For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Christine Schilke
Communications Director
860.280.2356
christine@ctmainstreet.org
2018 VIBRANT MAIN STREETS Award Celebration
to be held in Downtown Danbury 
HARTFORD, December 14, 2017Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is pleased to announce that the City of Danbury and CityCenter Danbury will host the 2018 VIBRANT MAIN STREETS awards celebration on Monday, June 4, 2018. The event begins at 4:00 pm with an opening reception and awards presentation at the Palace Theatre, 165 Main Street. CityCenter Danbury will then host a Block Party on Post Office Walk, a pedestrian-oriented alley-way that connects Main Street to the CityCenter Green.
 
"When selecting the host city for our annual awards celebration, we identify downtowns that have a compelling story, including strong public/private partnerships, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, and improving the quality of life for all citizens. We are particularly impressed with Danbury's recent work in encouraging entrepreneurial activity in its multi-cultural community," said Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker, Associate Director of CMSC. 
 
Danbury is experiencing a tipping point and true momentum in the vitality of its historic downtown. The One Kennedy Flats apartment complex reflects a $70 million investment in downtown, offering 365 market-rate apartments. Naugatuck Valley Community College, Western Connecticut State University, the Paul Mitchell School, and Ridley-Lowell are all right at downtown's doorstep. 

The Danbury Downtown Special Services District began its revitalization efforts in 1989, and CityCenter Danbury has been a major player in many projects that have transformed downtown over the last few decades. Residents look forward to long-standing events such as the Taste of Greater Danbury and the Summer Concert Series, while anticipating newer ideas such as the Downtown Chow-Down and the Country Music & Food Truck Rally. There has also been a greater emphasis on the arts with the creation of a downtown Urban Sculpture Garden, this year's first annual Danbury Artisans Street Fair, and a collaboration with the City of Danbury for a Traffic Box Art initiative. As a member of the National Main Street Center and the Connecticut Main Street Center, CityCenter Danbury strives to accelerate the renewal of the city's urban core, with quality of life as the underlying theme.
 
"I was delighted to hear that the City of Danbury was chosen to host this year's VIBRANT MAIN STREETS awards celebration," said Mayor Mark D. Boughton. "Our downtown continues to grow into a more vibrant and progressive city center, which is why we are humbled and grateful for this prestigious honor. Downtown Danbury is the perfect example of what Connecticut Main Street Center stands for and we are certainly looking forward to hosting this event."
 
"We are thrilled to be hosting the 2018 VIBRANT MAIN STREETS awards celebration in Downtown Danbury this year," said CityCenter Danbury Executive Director PJ Prunty. "CityCenter Danbury looks forward to showcasing all the positive progress that our downtown has seen over the last few years. From new coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, boutique retail shops, upscale housing and plenty more! We eagerly await our colleagues from across the state and welcome them to Downtown Danbury." 
 
The CT Main Street Awards program was created in 2003 to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically.  Submissions are judged on criteria which include innovation, replication, representation, partnerships utilized, and impact. The 2018 award winners will be announced in early March.
 
The 2018 VIBRANT MAIN STREETS awards celebration is sponsored by Fuss & O'Neill, Express Strategies and CT Economic Resource Center.


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About Connecticut Main Street Center
CMSC's mission is to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut's Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities. CMSC is dedicated to community and economic development within the context of historic preservation, and is committed to bringing Connecticut's commercial districts back to life socially and economically.

CMSC is supported by its Founding Sponsors, the CT Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) and Eversource Energy.  CMSC is also supported by its Growth Sponsors,  UIL Holdings Corp.   and the State Historic Preservation Office . More information is available at www.ctmainstreet.org
 

   

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