National Economic Development Specialists to Visit Newmarket March 26

Press Release by Michael Provost, Hampton Area Chamber/NH Parks GSA Class of 2022

Each year Main Street America holds a National Conference that brings together approximately 1,500
Main Street Executives, Board Members, and Development Specialists from across the United States
to explore best practices and economic development strategies. This year, March 27-29, with a theme
of “Learning Together”, the City of Boston will host the Conference for the first time since 2000. Prior
to and during each conference are offered Mobile Field Workshops where attendees are given the
opportunities to observe and visit successful projects. Former Main Street Executive Director and
current NH Granite State Ambassador Michael Provost was asked by Main Street America Program
Specialist Kathy LaPlante if we could put together a New Hampshire Field Workshop exploring
Economic Development through Historic Preservation and Adaptive Building Re-Use. On Sunday,
March 26 at 8:00 am at the Marriott Copley Plaza in Boston, 50 conference attendees will board a
coach and head out for “Seaport and Mills: Historic New Hampshire Coastal Loop.” This workshop
was so popular that it was sold out six weeks before the conference. Businesses in each community
may display a free “Welcome Main Street USA” door card, available from the Chamber Collaborative
in Portsmouth or Michael Provost in Newmarket.

Guests will travel into New Hampshire via the Route 1A/1B Coastal Scenic byway into Portsmouth, and then from Portsmouth into Newmarket via the Mills Scenic Byway. In Portsmouth they will arrive at the Portsmouth Historical Society’s Discovery Center about 10:15 am to a welcome from Mayor Deglan McEachern, City Manager Karen Conard, and Chamber Collaborative President Ben VanCamp. After viewing the Welcome to Portsmouth Video, they will re-board the coach for a Guided Tour of Portsmouth by Dr Richard Candee of the Portsmouth Historical Society. After the tour they will disembark in Market Square for free time to have lunch, shop and explore Portsmouth on their own. Each guest will receive a special photo book of Portsmouth signed by Mayot Deglan McEachern in their gift bag at the end of the day.

The Coach will depart Market Square and travel to Route 4 viewing Great Bay and then onto Route
108 in Durham and the Mills Scenic Byway into Newmarket. The Millspace in Newmarket will
welcome them with a dessert buffet hosted by the Newmarket Business Association. They will also be
welcomed by Town Council Chair Toni Weinstein, Town Manager Steve Fournier, Ned Carpenter- NBA
President, Jay Dugal- President of Newmarket Community Development Corporation, Geoff Sfizer
and Brock Harrison of Chinburg Builders, Bart McDonough of Newmarket Community Planning, Tiara
Flanders from The Millspace, and David LeGault from Newmarket Main Street. After a Welcome and
dessert offerings, the group will divide in half, with part taking a guided tour of the Newmarket Mills,
and the other half free to shop and explore in downtown. After about 1 hour, the groups will switch,
with everyone ending up back in the Millspace to receive a gift bag from their New Hampshire,
Portsmouth, and Newmarket Hosts. While in Newmarket each guest will receive a $10 Millbucks Gift
Certificate for shopping (courtesy of the Newmarket Community Development Corporation) and the
Newmarket Historic Downtown Walking Tour (courtesy of the New Market Historical Society).

At 4:00 pm the guests will board the bus for the return trip to the Marriott Copley Plaza, enjoying a
Trivia Quiz of their day’s experience with door prizes. A large thank you is extended to all those who
helped make this Field Workshop a reality. For more information about the Main Street Conference
you can visit www.mainstreet.org . For more information or questions about the workshop contact

Michael Provost at mapro75@comcast.net or call 603-781-7116. There will also be a Mobile Field
Workshop traveling into Concord on March 26.