Danbury”™s downtown economic leaders see the city”™s future pegged to arts and to cooperation with immigrant businesses.
“There have been some good ideas being tossed around,” said Wayne Shepperd, economic development director of Danbury. “We just need to take a step forward.”
Shepperd said that through the Danbury Main Street Renaissance Task Force, he has seen builders and developers in the area excited to be giving input on ways that downtown can achieve a revival.
“They were delighted that they”™ve been asked to provide their input,” said Shepperd. “Now there”™s got to be some action. Whether that is to create an incubator business, we know we want arts in the core of Danbury; we know that”™s key. We”™ve brought one gallery, for example, on West Street. That”™s a good step in that direction, but it”™s about what can we all as a group get behind this and try to promote it. It could be something as small a coffee shop. Downtown Danbury, believe it or not, doesn”™t have a proper coffee shop.”
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John Kline, president of Union Savings Bank and the chairman of the Main Street Renaissance Task Force, said the task force is trying to create a forward looking plan to take the Danbury downtown to the next level.
Kline said another tactic that the task force hopes to use is to build on the precedent set by the success of the Connecticut Film Festival and stimulate the city”™s art and cultural assets.
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“We have the Palace Theatre and we think that is a critical piece to the overall success of the renaissance,” said Kline.
Kline said the Task Force which has been meeting with local builders and developers needs to try to find the right mix of businesses that the city needs to attract.
“When you look at other city”™s renaissances, what you need is the right business interaction,” said Kline. “We have a unique situation here where we have the Danbury Fair Mall, one of the most successful malls in the country.”
Kline said he doesn”™t expect to attract the larger retailers, but more boutique operations.?“We have a great infrastructure down here, and a lot of improvements have been made.”
According to Shepperd the city has in the past few months opened the new police station, the John Perry Field, a synthetic athletic pitch, and this week will open the new Ellsworth Avenue Elementary School.
“The Steiner family also has approval for hotel, office park and restaurant along Mill Plain Road,” said Shepperd. “That”™s still in the works.”
Shepperd said that Danbury is putting such a stress on the promotion of arts because retail is hard to grow, especially with the Danbury Mall so close by and Western Connecticut State University is too large of a demographic not to tap.
“We have our city center program that revolves around the city green in Danbury,” said Shepperd. “It”™s been very successful.”
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Shepperd said the film festival has enjoyed great success and with the revival of the Palace Theatre there will be a great platform for the arts in Danbury.
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“That seems to be something that has legs,” said Shepperd.
Kline said that the task force plans to look at the advantages that the downtown has, such as the thriving immigrant population and the proximity to Western Connecticut State University.
Shepperd said Naugatuck Valley Community College is also looking at expanding in Danbury.
“I”™d say this is a turning point for the city center of Danbury,” said Kline. “But there are strategies that need to be put in place.”
Kline said that by trying to take an interest in the immigrant businesses that have begun to grow on Main Street and trying to help them develop and expand their customer base is a positive for the entire city.
“I think that what we”™re looking at is a collaborative marketing opportunity to make them more appealing to a wider audience,” said Kline. “Generally, when they start they are serving a like immigrant population only.
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We”™re hoping to work with these immigrant-based businesses to make them more appealing to nonimmigrant buyers. I think its part of the logical cycle that they”™d be going through in the regular course of business.”
Kline said when the downtown is more appealing, more middle- and upper-class residents will move into the downtown and allow its economy to be more fully supported.
“Everything is on the table in terms of incentives,” said Kline. “It”™s about housing; it”™s about retail; and it”™s about arts and culture. They”™re all part of a mix we”™re taking a look at.”
