by Deb Alter
The most recent Hoosick Rising meeting took place in the Hoosac School Auditorium on Tuesday, March 31, featuring presentations and discussions on various initiatives undertaken by the Hoosick Rising group.
[private] Christa Franzi of Camoin Associates, who has been guiding the Hoosick Rising process, stressed the need for upfront and continuous community engagement. “Success doesn’t happen when only a few people are actively involved,” she said. The community has been quite engaged: project leaders are stepping up, (more than 10 new project leaders have been identified), 20-plus businesses and organizations have been interviewed, there have been at least 40 people at each of the Hoosick Rising meetings, and more and more people (70 and rising) are subscribing to the Hoosick Rising E-Newsletter.
The ultimate goal in the economic development process is to create sustainable prosperity for the community and its citizens. “The difference between Hoosick Rising and other plans that have looked good but gone nowhere, in Hoosick and many other towns and villages, is that Hoosick Rising is not just a hopeful vision, it includes action and implementation plans that will make sure things go forward,” Franzi explained. Instead of broad goals, Hoosick Rising has established focused initiatives supported by projects that are ready to go; some are even under way. Some projects are ready to start, but still need project leaders and implementation teams. If you are interested and/or have skills that would be useful, you can pick up and fill out a Community Skills Inventory at The Cheney Library, Bagel ‘n’ Brew on John Street, and at Maggie’s Beauty Shop on Main Street, and mail it back to Franzi or drop it off at the Village Hall or Town Hall by the end of April.
The projects developed through the Hoosick Rising process have been organized into five initiatives: to reinvigorate Hoosick’s built environment, to enhance and feature the quality of place, to strengthen marketing and communications, to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and business development, and to expand the community’s fundamental economic development efforts by working with regional partners and stakeholders. Detailed implementation and action plan strategies are clearly spelled out in a report entitled “Hoosick Rising Community and Economic Development Implementation Strategy.” There are copies to look at in person at the library, Maggie’s and Bagel ‘n’ Brew. The report can also be accessed and downloaded from the Hoosick Rising website: www.hoosickrising.org. Either way, the report is in-depth and honest, and well worth looking at. The report also includes economic data and trends and a retail market analysis, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, and implementation resources.
Building Renovations Get Going Again
Alex Buell, project manager for the old Doherty’s Corner project (now “Parson’s Corner”) explained that due to the intensity of the cold this winter, Sequence Development was not able to make as much progress as planned (it was so cold the frost went down five or more feet deep), but that they planned to begin work again this week. Jasen VonGuinness has been working inside on the old St. Mary’s building all winter, and has been able to get some needed roof work done now that it’s a bit warmer. He and his wife are “hoping to move into their apartment possibly as early as May, when they will be able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and the views,” he said. They are looking forward to being a part of the Hoosick Community.
Ray Marshall, a developer from Albany who specializes in renovating older buildings was introduced as the newest developer in town. He recently purchased the old CeeCee’s Pizza/WeBay building on Church Street, where he envisions storefronts on the ground floor and apartments above. Speaking to the assembled group, he said, “I’m interested in hearing from the community about what they would like to see in the commercial space. I don’t want to put in something the people don’t want.”
Tom Vallone has been working on a broadband/internet initiative which is a key to economic success in any community. He has completed much of his research and is looking at a couple of companies that might be able to provide the resources Hoosick needs.
There is lots of detailed, continuously updated information at www.hoosickrising.org. Like the project’s Facebook page and keep abreast of the latest developments at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoosick-Rising. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 pm at Brown’s Brewery in Walloomsac. [/private]