Groton receives $50,000 grant to prepare 10-year vision plan for downtown

GROTON — Town Manager Mark Haddad recently announced that Groton was selected from a large field of applicants for the state’s One Stop: Rural Development Fund grant of $50,000.

“This grant request was submitted by the Destination Groton Committee and will allow us to thoughtfully anticipate and develop business growth to meet the needs of current and future residents and visitors,” 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 Groton residents, to study, analyze and implement strategies to meet growing needs in the Town Center,” said Greg Sheldon. , chairman of the Destination Groton Committee.

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

• Downtown master planning, which includes traffic, planning, and wayfinding studies to improve parking, walkability, and navigation downtown, reduce congestion, and increase the ease and safety of navigation.

• Ongoing economic studies on the impact of tourism and retail vacancy analysis identifying economic opportunities leaving the town and those that can be exploited in the town.

• Attracting developers and investors to redevelop underused buildings and create mixed uses that preserve the rural and historic nature of the city centre. These include residential, office and makerspaces, retail stores, cultural venues, dining venues and overnight accommodations.

• Establish a regional tourism and cultural resource strategy to strengthen the Groton Hill Music Center and the town as a destination (for entertainment, culture and special events) and to grow 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.