Congratulations Willimantic Business Winners
Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2012 Awards of Excellence. The winners of these prestigious awards actively championed the revitalization and economic development of downtowns across Connecticut through initiatives ranging from rebuilding and redesigning downtown spaces to working with local police to increase safety for area businesses. The winning entries represent initiatives and organizations from Hartford, Middletown, New London, Simsbury, Suffield, Waterbury and Willimantic.
WILLIMANTIC WINNERS:
Adaptive Reuse of a Building – Urban Downtown
Award of Excellence to: Patrick Schooley, owner for 560 on Main, Downtown Willimantic- Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
Main Street Business Owner of the Year
Award of Excellence to: Andrew Gutt, Cafémantic in Downtown Willimantic- Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
Main Street Pioneer – Business Owner Lifetime Achievement Award
Award of Excellence to: David Wollner, Willimantic Brewing Company- Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
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Connecticut Main Street Center Announces 2012 Award Winners
Hartford, CT – May 1, 2012 – Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2012 Awards of Excellence. The winners of these prestigious awards actively championed the revitalization and economic development of downtowns across Connecticut through initiatives ranging from rebuilding and redesigning downtown spaces to working with local police to increase safety for area businesses. The winning entries represent initiatives and organizations from Hartford, Middletown, New London, Simsbury, Suffield, Waterbury and Willimantic.
“The vitality of our city centers is critical to our efforts to spur Connecticut’s next economic revival,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy. “I applaud this year’s award winners for their work to reinvigorate and re-imagine the public spaces that will draw visitors to all we have to offer-shops, restaurants and entertainment. When our urban centers thrive, we all benefit.”
“The construction of a new library in the Upper Albany neighborhood in Hartford; the redesign of the New London Parade Plaza; the adaptive reuse of buildings that now accommodate residential choices in Willimantic and in Suffield; and the community rallying to support the rebuilding of anchor businesses in downtown Middletown are all examples of the innovative initiatives successfully undertaken by our Connecticut Main Street member network,” said CMSC President & CEO John Simone. Despite continued economic challenges, these and many of CMSC’s other member communities were able to create choices in housing, support entrepreneurial and small business success, and enliven downtown public gathering spaces.
The Awards of Excellence were created in 2003 to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically. The Connecticut Main Street Awards annually celebrate and communicate the most successful and innovative efforts in Main Street revitalization in Connecticut. Submissions were judged on criteria which included innovation, replication, representation and partnerships utilized, and outcome.
Awards will be presented at the Connecticut Main Street 2012 Awards Gala on June 11th at Cheney Hall in Downtown Manchester. Webster Bank is the official sponsor of the 2012 Community Spirit Business Award for Business Retention. Fuss & O’Neill is the “Welcome to Main Street” reception sponsor.
2012 CT Main Street Awards of Excellence
Main Street Partnership
Award of Excellence to Main Street Waterbury & The Republican-American for Celebrating Downtown – a special supplement of the Sunday Republican
Community Investment
Award of Excellence to Upper Albany Main Street, Hartford Public Library for the Hartford Public Library-Upper Albany Branch
Site Design by Sevigny Architects
Community Consensus-Building
Award of Excellence to: Main Street Waterbury, Waterbury Police Department for Downtown Business Watch
Master Planning Main Street
Award of Excellence to: Town of Simsbury for Simsbury Town Center Code
Submitted by Simsbury Main Street Partnership
Historic Preservation
Award of Excellence to: New London Main Street, New London Landmarks, City Center District, City of New London, Greg Wies & Gardner Architects, and Wilbur Smith Associates for The New London Parade Plaza Redesign
Beautification
Award of Excellence to: Rotary Club of New London for Trolley Visitor Information Station Site Improvements
Site Design by Kent + Frost
Project Management by Richard Gipstein
Submitted by New London Main Street
Adaptive Reuse of a Building – Urban Downtown
Award of Excellence to: Patrick Schooley, owner for 560 on Main, Downtown Willimantic
Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
Adaptive Reuse of a Building – Town Center
Award of Excellence to: Sage Engineering, Town of Suffield for The Bissell Inn, Suffield
Submitted by Town of Suffield
Community Spirit Award for Business Retention (Award Sponsored by Webster Bank)
Award of Excellence to: The Middletown Community for O’Rourke’s Fire – A Community with a Cause: The community commitment to rebuild O’Rourke’s Diner
Submitted by Middletown Downtown Business District
Main Street Business Owner of the Year
Award of Excellence to: Andrew Gutt, Cafémantic in Downtown Willimantic
Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
Main Street Pioneer – Business Owner Lifetime Achievement Award
Award of Excellence to: David Wollner, Willimantic Brewing Company
Submitted by Thread City Development Corp.
Main Street Property Owner of the Year
Award of Excellence to: Michael DiPiro & Michael Sokolowski, 505 Main Street: Collapse & Rebuilding on Main Street Middletown
Submitted by Middletown Downtown Business District
Image Enhancement
Award of Excellence to: New London Main Street for “The Big Picture”
About Connecticut Main Street Center
Connecticut Main Street Center is a statewide nonprofit that inspires great Connecticut downtowns, Main Street by Main Street. Its mission is to be the champion and leading resource for vibrant and sustainable Main Streets as foundations for healthy communities.
Since 2005 Connecticut Main Street membership has grown by over 600%, from 10 to 64 communities. Since the Connecticut Main Street program began in 1995, Designated Main Street programs have generated over $994 million in public and private reinvestment in their downtowns. Over the same time, 4121 net new businesses have opened and 2,475 net new jobs have been created. For every $1 spent on a local Main Street program, $73.13 has been reinvested in CT Main Street designated downtowns, making the Main Street initiative one of the most successful economic development programs in the country.
Connecticut Main Street Center is supported by Founding Sponsors, The Connecticut Light and Power Company and the State of Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, and by Growth Sponsors, The United Illuminating Company and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office.
Contact:
Christine Schilke
860-280-2356
christine@ctmainstreet.org
OR
Connecticut Main Street Center
c/o CL&P, PO Box 270
Hartford CT 06141
www.ctmainstreet.org