Town of Barnstable
HYANNIS – The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District recently gathered to celebrate local business leaders and to look ahead at future challenges and opportunities.
Executive Director Elizabeth Wurfbain said Hyannis BID’s 23rd Annual Meeting featured a group of merchants and community leaders.
Wurfbain said the group discussed what’s happening in the downtown district and gave out several awards at the breakfast.
Shannon Connolly of Bugg’s Place Toys was the winner of the Beacon Business Award for her shop shining a light on the west end of the downtown.
The Citizen of the Year Award went to Conrad Watson for his plan to turn one of the buildings in the area he purchased into a mixed-use space that will include apartments.
Love Live Local CEO Amanda Converse won the Cynthia Cole award for her passion and perseverance. Her nonprofit is a resource for small businesses on the Cape.
Wurfbain said the meeting’s discussion covered a variety of topics from the last year and what lies ahead.
Despite financial pressures, the housing crisis, and recovery from the pandemic the last few years, Wurfbain said Hyannis Main Street has still flourished.
“We have tourism to fall back on. That really worked well for the downtown in the summer because you could be outside,” Wurfbain said.
She added downtown Hyannis has seen a lot of investment in the last few years.
“There aren’t as many vacancies as there can be in some of the Gateway cities,” she said.
Wurfbain said her group has witnessed some other positive trends, including transitioning towards having more housing in the area.
She added there have been several state and federal grants offered to help small businesses and “lift up downtowns in the process.”
Since downtowns are the most visible and public part of a community, Wurfbain said they often display an area’s social issues and economic development.
“It actually is a good place to start making the changes and the improvements that you want to see in your society,” Wurfbain said.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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