Bedford Chamber of Commerce Present Economic Development Goals to Selectmen

Members of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce (COC) addressed the Board of Selectmen Monday night on how the community can better encourage business owners, specifically owners of small businesses, to choose Bedford when determining what town to bring their business to.

Chairman of the COC Business Development Committee, Adam Schwartz, said economic development has become an area of increasing concern for Bedford residents, as there are several visible locations around town advertising vacancies in commercial space. 

"People in town have been concerned about economic development in Bedford," Schwartz said. "People notice a lack of business, especially in the Crosby Drive area."

Vacancies in the Crosby Drive area draw concern from Bedford residents despite the fact that the area is on the outskirts of town, Schwartz said.

Schwartz said 30 to 40 percent of office space in the Crosby Drive area is currently vacant.

"This leads to a depression of real estate value in the area," Schwartz said.

Schwartz said this public concern stems from a rise in taxes, which coupled with less commerce in town, leaves the onus to fall on Bedford residents.

The COC is aiming to work with the Selectmen to make it easier for businesses to set up shop in Bedford, Schwartz said.

"The Selectmen have been looking at economic development in town and we are hoping to come to solutions that make it easier for businesses to come to town," Schwartz said.

These solutions could include simplifications to the permitting and signing process, creating an expediated proccess for small business owners looking to come to Bedford.

"A lot of the town committees that small business owners have to go to only meet once or twice a month," Schwartz said. "We want to ask the Selectmen how can we give these small business owners three sheets of paper for the permitting process so they only have to come before the committee once."

Schwartz said there have recently been many steps in the right direction in creating a healthy retail environment in Bedford. 

The recent announcement of the Middlesex 3 coalition, a regional public partnership dedicated to promoting the region's competitive advantages, will provide Bedford with more resources for attracting commerce to the area, Schwartz said. 

Commerce in Bedford has recently shown signs of improvement, Schwartz said, with several restaurants announcing new locations in town, in addition to the Blake Block construction coming closer to completion. 

Chipotle recently announced a new location coming to 343 Great Road, while Panera announced a possible new location at 213 Burlington Road.