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Happy Holidays from CMSC!
As the year draws to a close, we’d like to pause for a moment to reflect on the last twelve months. It’s hard to believe the Covid pandemic disrupted our lives for a second year, but we’re fortunate vaccines and boosters have allowed us to begin meeting in person again, even if it’s with precautions and fist bumps instead of hugs and bare faces.
At CMSC, we have much to celebrate – new federal support for downtowns and CMSC via ARPA funding, the arrival of new staff, and a 2022 calendar full of trainings, events, in-person visits, and so much more.
We hope this holiday season brings you comfort and joy as you gather with loved ones and celebrate the season in your favorite Main Street venues. May 2022 bring us all a renewed spirit and even more opportunities to connect and grow!
Want to join our team?Check out our posting for a new Development Director to help us grow our funders and supporters! Applications due by Thursday, December 23rd.
Save the Date for CMSC's Winter Webinars
Never one to rest on our laurels, we’re ready to kick off our 2022 webinar series with some fantastic topics. First up are our Main Street 4-Point Approach webinars, a 4-part series aimed at providing municipal leaders and downtown professionals with a foundational overview of the 4-Point Approach. Save the dates to attend one or all of these events for an important primer on how to cultivate a thriving downtown.
Part 1 – January 18
Part 2 – January 25
Part 3 – February 1
Part 4 – February 8
Next up is the newest edition of our Recovery & Resiliency webinar series as we present Food Halls & Public Markets featuring Chelsea Mouta of Hartford’s Parkville Market. Mark your calendar now for February 22, 2022 for this fascinating discussion on how food halls and public markets can revive industrial spaces, attract vendors and celebrate local entrepreneurs and cultures.
Darien Celebrates The Corbin District Groundbreaking
Congratulations to David Genovese and Baywater Properties on the recent groundbreaking of the Corbin District in downtown Darien. This development is notable for its scale, with 11 new buildings and a town green on seven acres requiring extensive demolition and site preparation for new construction.
DECD Commissioner David Lehman called the development “transformational” for its impact on the town, saying this is exactly, “what towns all over Connecticut need to have, in terms of investment and bringing mixed use and residential and retail — more vibrancy in downtown.”
Recognizing the Corbin District’s potential and Baywater’s other projects in Darien, in 2018 CMSC awarded Mr. Genovese our annual Founder’s Award. He remains the lone private-sector developer to receive this award in its two-decade history. The Corbin District is a great example of the challenges and perseverance needed for downtown revitalization, with Mr. Genovese and his partners changing hearts and minds in Darien that dense mixed-use development was the right thing to do. It took Baywater Properties 16 years to assemble the properties through land purchases or adding landowners to its partnership team for the project, and to win approval from Darien’s planning and zoning department. Photo Credit: Alexander Soule/Hearst CT Media
Want your downtown management organization to have an awesome Board? Our latest blog from Jennifer Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC lays out the questions you need to ask before taking on new members, plus 5 key internal factors to look at to make a great impression on potential candidates.
Access professional development made for Main Street by registering for the Main Street America Institute's Advanced Principles coursesto grow your Main Street revitalization toolbox and receive guidance from experts in the field on topics ranging from sustainable organization to leadership development to quality design. These courses – offered throughout 2022 – are open to anyone who would like to attend, though Main Street America members receive a discount on course registration.
Learn more about course offerings, discounts, and registration detailshere.
Congratulations to the Newest Sustainable CT Certified Towns
Congratulations to the twenty-five communities who were recently celebrated for their 2021 Bronze or Silver Sustainable CT certifications at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) convention at Mohegan Sun.
Sustainable CT also introduced two new initiatives: a “Climate Leader” designation, in the planning stages for 2022; and a new Gold level certification expected in 2023. For the Climate Leader designation, they’ve identified high impact actions that reduce greenhouse gases, and will provide extra support to help towns pursue these actions and special recognition to towns that excel as Climate Leaders. As for the new Gold designation, Sustainable CT will be soliciting the help of CT cities and towns throughout 2022 to design the next level of certification.
Eversource Continues Its Support of Winterfest Hartford
CMSC’s Founding Sponsor, Eversource, continues its tradition of supporting Connecticut’s communities by once again being a major sponsor of Winterfest Hartford. This annual event brings free ice skating, skate rentals and skating lessons to Bushnell Park in Hartford for the holiday season. Skating began on Nov. 26 and runs through Jan. 9. The outdoor rink is open each day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with adjusted hours for Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.
This is the 11th year that the temporary rink has been built and is available for skating. Eversource has been a sponsor of the event every year.
Sponsorship is key to CMSC's ability to provide services to our members, and education & technical assistance to CT's downtowns. We proudly thank our many generous sponsors below.
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