DOWNTOWN VITALITY ACT TOWN HALL
Landscape image of the City of New Bedford, MA
MEDIA ADVISORY
MASSCREATIVE HOSTS TOWN HALL WITH REPRESENTATIVE TONY CABRAL AND CO-CREATIVE CENTER NEW BEDFORD ON DOWNTOWN VITALITY ACT
WHEN:
Thursday, November 9th, 2023 from 4 PM - 5 PM
Co-Creative Center New Bedford
137 Union Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Street parking is available.
WHAT: The MASSCreative Action Network is hosting a town hall with Representative Tony Cabral on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 4 PM at Co-Creative Center New Bedford on H.228/S.130, An Act to promote downtown vitality, known as the Downtown Vitality Act. The event is open to the public and will take place immediately before AHA! New Bedford.
Small business districts rely on vibrant, walkable areas to attract sufficient foot traffic to succeed in a challenging commercial environment. Online retail is one factor siphoning dollars away from local economies, contributing to economic and cultural displacement. Massachusetts has the foundation for success with historic areas, urban squares, town centers, and rural villages, but lacks the funding mechanisms necessary to scale local innovation and create systems of management capacity at the local level.
The Downtown Vitality Act (H.228/S.130) would reinvest 5% of remote retailer tax revenue back into our main streets and downtowns to support staffing and operations of cultural districts, business improvement districts, main street associations, and parking benefit districts in Gateway Cities and other low-income communities.
The Downtown Vitality Act is endorsed by more than 80 individuals and cultural organizations throughout Massachusetts, including the Mass Cultural Council, MassINC, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Art Museum, Springfield Cultural Partnership, Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition, and Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District. Both House and Senate bills are currently before the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses and had a public hearing at the State House on Monday, October 30, 2023.
Speakers will include Representative Tony Cabral, Mayor Jon Mitchell, Andre Leroux of MassINC, Ashley Occhino of Fall River Arts & Culture Coalition, Jennifer Zanolli of New Bedford Whaling Museum, and Elissa Paquette of Downtown New Bedford, Inc. and owner of Calico.
Registration is encouraged but not required. Register for the Town Hall HERE.
See the bill fact sheet HERE.
Contact information for the Town Hall:
Kelsey Rode
Director of External Relations, MASSCreative
krode@mass-creative.org
413-206-6451
