HARDWICK — Jan Mueller, with the Hardwick Downtown Partnership reviewed highlights from the organization’s first full year of operation and looked ahead to plans for 2025 following the December 11 Holiday Soupla at Front Seat Coffee.
courtesy photo
The partnership focused on developing relationships with all businesses and organizations in and near the downtown area in 2024, said Mueller. It gathered feedback from the downtown community and local residents to guide its work; developed a comprehensive list of businesses, organizations, property owners and residents; created a board of directors comprising representatives of downtown businesses; secured a grant to expand operations, including hiring Mueller as part-time executive director; provided useful information and updates to the greater downtown community and worked with partner organizations and the Town of Hardwick to plan and organize community events that included the solar eclipse, Hardwick Hoopla and fall foliage events.
Telling the town’s story in 2024 involved developing awebsite to serve as a hub for information about downtown Hardwick and the greater Hardwick area; expanding the base of supporters and followers through an email list, social media and website traffic; collaborating with state and regional partners to align and amplify communications, and gathering community input to help articulate Hardwick’s story.
Mueller said enhancing environment involved securing grant funding for a downtown tree planting project in collaboration with the Hardwick Conservation Commission; helping lead efforts to replace the walking bridge while maintaining its historic character; working to address traffic, parking, walking and biking issues, including coordination with the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) and the South Main/Mill Street pedestrian study, and creating a revolving set of lamp post banners.
Addressing the downtown economy involved providing information to businesses and property owners about financial assistance to support business development and building improvements, said Mueller; collaborating with partner businesses to leverage the economic benefits of the LVRT, facilitating a conditions assessment and feasibility study for renovation of the bank building and supporting a proposed project to construct a cyclist-oriented hostel and new downtown residences.
In 2025, Mueller says the partnership plans to develop more robust resources to share information and facilitate communication among the downtown community. It’s coordinating a collaborative effort to plan and enhance Springfest and will develop and distribute more content through different media channels, refining and deploying a unified communications strategy based on community input.
More than 30 trees will be planted throughout downtown Hardwick and amenities for the Rail Trail will be enhanced as efforts will continue to enhance downtown parks and green spaces, Mueller said. Efforts will also be made to gather economic data to support downtown area businesses.
The mission of the Hardwick Downtown Partnership is to provide leadership to support the economic, social, cultural and recreational vitality of downtown Hardwick, Mueller said. “The Partnership is us.”
The organization works to advance its mission in four main ways: Supporting community through communication, connection and collaboration to strengthen the greater downtown community’s businesses, organizations and residents; telling a story to promote and communicate about Hardwick to Vermonters and out-of-state visitors alike, inviting others to enjoy what makes Hardwick special and unique; enhancing the physical look and function of the downtown area to help make downtown Hardwick a great place to be and supporting current and future businesses to strengthen and sustain the local economy.
The Hardwick Downtown Partnership Board of Directors is Shari Cornish, Whistle Emporium, president; Bethany Dunbar, Center for an Agricultural Economy, vice-president; Gary Michaels, retired business professional, treasurer; Kole, Northern Vermont Appraisals, secretary; Emily Hershberger, Buffalo Mountain Market; Tobin Porter-Brown, Front Seat Coffee; Tracy Martin, Town of Hardwick and Nora Lakhani, The Flower Basket.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
