown Torrington during our Legacy City Showcase or learning how your town can use its Plan of Conservation and Development to become more sustainable, April is a great time to be an active participant in making our downtowns shine!
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CMSC Members Earn National Accreditation
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The National Main Street Center recently announced the 2019 Nationally Accredited Main Street Programs during the Opening Plenary of the Main Street Now Conference in Seattle. CMSC is proud to report that all five of our designated Main Street programs achieved this honor!
Connecticut's 2019 Nationally Accredited Main Street Programs:
In order to achieve accreditation, the state's Designated Main Street Programs must annually meet ten performance standards set by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Working in partnership with the National Main Street Center, CMSC evaluates each of the designated programs on the ten criteria, which includes fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking programmatic progress and actively preserving historic buildings.
We hope you'll join us on congratulating these Main Street communities on their exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach®!
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Upcoming Workshop to Help Municipalities Use Their POCDs to Be Greener
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The workshop takes place April 26th at Middlesex Community College and is co-hosted by Sustainable CT and the CT Chapter of the American Planning Association. 2.0 Credits from the American Planning Association are pending. Learn more.
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▪ ASLA symposium will look at TOD "big picture" -
Join the CT Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects for Transit Oriented-Development: Places, Spaces and Showcases, on April 25th in Hartford. This is a symposium for landscape architects, architects, engineers and other design professionals, urban planners, transportation and economic development specialists, elected officials and community advocates. The program will examine TOD efforts in Connecticut through the lens of different projects to allow landscape architects to gain a better understanding of the "big picture" - and how their expertise fits in with that of allied professionals to help these projects benefit communities.
▪ CT Office of the Arts funding available - The CT Office of the Arts (COA) recently released the guidelines for its FY20 grant programs. Funding opportunities include: Regional Initiative grants, Arts Project grants, Supporting Arts grants, Arts Learning grants; Good to Great grants, ARTE-accessible grants, and Artist Fellowships. Click for more info, including criteria and application deadlines.
▪ Upcoming event showcases CT's Legacy City, Torrington - Downtown Torrington is rich in history, industry, architecture, and arts & culture. Learn about the City's development initiatives during the Torrington Downtown Preservation & Development Conference on April 18th. Highlights include a panel featuring Torrington's major arts & culture venues, walking tour of the downtown and networking with others looking to invest in the downtown. Register today!
▪ ITE Annual Meeting Comes to CT for first time in 18 years! - Register today for the upcoming ITE Northeastern District Annual Meeting to be held in New Haven, May 8-10. This is the first time that the Northeastern District Meeting has been held in Connecticut since 2001, 18 years ago! The annual meeting brings together 300 professionals from the Northeastern District of ITE including the Metropolitan NY-NJ, the Upstate NY, and the New England Sections across three days of technical seminars with industry experts, thought leaders and social events. Check out the event website for information on presentations and accommodations.
▪ Save the Date for free concert, Rocking the Hook - The 2019 Sandy Hook Village free concert takes place May 19 and will feature three popular local bands: The Traveling Danburys, Unclaimed Baggage, and Cheap Thrill, as well as a short student performance. Local restaurants will also feature special deals for the day.
Learn more!
▪ ULI event shows how anchor institutions can build healthy places
- Anchor institutions are beginning to play a vital role in strengthening the region's communities through partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders. This July, learn from local experts and seasoned practitioners about the Regional Plan Association's goal to help leverage these essential resources, and see how Stamford's Vita Health and Wellness District is making that vision a reality, during ULI's Anchor Partnerships are Building Healthy Places event.
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Spotlight on 2018 Award of Excellence Winner
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Downtown Chow-Down
Recipients:
CityCenter Danbury, City of Danbury
Partners: Get Downtown Danbury, Greater Danbury Chapter of Young CT Professionals
Award sponsored by:
Motivated to change negative perceptions of downtown Danbury, a few young professionals behind the group
Get Downtown Danbury
came together to put on a weekly food truck event, partnering with CityCenter Danbury (the downtown business improvement district) and the City of Danbury.
The resulting Downtown Chow-Down featured local food trucks, musicians, and small businesses in Kennedy Park every Thursday at lunchtime in the summer. The positive effects were felt immediately as
the number of people walking around increased, with 300-400 downtown workers, food truck followers, WSCU students, and local residents visiting downtown during the Thursday lunchtime event.
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