Think Tank Forms to Jumpstart Main Street

Picture a Main Street where the parking is effortless. An eco-friendly trolley makes regular stops so that people can travel about town. Musicians play on street corners, and in the colder months, merchants roast chestnuts and sell hot cider from the occasional kiosk.

Imagine special events like a Port Washington-specific restaurant week that draws in crowds, even from out of town. And a community where once a week, especially around holiday time, the shops stay open late. Parents drop their little ones off for supervised evening craft activities while moms and dads enjoy a leisurely shopping excursion or night on the town.

Sounds like a destination. And right now merchants and landlords on Main Street and other influencers are trying to create that destination right here in Port.

"We want to make [Main Street] cool and esthetically pleasing," said Mindy Germain. Germain is  executive director of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, which hosted a think tank at the Port Washington Public Library on Wednesday evening, along with PortWashington Chamber of Commerce and the Port Washington Business Improvement District. 

"Let's start a movement," Germain said. "Let's change the mindset. It's our responsibility to support local merchants the way you support groups: schools, nonprofits, sports leagues, religious institutions."

"We're not there yet," she added. "It takes time."

But with the support of partners in the community and at the county level, a little more than 100 stakeholders  – merchants, elected officials and civic groups –are now collaborating to bring about change to Port Washington by the 2010 holiday shopping season. Residents is now working with Nassau County in a pilot partnership program to make Port's downtown more vibrant and pedestrian friendly, and is collaborating with consultants specializing in parking, traffic, streetscape and transit-oriented development.

At the library on Wednesday, merchants gathered in groups according to their organization's location. There was the arts and antique hub of lower Main Street; the cultural center that included Landmark on Main Street, the library and nearby shops and restaurants; and the main hub, including the area surrounding the Long Island Railroad station, where "business gets done – there is a lot of activity, not just commuters," Germain pointed out. 

The hubs spent about an hour each brainstorming, and then shared their ideas with everyone in the room. 

Members of the arts and antiques hub liked the idea of posting distinct banners for each hub. They dubbed an eco-friendly trolley as a "must have" to shuttle shoppers to and from Inspiration Wharf at no charge, complete with a promotional video about Port. They wanted more benches and sidewalk space, pruned trees, a downtown hotel, and awnings adorning the second and third floor stories of buildings, which are already an eclectic mix with their colorful facades. The also liked the idea of community gift certificates sold at a discount, and marketing the community to boaters.

Members of the main hub stressed the importance of clean sidewalks and also wanted the town to clarify regulations regarding signage. They liked the idea of mile markers for walkers striding along a "Healthy Main Street," much the way people walk the perimeters of indoor malls for exercise. They wanted more information about permitting with regards to selling food from outdoor carts, and suggested local students play music along Main Street. And a Restaurant Week or a special restaurant event happening one night a week had strong appeal.

Members of the cultural center hoped landlords and tenants would work together to keep garbage from overflowing on the sidewalks. They liked the idea of businesses staying open one night a week, and suggested choosing a night other than Thursday so as not to compete with other downtowns. They suggested selling hot mulled cider, hosting a children's night at one of the locales so that parents could shop and dine, and cross-promoting businesses online. And they spoke of a Port Washington credit card that offered discounts at local stores or raised money for something in Port. 

After listening to the ideas, Councilman Fred Pollack (D - North Hempstead) said, "This is a very important night. It's the beginning of communication for people who deal with challenges. Hopefully it's the beginning of a cultural change."

He added: "The town wants to work with you to make this one of the best places to do business and find ways to make it easier for people to succeed. It has to be an ongoing process."

The business owners seemed ready to make the night a starting point, and were enthused to learn about a campaign that included billboard ads posted at Long Island Railroad stations hyping the community.

Kanista Telekool, who owns Thanee Thai Restaurant hopes the think tank "brings new life to business from people in Port Washington and from people outside the community," she said. As for a dedicated Restaurant Week versus a single night a week offering specials, Telekool said, "the whole week might be better. Some can't come on a Thursday."

"This is wonderful," said Scott Weil of North Shore Vision. "We tried to do this 25 years ago when there were lots of antique shops, art galleries, haberdasheries, and  a five-and-dime." Unfortunately, the group lost momentum. He hopes this time around the effort succeeds. "I'm impressed it's happening again," he said, looking around the room. 

According to Residents, findings from the think tank will be presented to the community at large over the coming months as ideas turn into action.