Beautification and parking in the Downtown area became major areas of concern and the WDMA organized helping create a one way Main Street, new brick sidewalks and helped with the planting of trees on Main Street. They were involved with the creation of the Baldwin parking lot on Elm Street and have often negotiated with the Town to create new parking and to preserve existing parking.

The WDMA continues to work with the Town and has come up with its own Downtown Plan of renewal and beautification, for which it has hired consultants to work with the Town and is currently involved in working with Town agencies. The plan would create additional green areas, safer pedestrian cross-walks, additional plantings and benches as well as a greater use of the Saugatuck River area. Our plan would also create much needed parking by constructing a level of parking above the existing Baldwin lot off Elm Street, which would create an additional 150 +/- parking spaces. In order to fund the anticipated $8-12 MM in improvements, our plan calls for metering Parker Harding Plaza. This would create enough steady, reliable income, along with our current garbage collection and Fine Art Festival revenue, to pay for the debt service to finance the entire project. Parking meters, we feel, will also help to get the employees who park illegally in the Parker Harding lot to move to more remote parking areas, thereby freeing up parking for paying customers. Also, with technology today, metering can be done in a non-intrusive visually pleasing manner.

The WDMA runs a nationally recognized Fine Art Festival every July. This event is a major fund-raiser for beautification and capital improvements. It helps to kick-off each holiday season with carolers and Santa Claus, installs and maintains tree lighting along Main Street, works with other non-profits to enhance their organizations, runs the garbage pick-up service in Parking-Harding Plaza as well as picks up trash from the streets every day of the week.

The WDMA also advertises at various times of the year and includes all members in their advertising. It is a 501 (c) (6) non-profit organization, run by an all-volunteer Board. Our goal is simple: “Create a strong and vibrant shopping environment, which is not only functional but beautiful. Support our merchants through advertising and events, and maintain our facilities in a manner worthy of Westport, Connecticut”.