Pittsfield Approves Application for 'Cultural District' DesignationBy Joe Durwin, Special to iBerkshires
02:54PM / Wednesday, July 13, 2011 | |
This year's inaugural Third Thursday brought thousands to North Street. The City Council has endorsed an application to give the area a state 'Cultural District' designation. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In a unanimous decision, the City Council approved a motion to endorse an application for recognition of the city's downtown as a "Cultural District" under a newly created Massachusetts program.
Created by the state Legislature last year, the Cultural Districts Initiative is a program administered by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to designate certain areas throughout the commonwealth that consist of a compact, walkable area identifiable to visitors as a center of cultural and artistic offerings. The goals of the initiative are to bolster tourism, foster job growth and economic development, preserve and reuse historic buildings, and generally enhance and encourage cultural development in local areas.
"This legislation I believe was in part inspired by Pittsfield and the work done here," said Megan Whilden, director of cultural development for the city. "It's an opportunity to recognize all we've done in the last six years."
In fact, the MCC's Web page on the initiative features a photo of North Street on a Saturday.
The public hearing and motion at Tuesday's meeting were preceded by an earlier open meeting on June 22 at the Lichtenstein Center, where Merri Jenkins, the MCC's manager of the Cultural Districts Initiative, explained the process and fielded questions. More than two dozen residents attended, and Whilden said there was great enthusiasm for this effort from the community generally as well as commitments from at least 10 businesses and organizations thus far to support the application.
The council heard from several individuals from the community during the public hearing on this motion. Lesley Beck, chairman of the Pittsfield Tourism Commission, pointed out "a Cultural District designation is a tool we can use to attract tourism ... we will be able to say our downtown is deemed by the commonwealth to be a cultural center."
Beck also read a statement from Downtown Inc. President Peter Lafayette, who expressed that it seemed natural to seek this status, as downtown Pittsfield now boasts one of the largest concentrations of cultural organizations in the state.
Tristan Wilson, managing director of Barrington Stage Company, added the additional perspective that for the nonprofits and cultural organizations, such an endorsement by the state could assist them in their efforts to raise funds, from grants to major gifts. This money in turn cycles back into the local creative economy, opening up more opportunities and increasing the cultural offerings available.
Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo posed a couple of cautious questions, including whether any future changes or decisions by the city might impact this status, if acquired. Whilden indicated that she could not think of any situation in the normal course of events where this would be an issue.
"I suppose if you were to bulldoze downtown Pittsfield, that would probably be a problem," she said.
She stated that she foresaw no additional costs in acquiring the designation, beyond minimal signage expenses to advertise the distinction. She added that the MCC is working with the state Department of Transportation so that this might include signage featured on the Massachusetts Turnpike by the Exit 2 embarkation point into the Berkshires.
Ward 6 Councilor John Krol thanked Whilden specifically for her part in improving the quality of downtown living and cultural happenings in the city. The council approved the motion to muffled applause and murmurs of general approval throughout the room.
If Pittsfield's application is accepted, it would become one of the very first crop of communities with recognized Cultural Districts under this program.
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