I totally agree with MissD on this one.
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 Y DEVELOP |
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(03/27/08 10:16 AM) |
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 10:28 AM) |
There are lots of great grand ideas that people agree with. The issue is finding a practical, workable way of achieving them. Fortunately there are some people
who are willing to take those risks. Frank Elliot was at out last Tourism meeting and he's always thinking. And there is a new, interesting project that is
privately funded going in on the Gloucester/Essex line that will provide tourism resources and land tours so there are people actually doing things instead of
just flapping their jaws.
Some of the ideas coming out of these Packaging & Promoting meetings are inspiring. Gloucester Stage Company, Beauport, and Rocky Neck Art Colony are putting forth huge efforts to draw people here. Rocky Neck's new brochure/map is just beautiful. Some of the whale watch/water tour businesses are also tapping new markets. Cultural tourism is big, big business. We just have to find better ways of promoting this area to the rest of the world.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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MissDimples |
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(03/27/08 10:32 AM) |
And just who is "flapping their jaws" as opposed to responding to this news along with everyone else here?
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Y DEVELOP |
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(03/27/08 10:37 AM) |
Gloucester is rich in history. Be it the arts or the rich maritime heritage. Coming to a consensus and making Gloucester's history more accesible is a benefit to all. I find the chamber of commerce to be one of the biggest blocks to any change or development. Also, there seems to many factions that never coordinate efforts. Unfortunately, everybody loses. |
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 10:40 AM) |
NEFA (New England Foundation for the Arts) held an excellent workshop at the library a few weeks
ago. One of the things they talked about was the New England Cultural Database. You can go to their web site --- Culture Count --- and find statistics and data on resources in various New England communities and what they represent in dollars
and property values for that area. It's an impressive project.
They have an Impact Calculator that you can sign in to (you'll have to create an account) and it lets you compare and analyze the economic impact created by various local arts organizations and businesses.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog
Last Edited By: Gypsy
03/27/08 10:49 AM.
Edited 1 times.
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 10:44 AM) |
Y, there are a LOT of people working hard to increase tourism and promote the local economy. At the Packaging & Promoting meetings I've been to this
winter there have been between 50 and 100 participants from local restaurants, inns, organizations, galleries, etc. all eager to work together to promote this
area. One initiative is an Arts Lovers package that is a project between a couple of inns, some restaurants, Beauport, Gloucester Stage and the North Shore
Arts Association that will market a weekend with special discounts and offerings to people who want to come here and enjoy a cultural weekend. the more we get
together and talk, the more we think of.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 10:50 AM) |
And may I add that Sue Silvera has done a great job of keeping this project moving forward.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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Y DEVELOP |
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(03/27/08 11:10 AM) |
Great info and thanks.
Why doesn't the Chamber run a trolley around Gloucester or the Cape? |
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dawndm1dm2 |
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(03/27/08 11:12 AM) |
I think that would be great for Gloucester........anything would look better than what's there.....would that make the beach private? Now maybe I can rent
a room and watch the Greasy Pole at the same time!
On the other hand ......Frank Elliot was interested in that spot before he built Cruiseport. He wanted the same thing along with the running the terminal so passengers had a place to stay. ...............spent thousands on surveyor's and analysts to check out the place............results.........it would cost more to run the building year round with employees than revenue in so he decided against it. What ever happened to turning the Blackburn building into a hotel?.......That would be beautiful. am I rambling?..........toooo much......coooofffffeeeeee
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 11:13 AM) |
There is a trolley that is, I believe, a private endeavor and there is also one owned by CATA. I think you will see more of them this summer especially once
the Cape Ann land tours business gets going.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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Y DEVELOP |
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(03/27/08 11:17 AM) |
Not so much a land tour but also as a pay one price and ride all day ticket. It could be sold at the chamber or another central location. It would act as the
conduit rather than the attraction.
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 11:23 AM) |
That's a good idea.
One of my ideas is to offer a series of self-guided tours (Rocky Neck Art Colony, downtown museum area, Halibut Point) which includes an all-day trolley ticket. We have a lot of ideas and slowly but surely they are moving forward.
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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KalesyGal |
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(03/27/08 12:22 PM) |
My apologies if this issue's already come up - but to the point of weekday "heads in beds" -- is there any discussion of how to bring business
dollars in during the week? It seems to me that Cape Ann would have lots of venues/opportunities for weekday retreats/user groups/conferences. Bring
businesses - clients, partners, prospects - up to the coastline. Business sessions during a.m., beach parties/lobster cookouts in the afternoon evening.
That would do a fair amount toward solving the weekday derth of visitors. And people who come up for business often return with families for pleasure.
I ran the client satisfaction program in several of my last companies and was always looking for "new and different" ideas for venues. Wouldn't be too hard for some of the larger places to put together a package and get a mailing out.... |
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ckcaney |
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(03/27/08 02:07 PM) |
"One of my ideas is to offer a series of self-guided tours (Rocky Neck Art Colony, downtown museum area, Halibut Point) which includes an all-day trolley
ticket."
This is an excellent idea and one that I could see advertised in the hotel lobby. Guided tours are not for everyone, so the idea of the self guided tour works really well. "It seems to me that Cape Ann would have lots of venues/opportunities for weekday retreats/user groups/conferences. Bring businesses - clients, partners, prospects - up to the coastline." Right and book them at the Marriott or whatever real hotel chain we could get up this way. And as someone else pointed out, some people prefer b&b's so even if a large hotel chain came here it doesn't mean all the b&bs would dry up. Gloucester really needs a real hote, I'm afraid it won't ever happen though. |
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NightStalker |
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(03/27/08 02:13 PM) |
build it. but don't be too quick to rave about the RE tax benefits as we'll probably do some type of TIF or DIF. But the future looks better. as said
before, this hole won't be climbed out of quickly but will take some time.
