Bristol Rising! Updates
May Meetup Recap
A lot has been brewing within Bristol Rising so it seemed only appropriate to talk about all things Rising at the home of brews- Barley Vine. It was a packed house with several new Risers in attendance
McDonald’s Breaks Ground: A Multimedia Gallery
Those who have been following the project know there has been one linchpin before Renaissance could begin work on developing the 15+ acre mixed use development, and that was that McDonald’s had to move. We excited to say just last week McDonald’s broke ground on the the site of where their new McDonald’s building will be built – just up North Main Street. Once the new one is up, that allows McDonald’s to demo the old site, clearing way for Renaissance Downtowns to begin site work.
Downtown Living Passes 150 LOI’s!
Several months ago we embarked on seeing whether there was demand for downtown living.The question was, would you be interested in living downtown in a mixed-use development, which would serve as the catalyst for wide-sweeping downtown revitalizations efforts? We got our answer. 154 answers to be exact.
Bare Bones Creates Program to Put Art on Bristol’s Walls!
Bare Bones, an art space, has created a new program, Bare Bones Art Share Partnership. Bare Bones strives to leave no walls bare in the city of Bristol. We will fill empty business walls with art “a la c’art” from our network of artists. This program keeps with our mission, helps expand Bristol’s arts community, and gives local artists more opportunity for exposure. It also makes art more accessible to the people of Bristol looking to invest in their own art collection.
How Safety Happened in One Neighborhood
There’s lots of opinions on how you clean up a troubled neighorhood. Some say you start by bulldozing the buildings and starting anew. Others say you stake out police at all hours to enforce the law and prop up safety (or the appearance of it). To us, it’s more organic than that.
Downtown Cafe Teams with Dawn’s Deli, Now Offers Food!
Downtown just got a big boost of flavor this week.
Downtown Cafe, the historic neighborhood corner bar at 118 Main Street is about to become much more than a bar where everyone knows your name. The Cafe is boosting their business with a brand new kitchen while helping provide a launching pad for another famous Bristol Rising success story, Dawn McKenna of Dawn’s Deli.
Mickey D’s on the Move!
We’re happy to report that after two-plus years of careful negotiation between the City of Bristol and the McDonald’s Corporation to swap the current McDonalds on Riverside Avenue to the northern end of Depot Square to make way for Renaissance Downtowns’ mixed-use development, McDonald’s has executed the closing paperwork for their new parcel, and a path has been cleared for their move.
Dawn’s Deli Tasting Results & Chef Comments!
Thanks to your overwhelming support for Dawn to open a Downtown, Dawn agreed to hold a Tasting Event for a limited audience of 100. In the spirit of crowdsourcing, Dawn wanted the crowd to be able to provide her feedback for her tasting, so she could better her product so when times comes to open she can hit the ground open with fan favorites. Here’s the results of that feedback, on a scale of 1 (eh) to 5 (awesome!).
Bare Bones Spring Fundraiser Supports Art Downtown!
Your generous donation will help us sustain our mission; Bare Bones is a welcoming place to create and to grow Bristol’s arts community. Proceeds will go towards rent, utilities, insurance, and programming.
ImagineNation’s “Spring into Art” show
Doreen Stickney is pleased to announce a downtown event for all ages. See below for details:
On Tuesday, April 30th the Imagine Nation Museum & Imagine Nation Preschool Learning Center, located at One Pleasant Street in Bristol, presents Imagine That! “Spring into Art Show”
from 6-8pm.
How People Began Believing in Bristol Again
For those who ponder big questions like of what is the spirit made, and how do we pull Connecticut’s depressed Cities up by their suspenders, listen to one in-progress success story that may provide answers to both these questions.
Dawn’s Deli Tasting a Success!
After a whirlwind campaign for Likes that made Dawn the fastest growing idea on Bristol Rising, Dawn delivered on her promise this weekend by hosting a tasting of Dawn’s Deli culinary creations.
The event was organized as a limited engagement, providing only 100 tickets to the enthusiastic Bristol Rising crowd who surged to support her.
OM Show Right Around the Corner!
As you may or may not know, the Boys and Girls Club and Family Center of Bristol, which includes the Imagine Nation Museum, plans on breaking ground for a new club this year. Clearly it will have an impact on the downtown development as well as the community. The Older Members are an alumni organization for the club and the annual OM Show offers the community of Bristol with the opportunity to assist us in our efforts to help our kids BE GREAT!
