Hartford's Storefront Facelift

   

by Sam Sulzer
DTHartford Staff

     The Department of the Economic and Community Development Offices of Culture and Tourism created the Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program  in an attempt to invest in the state of Connecticut’s arts based cultural activities. It was also created as a way to increase attractiveness and competitiveness of cities, towns, villages, and to make these areas an appealing community in which to live and work. The state had received 29 applications for the program and 11 cities and organizations were awarded the grants.

     Kristina Newman-Scott, the director of Hartford’s Marketing, Events, and Cultural Affairs Division, stated that city officials are eyeing several spaces to be converted into art based venues or pop-up shops. Pop-up retailing is the new craze of a temporary venue in which a sample sale could be featured at one day and then the next a private cocktail party. The trend is based on stores “popping-up” one day and then disappearing anywhere from a day to a few weeks later and coming back with something new. They are typically unique environments that engage consumers and generate a sense of relevance, which in turn creates its buzz and popularity. Based on what Newman-Scott and her team have assessed thus far, they want to have at least four into fruition by May. City officials as well as Newman-Scott, envision the spaces being a co-op style store that patrons would be able to purchase items made by local artists and to have other stores as remote broadcast studios in addition. These storefronts would occur throughout the Hartford area in high trafficked locations.

     The whole idea of this project is to remind people what a vibrant city they are in and that the point of a downtown area is to encourage people to get outside and walk around while being able to view and appreciate the city they have. One project that they have followed through with was working with WNPR (a Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network) in September to create a “pop-up” broadcast studio which took place in a former bank space downtown where radio hosts broadcasted well known shows which created a buzz throughout the city.

     A similar effort to the Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program is Project Storefronts, which was created and started in New Haven in 2010. Margaret Bodell who started Project Storefronts had “pop-up” retailers in vacant storefronts as well as hosted activities there to see if either concept would catch on or if the location would continue to work for these purposes or for another business. Since then at least two dozen new business have been launched and representatives behind the Economic Development Corporation of New Haven are the ones who were the brains behind the project and its launching. Both Project Storefronts and the Arts Catalyze Placemaking Program are still striving with the overall goal of improving their cities by making these cities a more appealing place to live by generating more reasons for those to walk around and further their appreciation for what their areas have to offer.