The newly created downtown will provide the setting for CMSC’s Awards of Excellence celebration.
HARTFORD, MARCH 14, 2016 – Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is pleased to announce that Storrs Center in Mansfield will host the 2016 CT Main Street Awards Gala. This event is scheduled for Monday, June 6, 2016.
Storrs Center’s compelling story of being created from the ground up will be highlighted throughout the event, beginning with a gathering reception, sponsored by UIL Holdings Corp., and presentation of the 2016 Awards of Excellence in the E.O. Smith High School auditorium. Following the awards presentation, the roughly 200 attendees will be guided across the street to experience the new downtown’s many offerings. Guests can choose from an interactive menu of experiences including tours of new residential apartments, performances from local artists and entertainers, and the ability to visit local shops and merchants. While the welcome reception will provide hors d’oeuvres featuring local fare, attendees will also be able to explore a wide range of dining options available in Storrs Center on their own.
“When choosing the host city for our annual gala, we look for places that have a compelling story, including community-led revitalization efforts and success creating dynamic elements like walkability, economic development and connectivity with the larger community,” said Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker, Associate Director of CMSC.
The success of Storrs Center is impressive. Although planning for the new downtown began over a decade ago, the first phases of construction began during the Great Recession; the final stage is expected to be completed later this year. The Storrs Center development includes a new Town Square, approximately 170,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 618 apartment homes, the Nash-Zimmer Transportation Center, surface and structured parking for 1,300 vehicles, and “Main Street Homes,” a newly created neighborhood offering a mix of townhomes and condos for sale that is already 70% sold, with the first residents moving in later this month.
“We are delighted to be asked to host the CT Main Street Center’s Awards Gala this year,” said Mansfield Downtown Partnership President Philip Lodewick. “The Partnership is most proud of Storrs Center and looks forward to showcasing it as a unique new downtown in Connecticut. A 15-year collaborative effort on the part of many has resulted in a mixed-use downtown that has given the area a new vitality with many new amenities, various housing options, and a wonderful Town Square. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Mansfield and Storrs Center on June 6!”
The Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence program was 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 are judged on criteria which included innovation, replication, representation, partnerships utilized, and outcomes. The 2016 award winners will be announced on May 1, 2016.
About Connecticut Main Street Center
CMSC’s mission is to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut’s Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities. CMSC is dedicated to community and economic development within the context of historic preservation, and is committed to bringing Connecticut’s commercial districts back to life socially and economically.
CMSC is supported by its Founding Sponsors, the CT Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) and Eversource Energy. CMSC is also supported by its Growth Sponsors, UIL Holdings Corp. and the State Historic Preservation Office. More information is available at www.ctmainstreet.org.