Help Carousel Museum Crowdfund a Horse’s Return
The Carousel Museum is well into the 21st century tapping into the power of the crowd in order to further strengthen their drawing power downtown, and you can help them accomplish that goal. The museum has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign (which you can read about below) to cover the expenses of shipping a classic carousel horse back to CT and into the Museum’s care and they’re turning to you to help make it happen!
March Meetup Recap
Risers had the delightful opportunity to socialize in historic Federal Hill’s iconic Clock and Watch Museum last evening. The center of the Barnes wing was filled from floor to ceiling with masterfully crafted clocks, and Mark welcomed everyone to the meetup before proceeded to announce the February Wall of Famers.
Dawn’s Deli Flavoring the Town!
Dawn McKenna came to Bristol Rising with an idea. She envisioned starting a positive new business in the West End and wanted to know if Bristolites shared the same vision.
Dawn posted the idea on Bristolrising.com, with a goal in mind that reaching 100 likes in 20 days would signal enough community support to move forward with her idea.
A Growing Bond between ESPN and Imagine Nation
Downtown continues to rise as evidenced by a joint venture between a key children’s point of interest and a few compelling businesses. Read the below release by Imagine Nation Museum director, Michael Suchopar.
Thanks to the combined efforts of ESPN, OFI Contract Interiors and Staples Advantage, the Business to Business Division of Staples, Inc., “Kids Market Square,” the Imagine Nation Museum
store, has a new look and new merchandise.
A chance to help downtown destinations!
AN UPDATE : At this time, the Clock and Watch Museum is postponing this event and plans on utilizing the Bristol Rising crowd present at the March Meetup. RSVP here for the Meetup and to receive more details.
Riser Andy Adams is also a member of the Clock and Watch Museum board and one of the goals of this historic spot is to find ways to draw in new crowds.
Home Show Success
We had a great time vending at the 2013 Home & Business Expo at Bristol Eastern on Saturday and Sunday. We were able to generate 10 more Letters of Interest for downtown living, bringing our total to 91 letters. Woo! We’re getting there Risers, more than halfway past our goal to 150 letters by March 31st.
Bristol Rising at 2013 Home and Business Show
Bristol Rising will be having a booth at the event to find those citizens who would like to put their commitment to paper in a non-binding Letter of Interest for residential living. This second round of efforts for Downtown Living is important because not only can it accelerate financing, it also begins to build a beta community of like-minded people who may very well end up living as neighbors in the new downtown.
Bristol is Rising… Phase 1 Approved!
Nearly three years, dozens of meetups, two awesome Pop-up Piazzas, and 4 City approvals later… Phase 1 is off the ground!
And the Shared Retail Name is….!
There you have it! “The Shops at Downtown” won our poll for best name. Thanks for the suggestions everyone! The above image is an exclusive sneak peak at a draft for a banner we’re working on to don the storefront.
Attend Meeting for Central CT Rail Study
Hi Risers, remember some time ago Governor Malloy pledged $1M to study the rail line? Well, we’re just about to dive into the study, and we’d like to extend an invitation to you. The Study Advisory Committee meets for the first time over the Central Connecticut Rail Study tomorrow from 10am to Noon at the Chambers of Commerce (200 Main Street). This could be what gets Bristol its rail back.
Have a “Taste of Bristol”!
Jesse Jablon of the West End Association was present at the January Meetup to announce the Association’s new fundraising month-long event called Taste of Bristol.
For those of you that may not have heard, Taste of Bristol will occur during the month of March where anyone who bought a 5-dollar ticket can get 20% off their food bill at over 30 participating restaurants.
Survey: Pick Your Favorite Shared Retail Names!
Hi Risers, as you know we wrote a blog and put out on our facebook page that we were looking for suggestions to name the temporary Shared Retail Space that we’re looking to test run downtown.We received some great suggestions from all different avenues, and have put together a list of the top 20 or so suggestions and put together this nifty survey. Please take a minute and let us know what names you like best for the Shared Retail Space!
Contact Us
860-582-0030Bristol City Hall 2nd Fl111 N. Main St.Bristol, CT 06010
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