The Kingston Midtown Business Alliance (MBA), which was formed about three years ago and now has 61 businesses in its membership, has launched a program designed to change the way the public perceives its part of Kingston. The Midtown section of the city is defined as the three-quarter square mile section along both sides of Broadway between the city’s Uptown and Downtown sections.
Bill Cranston, president of MBA, told a meeting on Nov. 21, “For too long, the conversation about Midtown has been dominated by a singular narrative of homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises.”
Cranston announced that MBA’s new program is called Changing the Lens.
“These issues are real and heartbreaking, deserving of our full, urgent attention and compassion,” Cranston said. “But the negative focus, driven by news reports taken from the police blotter and emergency responses, obscures the full vibrant picture of Midtown, which is experiencing a cultural surge of creative community-led activity powered by longtime residents and new neighbors alike.”
While MBA is planning to not reveal full details about Changing the Lens until February, it did disclose that there will be a series of communications efforts, public events and active participation in local government over the next three years that would be designed to highlight the area’s positive attributes for businesses, entrepreneurs and visitors.
“Midtown is the heart of Kingston,” Cranston said. “Midtown is not just a neighborhood, but a genuine mirror reflecting the struggles and triumphs of urban America today. This neighborhood fosters successful businesses and an active, passionate community that is seeking connection post-pandemic. Beyond what the headlines suggest, Midtown is a place of hope and innovation.”
Cranston is a Kingston resident and owner of Boulevard Wine & Spirits in the Midtown section of the city.
MBA has been conducting a needs assessment survey of businesses in the area that it expects to complete Dec. 4. It has received about three dozen responses to date and plans to use the survey results to help formulate its policies and activities.
MBA notes that it stages informal meetings at local businesses, where anyone interested in networking with the local business community can drop in and chat. Through MBA Member Mixers, the organization’s members, their guests, and those interested in joining the MBA can network and attend presentations on topics of interest to the Midtown business community. It also sponsors events such as a summer Midtown Market that was held last year and a movie night that took place at the Midtown Linear Park.
