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December 20, 2007 - CRCOG is developing a plan to make the Hartford region bike and pedestrian friendly. If you are interested in part of the effort, you may help by giving your input on walking and biking conditions in your community. To complete the survey, click here.

December 3, 2007 - Shop Main Street is a national iniative launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support and showcase local independent businesses on main street and in commercial districts across the nation, and to provide easy access for online shopping. To visit Main Street shops without leaving your home or office, click here.

November 12, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) has announced the appointment of its new Director of Community Development, Courtney Hendricson, who will be responsible for providing guidance and assistance to Connecticut Main Street communities, coordinating resources to deliver specific services, and securing effective relationships with members, municipal partners, elected officials and experts in the field. To read more, click here.

June 5, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center developed its Awards program to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring our traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically. Join CMSC in celebrating the successes of CMSC's Main Street community programs and the value of committement by board members and volunteers, business owners and partners. For a list of the recipients of the 2007 Awards of Excellence in Downtown Revitalization, Click Here.

May 29, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center has announced it will honor Mike and Arvene Yakemore, owners of Simsmore Square, at the organization’s 2007 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation.  The event will be held on Monday, June 11th at 5:30 pm at the Gilson Café ~ Cinema in Downtown Winsted.To read the press release, Click Here.

May 8, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) announced that Waterbury and Winsted have been named 2007 National Main Street Communities by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Center. Friends of Main Street, Winsted and Main Street Waterbury, both nonprofit organizations, have been recognized for outstanding accomplishments toward the goal of revitalizing their historic downtowns.To read the press release, Click Here.

May 1, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) has announced its 2007 Awards for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization. Recipients include Connecticut Main Street community organizations which have demonstrated excellence in application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach to Downtown Revitalization™. Awards include New London, Norwich, Simsbury, Winsted. Property owners in New London and Simsbury will also be recognized. Awards will be presented on June 11, 2007 at the Connecticut Main Street Center Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation at The Gilson Cinema ~ Café in Downtown Winsted.To read the press release, Click Here.

April 25, 2007 - Connecticut Main Street Center has announced the selection of the Gilson Café~Cinema in Downtown Winsted as the site of the organization’s 2007 AnnualMeeting & Awards Presentation. The event will be held on Monday, June 11th at 5:30pm. A “Welcome to Main Street” reception will be held at Monaco’s Ristorante followed by the program and Awards Presentation at the Gilson.To read the press release, Click Here.

January 22, 2007, WNPR: Where We Live (Hartford, CT) - Alan J. Plattus, Professor at the Yale School of Architecture and Director of the Yale Urban Design Workshop, and board member of Connecticut Main Street Center, and Douglas Rae, Professor at the Yale School of Management and former New Haven City Adminstrator  were John Dankosky's guests on WNPR-Connecticut Public Radio's live call-in program "Where We Live". They discussed and took calls about the failure of the great urban plan, following the scheduled implosion of the New Haven Colesium. To read the press release, Click Here.

August 24, 2006, WNPR: Where We Live (Hartford, CT) - Jack Shannahan, former State Historic Preservation Officer and founder and former Chair of Connecticut Main Street Center, was John Dankosky's recent guest on WNPR-Connecticut Public Radio's "Where We Live". Shannahan discussed Preserving Our Rural Character, how development pressures threaten Connecticut's rural environment and how community leaders are working to preserve their communities. To hear the broadcasted program visit www.wnpr.org and follow the links to "Where We Live" or Click Here.

June 13, 2006, WNPR: Where We Live (Hartford, CT)  - Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) was featured on WNPR's new live, call-in show, "Where We Live", CT Public Radio, the morning of June 13, 2006. The program is hosted by John Dankosky, News Director. Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker, Associate Director of CMSC, was joined by architect and urban planner Patrick Pinnell, AIA. Joining in via telephone was Barbara DeBellis, Executive Director of Friends of Main Street, Winsted. To hear the broadcasted program visit www.wnpr.org and follow the links to "Where We Live" or Click Here.

June 6, 2006, National Trust for Historic Preservation: The Connecticut Light And Power Company Honored For Its Leadership By The National Trust (New Orleans, LA) Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center®, presented The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) with its 2006 Main Street Business Leadership Award at the 2006 National Main Streets conference in New Orleans. CL&P was honored for making the vision of vibrant historic and traditional commercial districts in Connecticut a reality and for its steadfast financial and administrative commitment to the Connecticut Main Street program. Annually, the National Trust bestows a Main Street Business Leadership Award to companies or an industry that help revitalize historic and traditional neighborhood commercial districts. Click here for more..

July 1, 2005, The Hartford Courant, Editorial: The Shops on Main Street (Hartford, CT) New businesses along Albany Avenue in Hartford. A living history play in downtown New London. A facade improvement program in Winsted. New zoning regulations in Rockville. These are a few of the projects taken on by local communities affiliated with the Connecticut Main Street Center. The program, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is based on the idea that traditional downtown areas can be made strong again with good planning and historic preservation. The model was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the 1970s. Connecticut was slow to adopt the program because the state wouldn't provide funding. But a decade ago, Connecticut Light & Power Co. executive Bruce Carlson stepped up and committed his company's support. It was the first privately funded Main Street program in the country. Today, both CL&P and the state department of Economic and Community Development are among the backers of the nonprofit group. What the group found almost immediately was that towns didn't know the value of their older downtown areas. Many of these areas were still doing a fair amount of business and had the potential to grow. With organizational, promotional and technical assistance, volunteers are helping to revive downtowns. Since 1995, the participating communities – Darien, which just signed on, is the 11th – have generated nearly 300 new businesses, more than 1,800 jobs and more than $400 million in public and private reinvestment in their downtowns. One tenet of smart growth is the rejuvenation of the built environment, notably traditional downtowns. We wish the Connecticut Main Street Center another productive decade. Copyright, July 1, 2005, the Hartford Courant. Reprinted with permission.