What is the Brunswick Downtown Association and how does it serve our community?

In May 2012, Brunswick officially became a Main Street Maine Community with BDA as the lead organization. It means we believe that Maine’s historic downtowns are the heart of our communities.

Vibrant downtowns can be an economic engine of growth; can serve as an attractant to young people, creative economic ventures, retirees and diverse populations; and can mitigate costly sprawling land-use development patterns. Keeping them vital is essential to our quality of life and economic prosperity.

So how do we accomplish all of this? What are our challenges? What are our opportunities? And what does this mean to you?

In a recent Times Record article, we are described as a “coalition of village-area retailers that organizes and sponsors special events to promote all of the town’s businesses.”

We are so much more than that. Our membership is actually made up of local restaurateurs, nonprofits and professional service providers, retailers, lodging facilities, property owners and individuals who share our vision for a vital downtown.

Yes, the BDA does sponsor and organize Eat Brunswick!, Music on the Mall, Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival, Taste of Brunswick, Early Bird and Rolling Slumber Bed Races, the holiday tree lighting and Santa on the Mall. We attract thousands of visitors and residents to our downtown by providing attractive, fun, safe and lively events, and we are very proud of our efforts.

We are always looking at ways to improve our events, and sometimes this means changing the dates, partnering with other organizations and, above all, listening to our constituents. We serve the community, not the other way around.

Take a stroll down Maine Street and what do you see? You see people, you see cleanliness, you see commercial activity, you see “vibrancy.”

Did you know that BDA sponsors “Clean Sweep” every May as a kickoff campaign to get our streets spruced up before the busy season? BDA has also contracted with the town of Brunswick on a seasonal hire to ensure all the downtown area is free of weeds, cigarette butts and debris.

You see banners and benches and bike racks for the convenience of our downtown visitors – once again, BDAsponsored projects.

You see beautiful historic buildings. The BDA is working on getting the downtown area designated as a National Historic District. This means owners may be able to take advantage of state and federal tax credits to update and maintain their properties.

You see new parking signs. The BDA is working with the town and business owners to come up with new and innovative solutions to downtown parking issues.

During the December holiday season, you see lit trees on all the light poles downtown — another BDA project.

We want the world to know what a great place Brunswick is to live, work and play, so the BDA recently sponsored a “Marketing Brunswick” series of meetings at which a cross section of the community came together to come up with a marketing plan for not only downtown, but the entire community to use. “Our Town, Our Story” will be unveiled very soon.

Creating a healthy and vital downtown area involves working with our local businesses on issues that affect them every day.

In collaboration with the Southern Midcoast Chamber of Commerce, we provide training in customer service and financial reporting. As part of the Healthy Maine Streets program, we provide simple, measurable ways for employers and employees to embrace healthy lifestyles through healthful eating, increased physical activity and tobacco cessation.

The town contracts with the BDA to operate the Brunswick Visitor Center. This is the first stop for many visitors arriving by train or bus to our community, and the staff and volunteers are committed to making their experiences as positive as possible. Thousands of Brunswick maps and brochures are distributed at the Visitor Center and at the many train stations along the route to Boston. Stop by and check out the multitude of information available not only on Brunswick, but the entire Mid-coast region.

Brunswick is an incredible community that has so much to offer residents and visitors alike. Our history, our art and culture, our amenities, but mostly our people set us apart and make us truly unique. The BDA is very fortunate to be a player in our growth and vitality.

DEBORA KING is executive director of the Brunswick Downtown Association.