Town Hall Meeting on April 27 to provide update and next steps.
New Bedford supporters, residents, workers, business and property owners are invited to a town hall meeting on Monday, April 27 from 5-7 p.m. to discuss the future of Downtown New Bedford. The gathering is part of an initiative started last fall by AHA! New Bedford to facilitate conversations about strengthening and sustaining a thriving Downtown.
That initiative has since grown into a broader collaboration. The meeting is co-hosted by a project team including AHA! New Bedford, dNB Inc., the City of New Bedford, the New Bedford Economic Development Council, and consultants Anne Burke and André Leroux through support from a Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Grant.
During the meeting, the team will share findings gathered through surveys, community meetings and focus groups that occurred in the fall of 2025 and the spring of 2026. Consultant Leroux will present additional analysis, insights, and, drawing upon community-informed priorities, will lead an interactive workshop to gather additional public input. The team will also outline potential next steps. The town hall is part of an engagement process to solidify key priorities for Downtown New Bedford. The discussion and feedback will be used to craft a management services action plan with a conceptual budget for consideration and suggest a sustainable approach for implementation.
The meeting is free and open to the public. It will take place from 5-7 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church’s Tryworks Auditorium, 71 8th Street. Pizza and refreshments will be served beginning at 5 p.m., with the presentation starting promptly at 5:30 p.m. If you would like to attend, please RSVP at NBAprilMeeting.
ABOUT AHA NEW BEDFORD
AHA! New Bedford provides and promotes free arts and cultural experiences for all across Downtown New Bedford. For over 25 years, AHA! has helped build and promote a creative economy that, alongside other arts organizations and supporters, transformed Downtown New Bedford into a cultural epicenter of Massachusetts’ South Coast. Programming has expanded to include music, film, storytelling, block parties, art markets, and more.
ABOUT dNB Inc.
dNB Inc. amplifies the unique voice of Downtown New Bedford through strategic marketing, placekeeping, and community-driven events. Building on over 30 years of serving Downtown, dNB Inc. creates high-impact social media campaigns, maintains a website featuring 120+ local businesses and attractions, develops and prints the dNB Visitors’ Guide, and produces signature events like Holiday Stroll and FallFest. The dNB Inc. mission is to help downtown thrive in a way that’s authentic, inclusive, and local. Learn more at downtownnb.org
ABOUT NBEDC
The NBEDC is a nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate and promote a transparent, credible, and business-friendly environment. The NBEDC works collaboratively with local, state, and federal partners to support creativity, sustainable job growth, and private sector investment benefiting the citizens of New Bedford. Visit here for more information technical assistance, grant, and loan programs that support new and existing businesses and arts-based economic development– www.nbedc.org.
ABOUT ANN BURKE
Ann Burke is an experienced consultant specializing in district management organizational development. With over 30 years experience, Ms Burke has worked with communities throughout Massachusetts in the formation of sustainable downtown organizations to build socially and economically vibrant commercial centers. In addition to her private consulting practice, Ms Burke is a technical advisor to the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative and a “house doctor” for MassDevelopment specializing in district management organizational development.
ANDRE LEROUX
André Leroux is a consultant who supports community efforts to become more livable, welcoming, and thriving. A native of Worcester, he currently leads MassINC’s Gateway Cities Innovation Institute, which works to unlock the economic potential of small to mid-size regional cities. Before 2020, he spent more than 12 years as the executive director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, a coalition of environmental, housing, and planning organizations. There he led the successful campaign to reform our state’s zoning laws, created the Great Neighborhoods initiative, and played early roles in establishing Transportation for Massachusetts, Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and the Planners of Color Network. He serves on the national board of Smart Growth America and chairs the zoning board of appeals for the City of Medford, MA. André is fluent in Spanish and a member of the LGBTQ community.
