Important Opportunity to Help Plan for our Neighborhood this coming Weekend

[Lee Cruz]

Dear Neighbors:

Mayor Harp has placed a high priority on economically reinvigorating New Haven’s neighborhoods.  This past winter, she invited consultants from the CT Main Street Center to meet with businesses, community groups, political leaders, and ordinary citizens throughout the city to assess our ability to launch our own “Main Street” commercial revitalization program.  Thanks to the efforts many people in our community, the consultants gained a thorough perspective on the tremendous strengths of our city and its people.

In May, those consultants issued a report confirming that, in their opinion, New Haven in general and Grand Avenue specifically has the tools to implement a “Main Street” program, Linked below are the report prepared by the consultants, the powerpoint presentation at a meeting where City staff explained the next steps in the process and support documents.

• Main Streets Initiative Presentation 10/14
• The Main Street Approach
• Planning Main Street's Work
• New Haven Main Street Feasibility Report

City of New Haven staff have been working on the next steps: recruiting people who want to help implement the “Main Street” approach and getting them trained, myself included.

Therefore, I’d like to invite you to consider joining this important initiative. 

The City has arranged for a three-day training session with National Main Street Center trainers on how to use the “Main Street” approach to begin revitalizing our neighborhoods. Training will take place at  200 Orange Street in Room G-2 (basement), on the following dates:

• Friday, November 7, at 7:00-9:00PM
• Saturday, November 8, at 10:00AM-5:00PM
• Sunday, November 9 at 12:00-5:00PM  

Refreshments will be served to participants.

We are hoping to identify 7-9 participants in each of the neighborhoods to assist in building the foundation for this CT Main Streets Initiative. We welcome your involvement, and look forward to your active, ongoing participation in this project.  Please feel free to circulate this information to anyone whom you think might be interested in learning more about being a part of this initiative.  If you have any questions and to RSVP, please contact Steve Fontana at [e-mail], or call 203-946-5891.

Please click here to read the biographies of the National Main Street Center trainers.

This is the draft agenda for the Main Street Training

 

Day1 (Friday, Nov. 7, 7 – 9 PM): Main Street Overview

- Learn about the Main Street four-point approach, eight guiding principles, and overall program operation, as well as how to create a strong volunteer corps using proven volunteer recruitment techniques.

Day 2 (Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 AM – 5 PM):

- Introduction to Main Street - Organization

- Learn the basics of establishing and running a successful Main Street program. All aspects of organizational structure will be covered, including the organization committee and its role in volunteer recruitment, fundraising, public relations, and more.  

- Introduction to Main Street - Promotion

- Learn the elements of a well-crafted promotional strategy and ways to plan for success.  

Day 3  (Sunday, Nov. 9, noon – 5 PM):

- Introduction to Main Street - Design

- Learn how to get visual improvements underway, how to put together a first-year work plan, and how to assign roles and responsibilities to staff and committee members.

- Putting It All Together: Preparing a Main Street Work Plan

- Learn how to develop a comprehensive work plan with measurable program objectives, timelines, budgets, and responsibilities, as well as specific activities for each of the core Main Street principles.  Lead participants through the necessary steps to start writing their own plans.

If you have any questions about our involvement in this process, as a neighborhood association, you can reach me at 203.668.7074 or [e-mail]. Thank you, Lee Cruz