 |
| Our mission is to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut's Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities. |
|
Help Support CMSC
CMSC is proud to help the over 80 communities in our member network create inviting, walkable and vibrant downtowns and town centers. Through our educational programs and technical assistance, we teach people how to maintain and manage their Main Streets. Please support us in this important work by making a donation today. Your support will help us continue to inspire great CT downtowns, Main Street by Main Street!
|
|
CMSC Adds New Community,
Professional Affiliate
to Network
|
|
CMSC is thrilled to welcome another community to our fast-growing member network -
the City of Ansonia!
Ansonia joins a statewide network of communities, all of whom are working on cultivating economically and socially vibrant downtowns and Main Streets.
Ansonia
Located on the Naugatuck River, Ansonia features a historic downtown. While its past as a prominent manufacturing community earned it the nickname, "The Copper City," today it boasts a beautiful bike-ped trail as part of the Naugatuck River Greenway.
Downtown Redevelopment Services
Please join us in welcoming our our newest Professional Affiliate, Downtown Redevelopment Services. DRS understands that downtown isn't just a place, but the center of every community. They offer specialized planning services to provide meaningful and implementable strategies for revitalizing downtowns. DRS will be hosting an upcoming webinar on Right-Sized Master Planning on October 28th.
Scroll down for more info!
|
|
Retail Summit Draws Large Crowd, Press Coverage
|
|
Nearly 100 people from 43 towns and three states (CT, RI and MA) joined us for our recent Retail in the Age of Disruption summit at The Lyceum in Hartford on October 2nd. Featuring national speakers Robert Gibbs and Larisa Ortiz, along with a panel of experts from the fields of retail, real estate, development and planning, this event offered a wealth of data on consumer behavior and key trends in downtown retail. Attendees also appreciated the realistic, "nuts and bolts" advice on improving exteriors and streetscapes to attract consumers and shoppers.
|
|
▪ Apply now to be a Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion - All Main Street America members are pre-qualified to serve as an American Express Neighborhood Champion on a first come, first served basis. Just fill out the application at shopsmall.com/nmsc and indicate you were referred by the National Main Street Center (NMSC) in the drop-down box. Applications close on Nov. 7, so be sure to apply now. Once you're approved, you'll get complimentary marketing materials, planning guides, an event kit with Shop Small® merchandise, and more to support your effort.
▪ Join CMSC's newest Professional Affiliate for upcoming webinar - Downtown Redevelopment Services is offering an upcoming webinar to discuss how to undertake rightsized planning for your community. Recognizing that community plans are not one size fits all, this webinar will discuss how to assess your community's vibrancy and ensure efficient and meaningful master planning. The webinar takes place October 28th at 2PM EST.
Register today!
▪ Register now for upcoming iForum on tools to fight blighted properties -
Blighted properties can seem an intractable problem to our cities and towns. They destabilize
neighborhoods, create safety concerns, and diminish local property values reducing local tax revenues. But Connecticut has two new tools to fight blight and stabilize neighborhoods: Land Banks and Receivership. From Vacant to Vibrant: Connecticut's New Tools to Stabilize Neighborhoods will talk about these new tools and how CT towns can take advantage of them. October 30th from 2:30PM - 5:30 PM at The Lyceum in Hartford. Learn more & register
▪
DECD hosting Opportunity Zone Conference -
Connecticut has 72 federally-designated Opportunity Zones in urban and suburban areas across the state, which are
closely aligned with the state's priorities and investments. DECD
is hosting a one-day conference that includes panels, interactive discussions and networking opportunities to help professionals stay at the forefront of this industry. Connect with investors, developers, economic development professionals and local leaders, learn how to jump start projects, and make smart investments in CT. October 30th in New Haven; cost is $99 for general attendees, $55 for state & municipal employees. Register here
▪ Join us for our upcoming BRIDGE Series event on Walkability - Our November 8th BRIDGE Series event, Creating Walkability. . . The First Steps, will feature David V. Sousa, RLA, AICP, Senior Landscape Architect/Transportation Planner, CDM Smith, and Ryan Bingham, Senior Government Relations Manager, Sullivan & LeShane, Inc. Together, they'll talk about the first steps communities can take to improve investor confidence and seed more permanent, longer-term revitalization to attract new residents, businesses, and investors.
▪ Post University Wins Main Street Waterbury Award -
Main Street Waterbury, a
CMSC member community, recently awarded Post University and its CEO, Dr. John Hopkins, with their 2019 Community Partnership Award. Post University recently opened a new campus in downtown Waterbury, bringing hundreds of employees downtown and restoring the Howland Hughes building. Together, they're transforming the downtown with a renewed sense of vibrancy.
|
|
Spotlight on
2019 Award of Excellence Winner. . .
|
|
Noble Gas Inc. & Crosskey Architects
Noble Hartford mixed-use development in
South Downtown Hartford
While increasing transit is ideal, the reality is that for many of us, cars are an integral part of our lives. Our challenge is integrating them into walkable, connected communities in a way that enhances a community instead of detracting from it. Noble Hartford represents a unique private/public collaboration that meets this goal - offering a convenient, prominently located gas station combined with a three-story mixed-use building, offering eight beautiful apartment homes over an attractive ground-floor market store. The end result is a human-scaled, attractive street wall that brings residents downtown, encourages feet-on-the-street while also meeting the practical needs of car drivers.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
