Downtown Brunswick Association helps carry the message, 'It's All here... All Year'

Stephanie Slocum is the executive director of the Brunswick Downtown Association. “We are very fortunate to have a community composed of so many assets, including the river and riverwalk, Bowdoin College, five museums, several movie and stage theaters including the Maine State Music Theatre, multiple art galleries, and a great variety of local businesses and nonprofit organizations,” Slocum said.

BRUNSWICK — Downtown Brunswick. It’s lively, diverse and undergoing changes. One of the many organizations deeply involved and at the forefront in keeping the town pointed in the right direction is the Brunswick Downtown Association.

The Times Record recently chatted with Stephanie Slocum, the BDA’s executive director, to talk about the group’s mission, the town’s new branding campaign, the need for more retail locations, and what makes Brunswick’s downtown so special.

Q. Stephanie, first of all, give us a little background about yourself, such as where you grew up, went to school, etc. You told me that you have lived in many different parts of the country, but you are back in the Mid-coast region. Comparisons, thoughts?

A. I am proud to be a multi-generation Maine native, born in Bath and raised in Boothbay Harbor. I graduated from the University of Maine at Orono and have a master’s degree in public administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

I have lived in several states (e.g., Illinois, Arizona, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina), primarily due to career moves in the financial services industry. Over the years, co-workers and friends had to listen to me brag about Maine and how I would one day return to Maine to live. In 2002, I did move back after getting tired of the corporate life and longing to be in a community where one truly belongs and can make a difference in local initiatives.

My husband’s job situation again “forced” us to Virginia in 2008, but our goal was always to return to Maine. I enjoyed the experiences of living in different states and visiting a variety of downtowns, but no place was like Maine. It’s great to be home again.

Brunswick Downtown Association Address: 85 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011 — P.O. Box 15

Phone: 207-729-4439

Email: info@brunswickdowntown.org

Website:  brunswickdowntown.org



Q. What is the mission of the Brunswick Downtown Association? What is your group’s strategy? Its goals? I understand the association is not just about business.

A. The board of the Brunswick Downtown Association (BDA) just completed the first phase of a strategic planning process which resulted in new mission and vision statements and goals for the organization. As you can see from our mission statement below, we are a nonprofit that works to improve our downtown for the benefit of everyone, including business owners, residents and local nonprofit organizations.

Mission: We will partner collaboratively to strengthen downtown and all of its assets by retaining and attracting residents, visitors and businesses with activities, effective development, and marketing, promotional and branding programs that enhance downtown Brunswick as a vibrant and attractive place to live, work, play and do business.

Brunswick is a Main Street Maine Downtown Network Community as part of the national Main Street Program. Part of our participation and benefit of the program is their organizational structure of four committees that focus on all aspects of downtown revitalization. The BDA’s new goals strive for accomplishments in each of the Main Street approach’s four-points, e.g., design, economic restructuring, organization, and promotion: (1) enhance downtown Brunswick as an inviting community that is attractive, accessible, safe and well maintained; (2) recruit and retain diverse businesses to downtown Brunswick; (3) mobilize effective leadership and resources vital to the success of downtown Brunswick; and (4) attract people to enjoy downtown Brunswick.

Q. What is your definition of downtown? Does the size and scope of a downtown change over the years? Specifically in Brunswick, who are you including in your “downtown”?

A. The BDA’s definition of downtown Brunswick has been consistent for several decades now and includes “the in-town area of Brunswick, generally described as Maine Street from the Androscoggin River to Pleasant Hill Road and adjoining side streets, including the entire Pleasant Street corridor to the Interstate 295 interchange and the Bath Road to the intersection with Jordan Avenue.”

Beyond working for our members within this geographic area, we also help promote greater Brunswick through our operation of the Visitor Center at Brunswick Station.

Q. Brunswick has just begun taking steps to brand itself. Your catch phrase that appears in advertisements says, “Brunswick, Maine. It’s All Here ... All Year.” Why is this being done? Didn’t Brunswick have a brand before? Who are you targeting with this effort? Does the timing have anything to do with the arrival of Amtrak passenger rail service in 2012?

