Tuesday, March 31, 2015

General Meeting Agenda


Franklin Downtown Partnership GENERAL Meeting Agenda
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Dean College Campus Center @ 8:30 am
Golder Room
I.               Open Meeting                                                   
II.             Adoption of Agenda                                          
III.           Introductions                                                     
IV.           Town Updates - Jeff Nutting                                   
V.             Streetscape Project Presentation - Jeff Nutting  
- Timeline
- Traffic Details
- New Drawings
- Period Lighting and Planters
VI.           Report from Executive Director - Lisa Piana        
- 2015 Meeting and Event Schedule
- FDP Membership Renewal
- FDP Quarterly Updates
- Shop Local Campaign
                  
VII.         Shop Local and “Positive” Campaign                
- Tom McAuliffe-President WMRC Radio

VIII.       New Business                                                                
       
IX.           Adjourn     

Next General Meetings: June 4, September 3, and November 5  

Click here to download and print this agenda.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Congressman Kennedy Visits FDP Office -- Press Release

U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy III visited the Franklin Downtown Partnership office Friday afternoon to hear first-hand about two initiatives the nonprofit group has been involved with.
Those projects include a partnership linking local small business owners with Dean College business students and the Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Project.
Kennedy spoke with FDP Executive Director Lisa Piana and Robert Cuomo, Dean of the School of Business at Dean College, about a new initiative that pairs business students with local small businesses to create business plans.
Congressman Kennedy (right) met with FDP Executive Director Lisa Piana and others Friday afternoon at the Partnership's office downtown. 

Kennedy discussed a new initiative linking Dean College business students with local small business owners with Dr. Robert Cuomo, Dean of the School of Business at Dean College. 

The owners of Franklin Yoga & Wellness, Making Whoopie, Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits, and Drama Kids of Metro West are working with students to develop and enhance all aspects of their business plans. According to Cuomo, the businesses benefit from free planning help while the Dean students gain real-world experience in developing and growing small companies.

Director of Planning and Community Development Bryan Taberner explained the impact the Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Program will have on downtown Franklin. 

Kennedy also reviewed plans for the upcoming Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Project slated to begin in April. Bryan Taberner, Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Franklin, described how the project will improve traffic circulation, road conditions, emergency response times and pedestrian safety while enhancing the downtown’s overall appearance and promoting private sector investment.
The project has been in the planning stages for nine years; Congressman Kennedy’s uncle, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, was instrumental is securing $5 million in federal funds for the project in 2006.
Lisa Piana explains some of the numerous revitalization and improvement projects the Partnership has been involved with since 2001. 

The congressman’s visit to the FDP office was one of several stops he made in Franklin Friday. Earlier in the day Kennedy took part in a manufacturing roundtable discussion, toured Franklin High School, and ate lunch at the Rome Restaurant. He later paid a visit to The Black Box.
The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a nonprofit, 501©3 organization made up of business owners, community leaders and residents working to revitalize downtown Franklin. While well known for their successful events, including the Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival and Holiday Stroll, the FDP takes an active role in downtown improvement projects like streetscape design and beautification efforts. The Partnership currently has close to 200 members and welcomes all businesses and residents.
Please visit our website, www.franklindowntownpartnership.org, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FranklinDowntownPartnership.org, and on Twitter at @FranklinDowntwn. For more information contact Executive Director Lisa Piana at (774) 571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

General Meeting Thursday, April 2


Please join us for the FDP General Meeting next Thursday, April 2, 8:30 a.m. at the Dean College Campus Center. 

The main agenda item will be a downtown Streetscape construction project discussion to update everyone on the timeline, traffic issues and details. 

The full meeting agenda will be announced early next week.




Wednesday, March 25, 2015

2015 Membership Application

Spring is a time of renewal, and it's the perfect time to join the Franklin Downtown Partnership or renew your membership. Please join us and help to grow downtown Franklin into a stronger, vibrant community center.

2015 Membership Application


Mail the form with your check to: Franklin Downtown Partnership, 
P.O. Box 413, Franklin, MA 02038. 


Membership Privileges:
  • Downtown Informational Meetings with guest speakers
  • A Voice in economic development and streetscape plans
  • Downtown Merchant Opportunities: Annual Strawberry Stroll and Holiday Stroll
  • Communication Updates on downtown events and streetscape projects
  • Networking Luncheons & Socials where you can meet people and introduce your business
  • Free link on the FDP website
Your membership dues support events including the Strawberry Stroll on June 11th, Beautification Day on May 16, Holiday Decorating on November 22, and the Holiday Stroll on December 3. These events, along with projects like new greenspace, public sculptures, and downtown signs are all part of our revitalization efforts.

Please note, the Harvest Festival will be postponed for one year due to the planned Streetscape construction project that is scheduled to begin this spring. 

Current FDP members will receive invoices via email for 2015 membership renewal. 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Member Announcements: New Members, FEF Trivia Bee

Welcome New Members:

* The Marketing Studio
To learn more about this full-service marketing group go to www.themarketingstudio.com, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


* The PC Handyman
Ed Szymanski offers a full range of PC services, including service and repair, and even makes house calls: www.pchman.com.