"All of this could be yours... just give me what I want and nobody gets hurt"
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MissDimples |
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(03/27/08 02:14 PM) |
Gloucester has the potential to be an absolutely gorgeous city that could be riding high if not for the usual suspects who fight everything that could bring
new revenue and interest here.
Not one person who was born and raised here, or who has chosen to live here because of that beauty, wants the character of the city to be lost. But progress and growth CAN be achieved without losing what makes us special. Trouble is, anyone who proposes such a plan spends so much time and money fighting the "anti's" that they never make it to the point where tweaking and compromise can be made. Shut down the naysayers (there seems to be the usual 10) and maybe something will get accomplished. |
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archetuthus |
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(03/27/08 03:04 PM) |
Just adding my 2 cents. I thought the idea of a shuttle from the Boston Marriott with a split time option would be an interesting draw.. Also I know the
Dominican Sisters who used to own the St. Mel's property floated the idea of an "Eco-tourism" retreat in the big house behind the school (before
they actually had to sell it) and I wondered if the hotel would team with someone (mind you this is all speculation) like the Maritime Heritage Center or the
Odyssey (I think that is the name of the PBS related marine research boat that has visited here) to offer some sort of Marine/Ecology vacation package...that
could certainly be satisfying to the tree huggers among us.
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captjoe06 |
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(03/27/08 03:04 PM) |
Truth is that everyone here can make a difference. Call your city councilor and call or email the mayor. They want and are begging for input. They want this
whole process to be community driven and make everyone feel like they played a role in making the changes to make Gloucester a better place. To generate the
kind of tax revenue that will allow us to pay for better schools, keep fire stations open, the cso project and the like.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. The councilors WANT to hear from you. Here is Mayor Kirk's email- ckirk@ci.gloucester.ma.us copy and paste it and jot down a few sentences to her to tell her how you feel. It will take less than 5 minutes for YOU to make a difference. I swear she won't hate you for it. Councilors At-Large weather.vane@verizon.net Joseph Ciolino 978-283-6559 sgeorge@ci.gloucester.ma.us Sharon George 978-283-7775 sefigiam62@aol.com Sefatia A. Romeo Vice President 978-283-1527 btobey@ci.gloucester.ma.us Bruce Tobey President 978-282-0001 Ward Councilors Ward I: jgrow@ci.gloucester.ma.us Jason Grow 978-283-0079 Ward II: FTDeputyDog@aol.com John "Gus"Foote 978-283-2757 Ward III: scurcuru@ci.gloucester.ma.us Steve Curcuru , 978-281-1845 Ward IV: jackieahardy@verizon.net Jackie Hardy 978-283-4858 Ward V: pdevlin@ci.gloucester.ma.us Philip Devlin 978-525-2115
Last Edited By: captjoe06
03/27/08 03:14 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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Gypsy |
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(03/27/08 03:12 PM) |
- but to the point of weekday "heads in beds" -- is there any discussion of how to bring business dollars in during the week? It seems to me that Cape Ann would have lots of venues/opportunities for weekday retreats/user groups/conferences. Bring businesses - clients, partners, prospects - up to the coastline. Business sessions during a.m., beach parties/lobster cookouts in the afternoon evening. That would do a fair amount toward solving the weekday derth of visitors. And people who come up for business often return with families for pleasure.It's an issue. There are a few places in the area that have been used as conference centers. One of the tourism people that I've heard speak is eager to get a large hotel in here because she wants to pursue the "military reunion" market --- lots of ex-military people who get together for whatever reason. But they need a hotel that can accommodate them and usually don't come nearer than the Peabody Marriott. The consideration with a 100+- bed facility is how do you make it profitable off-season? Even a half dozen retreats and/or reunions a year is not going to do it. The Peabody Marriott is struggling and they have a very central location. I'm not opposed to such a facility --- I have just not seen a proposal yet that seems workable year round but that is not my main focus. As to attracting visitors during the week and off-season, a lot of places like NSAA are working toward extending the length of their season and offering more workshops. Good workshops can add a lot of dollars to the local economy. But so far there are very few inns/motels/etc. that can stay alive Jan-Feb-Mar....
My goodness, what a fuss you're making! - Dorothy
True art is moral: it seeks to edify life, not to debase it, to hold off, at least for a little while, the twilight of the gods and of us. - John Gardner The Old Mermaid's Tale: The Video | Mark S. Williams' F/V Black Sheep | Sponsored by Parlez-Moi Blog |
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Damon |
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(03/27/08 03:34 PM) |
There will be resistance from residents of the Fort I expect. However tax revenues from the area are very low and the area is zoned crazy at present. The
entire fort is zoned Marine Industrial although most of it is residential. That keeps property values low due to the non-conforming status. However whenever
there is industrial noise at night or anything, the residents claim that their sleep is disturbed by fork lifts or whatever and they get their way. I am
totally in favor of changing the MI zoning of the greatest part of the Fort which is outside the state designated port area. If someone wants to build a hotel
in that wasteland that the Birdseye plant has become, more power to them.
Damon |
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