Charting Maine’s Future

This Lewiston Sun Journal article reports that the Farmington Downtown Association recently held a well-attended public forum to discuss downtown revitalization efforts. Today’s Morning Sentinel also features this story about a series of facade improvements and public space investments beginning in Waterville funded by a community development block grant. Great news for vibrant downtowns!

These are also examples of the kinds of economic and community development that will be featured at the Revitalizing Maine Communities Conference on June 3 & 4 in Augusta. Last year, I attended a great session that Shannon Haines, Executive Director of Waterville Main Street (and prominently featured in the Sentinel article) and Rachael Weyand, of Heart of Biddeford, presented at the Maine Downtown Conference in Rockland. They shared the successes and challenges of some of Waterville and Biddeford’s respective efforts to foster and grow their creative economies. The session, held in a downtown Rockland gallery, resulted in an engaging conversation with all of the participants about the importance of the creative economy in communities of all sizes. Shannon will be leading a workshop again this year at the Revitalizing Maine Communities Conference about Barrels Community Market, a nonprofit market that sells locally produced wares, that Waterville Main Street developed and founded.

Visit the conference website for the full listing of workshops.

GrowSmart Maine is pleased to partner with Maine Downtown Center and Maine Preservation to present the Revitalizing Maine Communities Conference in downtown Augusta on June 3 & 4. For more information, click here.

This dynamic two-day conference will showcase the economic value of downtown revitalization and historic preservation. Nationally-recognized keynote speakers include economic guru Donovan Rypkema and community branding specialist Tripp Muldrow. Twenty-four workshops provide training with a focus on real solutions for Maine. Honor awards celebrate innovation, leadership and success. Networking opportunities provide memorable connections, all located in historic downtown Augusta.

Maine Downtown Center, Maine Preservation, and GrowSmart Maine have worked in partnership in the Maine Downtown Coalition, and in advocating for legislation in Augusta (like the Historic Preservation Tax Credit and Communities for Maine’s Future). We are looking forward to this two-day event that will highlight, develop, and grow the connections between vibrant downtowns, historic preservation, economic development and Maine’s Quality of Place.

Register today!

The conference is sponsored by:

Lead Sponsor:
Bangor Savings Bank

Major Sponsor:
Department of Economic and Community Development

Partners and Champions:
Lipman Katz & McKee
Consigli Construction Co. Inc.
Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, LLP
Wright-Pierce
Maine Turnpike Authority
MaineGeneral Health
R.H. Reny, Inc.
WBRC Architects - Engineers

Supporters and Friends:
Norway Savings Bank
Verrill Dana, LLP
Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce
Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
Mattson
Sutherland Conservation & Consulting

Today’s Mainebiz features GrowSmart Maine’s new Executive Director Nancy Smith in its “Newsworthy” section. Read the full article here.

And if you’re flipping through the print version of Mainebiz, Doug Rooks also wrote a piece about Kevin Mattson of Mattson Development, one of GrowSmart’s partners in advocating for the Historic Preservation Tax Credit and Communities for Maine’s Future.

Stay tuned to this blog in the coming weeks for more about the Communities for Maine’s Future bond vote on June 8th.