Groveland Receives Second Grant to Help Revitalize Elm Square Business District

Elm Square, Groveland. (Photograph courtesy of Elm Square Business District study.)

Groveland’s efforts to revitalize its Elm Square business district received a boost recently when the state awarded the town $15,000 to develop a parking management strategy.

The grant, from the state’s Downtown Initiative Technical Assistance program, pays for consulting services to examine available options to potentially increase the number and location of parking spots, officials said in a statement. Town Planner Rebecca Oldham spearheaded the town’s application for the grant, and is overseeing the Elm Square initiative.

“We’re grateful to receive this funding for a second year in a row and look forward to using it to take this next step in the Elm Square revitalization efforts,” she said.

Last year, the town used a grant from the same program to conduct an economic development study about the types of businesses residents would like to see in Elm Square and the current characteristics of the area. The majority of participants in the survey cited parking as an issue, reporting there is not enough parking and what does exist is far away from the core businesses in the square. Oldham said, “We’ve heard the feedback community members have provided as this project has continued to gain momentum and are excited about the future possibilities for this key area in Groveland.”

This new study will provide a more comprehensive plan on how to address the issue and include an overall assessment, management plan and zoning review.

The Elm Square Committee, named last year to study the district, consists of members Brian Connell, Michael Dempsey, Elizabeth Gorski, Gregory Stark Jr. and Lee Yang.

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