Membership Renewals will be mailed to current FDP members shortly. Interested in membership? Here's a link to our Membership Application.



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Franklin Education Foundation Trivia Bee April 8


According to Franklin Matters, teams are still needed for this friendly competition/fundraiser. 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/03/teams-still-needed-for-18th-annual.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FranklinMatters+%28Franklin+Matters%29



Monday, March 16, 2015

Member Announcements: New Members, Open Mic Night

Welcome New Members!

* The Moonlight Chef: Private Chef/Food Enthusiast/Entrepreneur 
Check out chef Laura Michele's website, http://www.themoonlightchef.net, or follow her on Twitter (@MoonlightChef), Instagram (MoonlightChef), Facebook, and YouTube (The Moonlight Chef) for recipe ideas.


* Franklin Liquors
363 East Central Street, Franklin. To learn more about Franklin Liquors and their Wine Club go to www.franklinliquors.com, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter (@Franklinliquors). 


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The Cake Bar is hosting its Open Mic Night this Thursday, March 19:


Monday, March 9, 2015

Small Business Marketing Co-Op Meets Wednesday Night

A message from Tracie Turinese, co-owner of The Cake Bar:
Wednesday, March 11, 7 p.m., at The Cake Bar, 17 E. Central St.

Are you a small business in Franklin that is interested in sharing marketing ideas with other local businesses to promote increased sales? 

If so, come join the Small Shop Co-Op's next meeting! Our last meeting yielded a ton of great brainstorming ideas so we're hoping to expand on how to turn some of those ideas into reality in our next meeting. 

One of the most exciting items we discussed was coordinating a scavenger/passport type 30 day event to promote Franklin businesses. We've been in touch with a vendor that can allow us to execute this idea, and a rep will be attending the meeting to give us an overview of the phone app capabilities that we can utilize to run our own town wide, small business scavenger hunt! It's VERY COOL and something I think many people will be excited about! We hope you can join us. 

For questions, feel free to email tracievolunteer@gmail.com


Saturday, March 7, 2015

Easy Ways to Access FDP News, Announcements

Happy March!

Did you know ....
There are three easy ways to stay up to date on all the latest news from the Franklin Downtown Partnership?

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is Now on Facebook and Twitter!

Find us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter @FranklinDowntwn
Follow @FranklinDowntwn 

Subscribe Via Email 
On the website (see box to the right under Facebook and Twitter links) enter your email address into the box and click "Subscribe." You will receive an email prompting you to confirm. Once you confirm, you will receive an email after 3 p.m. each day that something new has been added to the website.

And we will soon be changing our e-mail address and adding Constant Contact so stay tuned....!   Watch for your membership renewals in the mail...you won't want to miss any FDP communication with the upcoming Streetscape project beginning this Spring!


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Real Living Realty Grand Opening


Real Living Realty Group celebrated the grand opening of its new location Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception. Real Living recently purchased the new office space at 55 East Central Street, across the street from the Franklin Historical Museum. 




Manager Matt Kelly, Broker Mike Colombo and many sales associates were joined by Real Living CEO Bob McAdams, Jack Lank of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce, Representative Jeffrey Roy, Senator Richard Ross, members of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, members of the Rotary Club and local business leaders. 


For more information about Real Living Realty, go to their website -- http://www.realliving.com/realty-group.



Member Announcements: WMRC 1490-AM's 'Good News' Initiative

WMRC First Class Media, a Milford-based media company and Franklin Downtown Partnership member, has launched a “Good News” initiative and wants to hear your positive stories.

WMRC is a locally owned multi-media company that supports local businesses. WMRC 1490 AM broadcasts reach listeners in 14 local towns in 3 counties, and it’s website has logged 22,000 visits.

If you are looking for a new audience to tell your positive stories to, WMRC First Class Media may have a way to help.


To download and print a copy of the WMRC-First Class Media press release click here.



Monday, March 2, 2015

The FDP -- Who We Are

With the recent creation of the #shopFranklin Facebook group, many people have been asking who the Franklin Downtown Partnership is and what we do. Here's a short explanation, taken from the About Us section of this website. 


Franklin Downtown Partnership, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization operated “exclusively” for charitable and education purposes. The Partnership sees Franklin’s downtown as the heart of the community: a center of civic and cultural activities, government services, commercial businesses, and diversified housing. All of the Partnership’s activities are designed to foster greater vitality in the downtown commercial district and to serve as a vehicle for public policy discourse.
Mission:
  • To stimulate economic development in downtown in order to create a positive impact throughout the area
  • To be a pro-active organization that brings residents, business owners and community leaders together, encourages cooperation and builds leadership for the purpose of revitalizing downtown Franklin
Goals:
  • Have a Voice
  • Serve as a Resource
  • Stay Financially Sound and Healthy 

Please find out more about us by perusing this website, finding us on Facebook (Facebook.com/franklindowntownpartnership.org), following us on Twitter (@FranklinDowntwn), or join us at our next General Meeting on Thursday, April 2. 

You can find our 2014 FDP Brochure here.