NORWAY – A representative of a state development organization said that the town of Norway has laid a good foundation to rebuild a thriving Main Street community.

Darcy Rollins of the Maine Downtown Center, part of the Maine Development Foundation, met with members of the Norway Downtown Revitalization Committee and members of the community Wednesday to present the findings of the resource team that visited the town in June.

The resource team, selected by Rollins and NDRC, spent three days touring downtown Norway. They met with downtown stakeholders, visited businesses and looked at the layout of the downtown area.

The resource team made observations and recommendations on the organization, design, economic restructuring and promotion of the downtown area. Four of these recommendations were important enough that the team set them apart in their report as their key recommendations.

The first key recommendation is “protect what you have.” In their report, the team stated “We believe that the downtown buildings should be protected with a historic protection ordinance.”

Rollins explained that the historic buildings on Main Street have great economic value and can be used to draw people to the area. She said that they could be protected by a property maintenance code and a demolition ordinance. She advised that the town develop design guidelines to preserve the historic feel of the area.

The second recommendation is to target the regional market. The resource team stated that the presence of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School within a mile of the downtown area could be very valuable to the town. Their report suggests adding a “hangout” spot on Main Street such as a music store or an Internet cafe. “If high school students come downtown, then their parents will come downtown, too,” they wrote.

Third, the team recommended that the downtown achieve a balance between being a tourist town and being a hometown. Based on conversations with Norway residents and business people, they wrote “the most promising future economy is based on bringing visitors to Norway to spend money… However, it’s clear that you don’t want to be a tourist town.” Norway’s economic future will depend on balancing movie theaters and restaurants aimed at tourists with hardware stores and hairdressers for the residents.

Last, the resource team advised that Norway use its Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan “to promote downtown as the center of your community.” Rollins stressed that the various groups now working to improve Main Street must work together.

Members of Norway Downtown Revitalization reported on the work the group has been doing. Anne Campbell said that the group was planning a torchlight parade for the holiday season, featuring horse-drawn sleighs and carolers. They have also been working on a business directory map to go in the kiosk being constructed on the corner of Cottage and Main.

Pat Chandler reported on the Paint Program. The Maine Downtown Center has funded matching grants for Main Street property owners who wish to repaint their building exteriors. Two businesses have received grants already. Applications for grants are due Nov. 15.

Brent Doney said that Enterprise Maine hopes to have a master plan for the CB Cummings mill by mid-January. He said that at least four of the buildings are in usable condition.

Norway Downtown Revitalization has published a pamphlet detailing the areas in which they are looking for donations or volunteer help. The pamphlet will be available in many Main Street stores. The resource team’s report is available at the Norway Memorial Library.

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