Politics & Government
Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Tours Foxborough
The residents of Foxborough expressed the need for improvement of the downtown area as it was identified as the favorite place in town.
From The Town of Foxborough: The Town of Foxborough hosted a walking tour of downtown Foxborough for state and local officials, including Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash, Senator Paul Feeney, Representative Jay Barrows and Board of Selectmen Chair Christopher Mitchell. Other attendees included Town Manager Bill Keegan, Assistant Town Manager Mary Beth Bernard, Planning Director Paige Duncan, Planner Gabriela Jordan, Veterans Agent Michael Johns, Cindi Haddad Drew of Cindi’s Diamond & Jewelry Gallery, Planning Board Chair Kevin Weinfeld, Jess Strunkin, 495/Metrowest Partnership, Bob Hickey, Executive Director of the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center (formerly the Orpheum Theatre), Stefan Frey of Charles River Equity Partners and Brian McMillin, Principal at NewGate Housing.
The walking tour began at Town Hall and made stops at the intersection of Central Street and Wall Street, 40-42 Central Street, the “steamer shed," the Town Common, the town-owned property across from the Common and the tour ended at the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center.
The residents of Foxborough expressed the need for improvement of the downtown area as it was identified as their “favorite place in Town” during the development of the Master Plan. In March 2018, the Town of Foxborough was awarded a $15,000 Downtown Initiative Technical Assistance (MDI) Program Award from The Department of Housing and Community Development to help assist the Town in the branding and wayfinding strategy for the downtown. In collaboration with the Foxborough Common Business Collaborative, the Town will utilize this grant funding, beginning July 1, 2018, to create work collaboratively to envision and create a downtown “brand” with attractive sign and banner design to highlight cultural amenities and clearly mark parking areas to establish a sense of identity for downtown Foxborough and to encourage patronage of local businesses and amenities. The addition of 50 new apartments on Wall Street further echoes the goals of the MDI to make the downtown area accessible, safe and economically vital to the Town. During the tour, Secretary Ash visited local restaurant, Gunther Tootie’s, for one of their staple rainbow bagels and an Oreo cookie smoothie.
The tour culminated in a discussion with Secretary Ash at the Marilyn Rodmen Performing Arts Center, where he and those in attendance spoke to the importance of community collaboration. Without a shared vision and sense of support throughout the community, these goals cannot be accomplished. Secretary Ash commended the Town of Foxborough, the Economic Development Committee and the Foxborough Common Business Collaborative for their efforts to preserve and enhance the sense of community while still working to improve the downtown area. Bill Keegan spoke of what is to come in Town and mentioned the redevelopment of the fire station/funeral home site as a mixed use project that will bring more people to the downtown.
Images Via The Town of Foxborough
