A thriving downtown district is key to a prosperous future for all of us, whether we live in the Windhams or in Willimantic, because our identity and our economy are married to the success of the historic downtown district (for better and for worse, as we know). And we do have the potential to create a thriving Main Street, which will revitalize our entire community.

The 3rd Thursday Street Fests are an economic initiative designed to bring people back to Main Street, disguised as fun-filled events. I’ve volunteered 5-25 hours per week for the past 6 years to the Fests because I know that the Fests both bring our community together, and help our economy. The Fests prove that what were previously accepted as insurmountable problems (parking, “strangers,” darkness, boredom, empty storefronts, decay) dissolve in the face of seeing friends and neighbors in the warm, inviting atmosphere of our beautiful historic downtown district. It’s time build on that.

What makes a Main Street “click”? For 30 years, plan after plan after plan has come to the same conclusions: make our Main Street pedestrian-friendly, capitalize on the nearby colleges to bring street life; our historical buildings are beautiful and irreplaceable assets; arts and entertainment are exciting tools that will bring people downtown; locally-owned businesses survive and should be encouraged; small development projects are preferable to gargantuan ones. The Street Fests illustrate that we want food, entertainment, shopping and each other’s company, and we’ll go anywhere, anytime to get them.

So let’s get started. Step #1 in our revitalization must be an assessment of the structural condition of our historic buildings followed by immediate action. We need emergency triage. Fix the roofs from Church Street to High Street, or we risk watching our downtown literally fall down.

But while repairing, I’ll keep my eye on our long-term vision and use this opportunity to develop the infrastructure for our “new” Willimantic. I will incorporate the latest in energy-saving, communication and quality of life technologies. Using resource efficiencies such as conservation, solar energy and rooftop gardens will provide an ever-cheaper, simpler and more powerful engine for a sustainable local economy. The need to decrease our dependence on oil is becoming increasingly obvious, essential and practical. These positive pieces of infrastructure development will also make Willimantic stand out among revitalized Mill towns. And, it’ll be fun to have gardens on the roofs! Any redevelopment must be attractive in that very human way to succeed.

Our next steps must follow quickly or even concurrently with the first step. Step # 2: Create a pedestrian friendly environment and fill empty buildings with appropriate uses. It’s time to put into action those many plans. We need businesses that are student- friendly, senior-friendly as well as pedestrian-friendly crosswalks, lighting, and creative traffic slowing devices which will discourage trucks from using Main Street. A bike path is long overdue, for bike and pedestrian safety.

We have 2 large, empty buildings in the heart of the historic district right now: the YMCA/Gem Theater and the Nathan Hale Hotel. When we develop those buildings, we must stay focused on what is good for our community. This means being open to creative ideas and solutions that come from the community, and not just lured by high bids and multi-million dollar construction projects. Even when done “on the cheap,” small projects can breathe real life onto the street. For example, 3rd Thursday started without a dime, and survives on in-kind, volunteers, cooperation and small donations and sales, not big dollar corporate sponsors. I will always encourage new, creative ideas because I know that the answers we need are right here in our community. It’s a mistake to wait for solutions to come from top down.

The senior center and community center belong in the center of downtown. To compliment those public spaces, we can create a model of mixed-income, mixed age housing -- a place that everyone would like to live. Instead of segregating seniors, we need to create ways to incorporate them into our social fabric, as valuable contributors. Children will learn from their elders. Our sidewalks will be filled with friendly faces. We will shop, dine, socialize without getting into our cars. Our homes will be energy efficient.

Our historic buildings are worth saving. Sometimes we forget that what preservation is supposed to preserve is history, which is in turn the story of people. History cannot be reproduced. The highest and best use of the Gem Theater might well be a rebirth of its original use, ie. turning the YMCA into a concert hall. This arts and entertainment idea would bring college students downtown, could be locally-owned, would certainly encourage more shops and restaurants and even a hotel, and would utilize empty parking lots at night. Unfortunately, it may not be salvageable, due to town endorsed negligence from CHFA.

We need to look beyond High and Jackson Streets, too. The ECSU students enter Main Street via Windham Street. Zoning should create a pedestrian-friendly environment for them, and mandate mixed-use retail, housing, and commercial, from Mansfield Ave to Route 14.

The next steps in Revitalizing Main Street are long range: #3 Filling empty lots and, eventually, #4 Rehabilitation and better use of existing stable or occupied buildings.

Mike Paulhus and CHFA are planning to sell four Main Street properties as a package deal. But instead of considering Main Street’s or our community’s needs first, the plan is designed to help CHFA recoup the $1.3 mil they spent buying the Hotel Hooker and the YMCA and to make a developer wealthy. This misguided prioritization forced on Windham a plan that put step #4 first: sell the Windham House. This is poor planning, driven by outside needs, and allows no room for local, creative development. It is also forcing yet another poorly planned development onto the people on the West side of town.

Real progress is investment in our communities and economics as if people mattered. When elected, I will take action that moves our community and our city forward, and puts our interests first. We can create an attractive, affordable downtown for businesses as well as for the whole wonderful variety of people that make up our community, based on Windham’s needs. I will put our priorities in order so that we can rebuild our historic downtown into a thriving city that we can be proud to call our center of commerce and our home.