Blaine Cox, City Manager
31 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Aug. 30, 2019
Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: jordan@jgpr.net
Community Members Attend First Rochester Listens Meeting on Downtown Improvement Ideas
ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox is pleased to announce that Rochester Listens held a meeting earlier this week to give members of the business community a chance to share their thoughts in order to help shape city priorities.
The Rochester Listens meeting was held Monday night, and provided business leaders with an opportunity to take part in a variety of roundtable discussions on ideas for improving the city and helping it continue to grow and evolve. The session was attended by approximately 20 business owners, as well as property owners and residents.
During the meeting, groups primarily focused on ways to enhance the downtown and identified five key areas the city should address:
- Storefront improvements: complete minor repairs and painting on storefronts in need to improve aesthetics
- Organize a volunteer neighborhood watch: Work with the Rochester Police Department and businesses to ensure safety protocols are in place and organize walking patrols during nighttime hours
- Increase the number of events held downtown, with a focus on including more volunteer groups to increase tourism to the area
- Beautify areas that are otherwise unused to encourage further economic development in the area
- Replace dead/dying tress and bushes in green spaces with perennials and additional plants
“This was an extremely productive meeting, with a lot of great ideas generated to bring our downtown to life,” City Manager Cox said. “I think we’ve developed five key areas that we can focus on moving forward that will further economic growth and development in our city.”
Rochester Listens will hold its next meeting on Sept. 23 from 6-8 at the Rochester Performance and Arts Center, 32 North Main St. All community members interested in attending are encouraged to be a part of the process.
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