Is A Main Street Program Appropriate for Mattapan? - Tufts University

CHaPTeR VII: ReCoMMenDaTIons
In the previous chapters, we have provided a description of the Mattapan
neighborhood both from the perspective of businesses as well as from
residents and local organizations . We have outlined the major principles
behind Main Streets and analyzed its strengths and weaknesses based
on a literature review, previous case studies of Boston Main Streets, and
interviews with local districts . We will now outline some general recommendations
for the future prospects for a Mattapan Square or Morton Village
Main Streets in addition to policy implications and areas of recommended
future research . We will conclude the report with some final thoughts for the
Mattapan Community Development Corporation .
Before we present our recommendations, it is important to note the
limitations to our methodology . First, we had only three months to gather
information and conduct outreach with the community and local districts .
Second, we were unable to secure the cooperation of more than half of the
local Main Street districts, so the information from our interviews is based
off of a limited number of districts . The short-time frame led us to conduct
broad interviews rather than thorough case studies of the various districts .
Third, a last minute location change for our focus group may have contributed
to a low turnout of less than ten residents . As such, the results from
this focus group may not be representative of the entire community . Lastly,
as we gathered information it has become clear that the Community Implementation
Team under the MEDI imitative is working on producing similar
recommendations regarding the location and implementation of a Main
Street program . As such, our report aims to synthesize the current efforts
and provide general recommendations as opposed to a detailed analysis of
the specific commercial districts in question .
PoTenTIal loCaTIons
A Main Street program connecting Morton Village and Blue Hill Avenue is
currently being considered by the Mattapan Community Development Corporation
(MCDC) . From our interviews it appears that this location has been
selected because the Morton Board of Commerce is eager to facilitate with
the implementation, whereas the Mattapan Board of Trade is opposed to a
Main Street program in Mattapan Square . From interviews with local business
owners, however, it is unclear whether the Mattapan Board of Trade
truly represents the interests of its members . Some local business owners
expressed a desire to support a Main Street program . Our research in this
area is limited, and we recommend that MCDC fully evaluate the pros and
cons of each district before selecting Morton Village officially. It may be necessary
to ascertain the exact level of business support in each commercial
node as well as which location has more public support . Below we briefly
highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each district for housing a Main
Street program .
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Mattapan Square is the most natural location for a first attempt at Main
Streets in Mattapan . It has a stronger base of businesses, and it is already
a vibrant commercial district, although in need of façade improvements
and a better retail mix . If selected, the vision for a Mattapan Square Main
Streets would likely focus on physical improvements, business retention,
and diversifying the retail options . A challenge for Mattapan Square is that
the business owners and the Mattapan Board of Trade are viewed as being
opposed to any efforts for improvement, particularly that of Main Streets .
Residents in the focus groups saw Mattapan Square business owners as
not being “community people” and thus, unlikely to be willing to participate
in efforts to improve this commercial node .
Morton Village lacks a strong commercial base and does not have as much
pedestrian foot traffic . As such, the vision for this node would be creating
a business district and building local capacity . Although a more challenging
vision, there is much future development planned through MEDI in the
Morton Village area that will help revitalize the area. A Main Streets in this
commercial node could provide a mechanism for community members and
business owners to play a role in the upcoming development . A key issue
for Morton Village would be maintaining community support during the long
development process . A major ally, however, is the Morton Street Board of
Commerce, which appears eager to assist with implementation and has a
group of business owners committed to improving the area and the overall
vision of Main Streets .
The need for long-term development in Morton Village will be especially
challenging . It will be imperative that the future executive director focus on
small projects, such as cultural events or storefront improvements, while
also working to keep the community engaged with the long-term development
objectives . A key to success will be keeping the community involved
throughout the process . If this area is selected, the Mattapan Community
Development Corporation should start by hosting a community forum to
develop a vision for the Main Streets, similar to Four Corners’ “urban village”
plan . During the community meetings, it should be made clear that
development could take up to ten years so that unattainable expectations
can be avoided .
CoMMUnITY InVolVeMenT
A significant challenge for Mattapan may be obtaining community support
for the Main Street program . Mattapan has unsuccessfully applied for
Main Street designation at least two previous times . Each time the application
was rejected by Boston Main Streets because of a lack of community
support . Thus far, the only players in the current decision to move forward
with the Main Street program have been through the MEDI Community
Implementation Team, whose members were appointed by the Boston Re-