-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grow Bennington Initiative
-
The Grow Bennington Initiative ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Downtown Bennington It's history is hundreds of years in the making and it's rich and storied. As we enter into a new era of downtown living and the new pedestrian experience our streetscape is being reinvented into a center of commerce, dining, and entertainment while retaining the retail experience that can only be found on Main Street America. Below is the story of how Downtown Bennington is moving into that new era with the Grow Bennington Initiative, but as you scroll down please note just a few of the companies and individuals who are helping make our efforts possible through their financial generosity and their community spirit. A New Downtown for a New Era In today’s environment of Amazon Prime and overnight deliveries, communities nationwide are finding a need to fundamentally change the way they view their downtowns. If you don’t own a downtown business, you may wonder why you should care. The Grow Bennington Initiative originated with a group of citizens and business owners located outside of the downtown. Yet . . . We believe we all benefit from a thriving downtown. A vibrant downtown creates a better place for all of us who live here while also helping to: • Draw visitors. The Grow Bennington Initiative started with a few citizens collecting some good ideas – 45 as a matter of fact – consolidating them into a plan, and collaborating with the Better Bennington Corporation and the Town of Bennington to make a few of them happen. Four Demonstration Projects
Successful downtowns invest heavily They communicate that their downtowns are alive and buzzing and family friendly with plazas, water features and awesome downtown playgrounds2. We believe that small wins add up. With your help, the four demonstration projects above will be just the beginning! Donate Please make checks payable to “BBC” with "GROW BENNINGTON INITIATIVE" in the memo line. Better Bennington Corporation (BBC) is the 501(c)(3) financial custodian for the Grow Bennington Initiative. The Task Force Contact us: We are not Alone Of the 19,500 towns and cities in the U.S. 18,500 have populations under 40,000 ― most have struggling downtowns3. We don’t have to start from scratch. We can build on some of the good work that has already been done. We can cherry-pick from the success of others and add our own Bennington twist. With a little ingenuity, a lot of hard work and a little help from you, we can make a difference. _______________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: | MAJOR DONORS Deborah & John
Beverage Den _______________________ _______________________ _______________ _______________ |