Revitalizing Our Community - The Merchants of Sturbridge

As many have no doubt heard or read about by now, Sturbridge public officials, residents, and members of the business community have undertaken a grass roots initiative aimed at revitalizing our community. This group, approximately one hundred strong, has been meeting for the last six weeks in an effort to develop a comprehensive strategy for reinvigorating our local economy and breathing excitement back into our community.

In addition to what you may have heard from enthusiastic supporters or read about in the local news media, I wanted to provide a more detailed progress report, while simultaneously reviewing our brief history.

As some of you may recall, I had pledged during the election campaign to reach out to and work with the business community in an effort to stem the exodus of local merchants from our community. To that end, I initiated direct contact with retail establishments, local restaurants and attractions, along with local government representatives and residents soliciting their commitment to join to participate in a Downtown Revitalization Summit.

The “Summit” would provide an opportunity for various groups within the community to Communicate directly in hopes of laying the foundation for long-term Cooperation. Subsequently, it was hoped that this cooperation would result in better Coordination of community-wide efforts and a stronger Commitment from all to work collectively towards solving the issues facing the community.

In just under six weeks, we have witnessed some very impressive and inspiring progress, which is galvanizing increased support within the community. The “Downtown Revitalization Summit” has resulted in the formal establishment of the “Merchants of Sturbridge” (MOS), a comprehensive group of merchants, professional service providers, residents, and local public officials whose charge is to create a strong desire and reason for people to Shop, Eat, and Stay in Sturbridge.

The group at large has met three times, with each meeting witness to standing room only representation. The enthusiasm and energy present at each meeting is as palpable as a head-to-head finish-line race by world-class runners. Inspired by the overwhelming sense of hope within the group, the Publick House, Old Sturbridge Village, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park have each pledged substantial donations to the group. Merchant, resident, and governmental members have responded by pledging personal donations towards our revitalization efforts.

Three committees have been formed within MOS to better channel and prioritize efforts. Each committee – Marketing Team, Events Committee, and Finance Committee are comprised of merchants, residents, and at least one local government representative so as to ensure a cohesive, coordinated, and comprehensive approach to identifying solutions to the challenges facing our community.

Soon, in small incremental steps, residents and visitors alike will begin to witness the fruits of labor produced by these committees and MOS at large. A Marketing Plan has been developed and is in a “pre-release” state as funding options are reviewed. The Events Committee is developing two “event blueprints” that will guide long-term (strategic) planning as well as short-term (tactical) planning efforts. The strategic blueprint is focused on creating four seasonal events designed to draw both residents and visitors alike to our town in celebration. The tactical blueprint is designed to capitalize on conferences, tour groups, and emerging events driven by the calendars of local attractions and hotels. The Finance Committee is in the preliminary stages of incorporating the Merchants of Sturbridge as a non-profit community entity with an overriding theme of “revitalizing and reinvigorating” our beloved community. The incredible devotion to this endeavor by the Sturbridge Business Community has been nothing short of inspirational.

An important and integral aspect of this cooperative relationship has been the input of resident members of the organization. Sturbridge residents are providing a balanced consumer perspective that integrates their financial concerns, hopes, and dreams, as well as their desire for a thriving community that capitalizes on and protects the character of Sturbridge. As well, they have stepped forward to provide direct assistance to merchants in beautifying our Main Street district. Over the last week, residents Karin Rokicki, Maryann Thorpe, Emma Thorpe, and Jeannine Creamer have donated their services to merchants, providing 21 hours of landscape work, with many more hours still committed.

Surely, in the grand scheme of things, our progress to date can only be measured in mere baby steps. When one views the enormous challenges before us and the long steady decline of our downtown district, (years in the making), coupled now with a beleaguered economy, it is clear that no quick-fix silver bullet is going to transform our community overnight. Nevertheless, one must bear in mind as well that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and to that end, it is encouraging that we have already taken several steps and our stride at this point appears to be a comfortably enthusiastic one.