The signature issue
Downtown: a destination, not a drive-through
Thames Street should be the first place we take a visitor – and the easiest place to spend a Friday evening. Here is what I would push Council to do about it.
“We shouldn’t only ask how we get people downtown. We should ask how we give people a reason to stay.”
– Dr. Lou D’OrazioA downtown lives or dies on small things done consistently: a planter that gets watered, a light that works, a patio permit that comes back in days instead of months, an empty lot that becomes a place to sit. None of it is glamorous. All of it is within reach of a Town Council that decides to make it a priority.
Four moves
What actually changes
Make patios easy to say yes to
Clear, predictable, published rules for seasonal patios, sidewalk cafés and outdoor seating: one application, one point of contact at Town Hall, a decision timeline a business can actually plan around, and approvals settled before the spring season starts – not halfway through it.
Beautify on a schedule, not by accident
A coordinated beautification program: planters, hanging baskets, landscaping and seasonal decorations that are planned, budgeted and maintained. Better lighting. Attractive signage. Murals, public art and displays of our local history.
Give people something to come out for
Events, festivals, seasonal celebrations, live music, farmers’ and artisan markets, family activities and outdoor dining – so there is activity downtown throughout the day and into the evening, not just on Saturday mornings.
Help storefronts look their best
Work with property owners on facades, windows and building improvements, make existing improvement incentives easy to find and easy to use, and identify underused spaces and vacant corners that could become gathering places.
First twelve months
What I’d ask Council to do first
- Bring the patio and outdoor-seating rules to Council as one clear, plain-language package – with the fees, the timelines and the safety requirements all in one place.
- Ask staff what is actually slowing business applications down, and fix the two or three worst bottlenecks.
- Put a costed, multi-year downtown beautification and streetscape line in the capital plan instead of funding it project by project.
- Sit down with the Downtown Ingersoll BIA, property owners and business operators – together, in the same room, on a regular schedule.
- Publish a simple one-page guide to the Town’s improvement incentives so a shop owner can understand them in five minutes.
- Report back publicly on what got done, what didn’t, and why.
Small business
Small business is the core of this town
Local businesses contribute to the economy, create jobs, build community relationships, and provide the unique services and products that give Ingersoll its identity. Raising their profile is a job the Town can help with:
Community engagement
Events that bring people together to support local business – farmers’ markets, street fairs, shopping nights.
Promotional campaigns
Use local media and social media to tell small-business success stories and show what they contribute.
Networking
Forums and groups where owners can share resources, solve common problems and collaborate.
Shop local
Back initiatives that keep spending in town – loyalty programs, shop-local campaigns, gift-dollar programs.
Quality & service
Celebrate the businesses that get it right. Word of mouth is still Ingersoll’s most powerful advertising.
Partnerships
Work with local organizations, schools and other levels of government on grants, workshops and resources.