Groton Receives $50,000 grant to produce a Town Center 10-year Vision Plan

Town Manager Mark Haddad announced today that Groton was chosen among a crowded field of applicants for a State One Stop: Rural Development Fund grant of $50,000. “This grant request was submitted by the Destination Groton Committee and will allow us to envision and enhance thoughtful commercial growth to meet the needs of current and future residents and visitors alike.” Haddad said.

“We are grateful to receive this award and are excited to work with Town leaders and Town Committees, Commissions and Boards, as well as residents across Groton to study, analyze and implement strategies to meet the growing needs in Town Center,” said Greg Sheldon, Chair of the Destination Groton Committee.

This project is part of a larger vision that includes four components:

1) Downtown master planning to include traffic, planning and wayfinding studies to improve parking, walkability and navigation of the downtown, decrease congestion and improve ease and safety of navigation.

2) Ongoing economic studies on tourism’s impact and retail gap analysis identifying economic opportunities leaving the town and those that could be leveraged in the town.

3) Attracting developers and investors to redevelop underused buildings and create mixed uses that retain downtown’s rural and historic nature. These may include housing, office and makers’ spaces, retail shops, cultural destinations, eateries and overnight accommodations.

4) Creating a regional tourism and cultural resource strategy to leverage the Groton Hill Music Center, the town as a destination (for recreation, culture and special events), and scale a regional tourism hub.

“We will be hosting a series of outreach efforts this fall and look forward to discussing these strategies for the Town we all love.” Sheldon said.