By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Photos/Melanie Petrucci
Shrewsbury – There is a lot happening in the Town Center of Shrewsbury. A parking study was recently completed and the Beal School will most likely be relocating to a new site in the coming years, freeing the current site for re-development. As such, town and local business leaders have recognized the need for a Town Center District that will promote the district as a cultural and commerce center for Shrewsbury.
Business leaders, led by local Realtor Maribeth Lynch, owner of Thrive Realty, town officials including Assistant Town Manager Kristen Las and Town Planner Bernie Cahill, and interested citizens have come together during the past several months to form the Shrewsbury Town Center Association (STCA).
“Our mission is simple, to foster supportive relationships within the business and municipal services so we build upon our collective successes and open new opportunities for others to consider our town center as a place to call home,” explained Lynch, who is also a member of the Master Plan Committee and the Beal Re-use Committee.
“I am a 27-year resident and owner of a real estate company, both my office and my home are located within the downtown area, so I literally live, work and play in the Shrewsbury Town Center,” she added. “For years, our family has benefited from the location of our home and have used the town center to walk to school, the library, to get coffee or a great meal, even to visit our dentist.”
The group will host a coffee and donut meet and greet Sunday, Sept. 30, on the Town Common at 11 a.m., prior to the Spirit of Shrewsbury parade, to introduce the organization to town residents. The coffee and donuts are compliments of George Cadette, owner of Dunkin Donuts located in the Town Center District.
“When the Planning and Economic Development Department applied for the Mass Downtown Initiative – Town Center Parking Management Plan in December 2017, part of the requirement for receiving funds was that the town work with a local organization made up of stakeholders within the study area. Kristen and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to explore interest in creating something like the STCA,” Cahill stated.
“Kristen knew Maribeth and thought she would be a great person to speak with first about the idea given Maribeth’s interest in Town Center issues and her connection to other Town Center owners/businesses,” he added.
Last winter Lynch met with Cahill and Las to discuss general parameters about what the group would be about – promotion and advocacy – and a plan for convening a few town center stakeholders to see if there was interest.
After meeting with Las and Cahill, Lynch said that her next step was to talk to two very important influencers, Shrewsbury Selectman Moira Miller and Shrewsbury Public Library Director Ellen Dolan.
“Both agreed to be founding members and have been 100 percent invested from the very start. From that point, we approached everyone we could think of who would benefit from this endeavor,” Lynch noted.
The STCA is still working on developing a website and social media presence. To learn more, contact Lynch at 508-641-9323 or [email protected].
