Page 13 - BusinessWest February 19, 2024

“We’ll be
moving and shaking during construction, and we’ll be doing
a lot of unique events.”
project, our top priority is to ensure that our local businesses not only endure but thrive,” Mayor Gina- Louise Sciarra said in a recent statement. “Together, we will ensure that downtown remains a bustling hub of activity, culture, and business throughout the construction period.”
To that end, city leaders have joined with the chamber and DNA in a campaign around the road proj- ect with three goals: continuous communication channels between businesses, residents, and project teams; marketing, arts and enter- tainment programming, and educa- tional initiatives to draw visitors and locals to Main Street; and innovative strategies to manage access and minimize disruption.
“A lot of business owners on the ground are actually very excited. Thinking ahead to when it’s com- plete, there’s not a lot of opposition,” Duclos said. “A lot of the comments have really been about the pro-
cess of getting there. Because not
much has happened, it leaves a lot of room to make up what might happen.
“But City Hall is working really hard,” she added, calling the campaign involving the chamber and DNA a “mitigation commit- tee” that will keep its finger on the pulse of what’s happening and how it will affect businesses downtown.
“We’re going to make sure businesses have a voice at the table and they’re letting us know what they need. And businesses say they need to know the schedule of construction so they can work around that schedule,” she explained, noting that some businesses
may not schedule certain events, appointments, or classes when loud construction is happening outside their window — but they’d like to know the schedule well in advance.
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FEBRUARY 19, 2024 13
Both the Northampton Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Northampton Assoc. are committed to communicating between their members and the city as the Main Street redesign project unfolds.
“We’ll work hard to create these communication channels to so they can operate their businesses in ways that make sense,” Duclos said. “This is not COVID. We’re not closing. We’ll be moving and shaking during construc-
tion, and we’ll be doing a
lot of unique events.”
Jackson noted that
Northampton
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