A. It was important to publicize a phrase and a visual that is representative of downtown Brunswick.

The tag line you mentioned is only the start of a new branding campaign, which we have been developing around a marketing strategy that includes Down East magazine, The Phoenix magazine, the Maine Eastern Railroad booklet, radio, newspapers, television, our Brunswick Blast and website, and social media so far this year.

We are very fortunate to have a community composed of so many assets, including the river and riverwalk, Bowdoin College, five museums, several movie and stage theaters including the Maine State Music Theatre, multiple art galleries, and a great variety of local businesses and nonprofit organizations. We really do have so much in downtown Brunswick 12 months out of the year. “It’s All Here ... All Year” is really representative of who we are.

The new branding campaign is focused on both residents and visitors, whom we have found are not familiar with all that downtown has to offer. Through the campaign, we will raise the awareness of all of our restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, attractions and professional services businesses.

Brunswick did have a different tag line in the past. We feel that our new phrase, however, is more descriptive of what we are and affords us more of an opportunity to emphasize various downtown assets.

Although the timing of the new branding campaign is not tied to the arrival of Amtrak next year, it will certainly be utilized to promote visitation by Amtrak passengers to downtown Brunswick.

Q. Describe your relationship with Brunswick’s neighboring communities. With other places like Bath, Harpswell, Wiscasset and others promoting themselves, do you view them as competitors or as part of the overall appeal of the Mid-coast region?

A. The BDA does not view other local communities as competitors. It is important that we all work together to promote ourselves as an attractive region to both potential new residents as well as visitors and deliver on our multifaceted appeal to remain a top destination in Maine.

While the BDA focuses specifically on the sustainability of downtown Brunswick, we are active members of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber which represents 16 local communities working together to promote the attractiveness of the region as a destination. The chamber and the BDA partner on local ribbon-cutting events, After Hours networking opportunities, and in our Brunswick Station Visitor Center.

We offer opportunities for local businesses in neighboring communities, such as Harpswell and Topsham, to participate in events we sponsor in Brunswick, such as the Taste of Brunswick, as well as to promote themselves at our Visitor Center.

Q. Since the closing of Grand City, there has been the concern about the lack of a one-stop retail presence in downtown Brunswick. Do you share those concerns and has any effort been made to replace that kind of store, say with something like a Renys? Can Brunswick’s downtown survive with basically having niche stores?

A. One consistent message I do hear from local business owners and residents alike is that more retail is needed downtown. A survey of local residents conducted just over a year ago overwhelmingly stated a need for additional retail locations, including all-purpose discount stores, clothing and shoe stores, and a hardware store.

When Grand City left downtown, the BDA initiated a concerted effort to recruit a similar store to replace it. The BDA is currently working with downtown property owners and the town’s economic and community development office to fill current and new storefront vacancies with preferred businesses from the survey.

We are fortunate that several new retail businesses have or will soon be opening downtown, including Cool As A Moose, Timeless Cottage and Vintage Perkins. Most people may not be aware that we have more than 40 retail businesses in downtown Brunswick, which are listed on the BDA website, www.brunswickdowntown.org.

Our niche retail stores are a significant attraction and a complement to our other businesses in what is a very diverse and vibrant downtown.

Q. Are there too many restaurants in downtown Brunswick?

A. As in any community, the marketplace itself drives how many businesses are sustainable. I know that the number and diversity of restaurants is a significant asset to our downtown.

People from within an hour’s drive of Brunswick come to eat at our restaurants on a regular basis, as we offer dining options not available in any other community.

Q. Brunswick claims to have the widest Main Street in Maine. Is that a curse or blessing, especially when you take into consideration parking and pedestrian issues? Are there enough parking slots downtown?

A. I think most people would agree that our lovely Maine Street is a blessing and that parking and crossing the street can be a challenge. Fortunately, for decades, our residents and visitors have been able to park and cross successfully. There have been many attempts over the years to minimize the issues.

Based on recent increased pedestrian and traffic along Maine Street, and with the anticipated added volumes as a result of the arrival of the Amtrak Downeaster in 2012, it is important to solve what will be additional parking needs.

The BDA will be partnering with the town on the new master plan for downtown Brunswick and the Outer Pleasant Street Corridor which has several recommendations to address parking and pedestrian issues.