DERRY — The quest to market downtown Derry continues.
The newly named Derry Downtown Development Committee meets Thursday at the Derry Municipal Center to continue the work of improving the downtown and Derry's economic viability.
Following last April's community profile gathering, residents continued working as part of a downtown focus group, spotlighting ways to make Derry attractive to new business while keeping its small-town Main Street flavor.
"Derry is fortunate to have a vibrant town center," group member Michael Gendron told the Town Council earlier this month.
Councilor Kevin Coyle made a motion to create an official Derry Downtown Development Committee, hoping to spark more interest in the town's future, and keeping the citizens group alive, well and moving forward.
Derry also hired RKG Associates to assist with a marketing study and economic development goal planning, all things Gendron said go hand in hand with what the downtown group is working on.
"We, of course, are thrilled to be officially recognized as a town of Derry steering committee for downtown development," he said.
All Derry citizens — from merchants and landlords to town officials and organizations — can be part of the process, according to Gendron.
He heralded the work RKG Associates is doing in Derry and said his group's efforts are similar in task to what is on the major development idea wish list.
The inaugural meeting this week focuses on the committee's framework and its plans to schedule another downtown civic profile event later in the spring. That event will be facilitated with the help of the University of New Hampshire.
Committee members hope to revive the efforts of the old Derry Main Street group, active in the 1990s, Gendron said. Two original members of that group, Dave Nelson and Gordon Graham, serve on the new downtown committee.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend the meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. in Room 207 of the Derry Municipal Center.
