The Ridgefield Main Street program is helping keep downtown businesses thriving in the historic district of the city as growth continues to sprout all around it.
The nonprofit program hit the 10-year mark since the idea started in Ridgefield last year, with Executive Director Marykay Lamoureaux being a part of the Ridgefield Main Street team in her role for the last eight years.
In that time, a lot has changed in the city.
“I was hired eight years ago, at the time, because of our population, it was a part-time position,” Lamoureax said. “But as soon as the city went over 10,000, my position became full-time. In the last 10 years, our population has doubled. What we know about the people that come to Ridgefield or move here is that about half of them come because of our downtown and about 50% of our new residents don’t know we have a downtown.”
The “moola” program, in a sense, acts as a rewards gift card. On weekends now through April 27, the Main Street program is offering $10 for every $30 spent up to $300 per household each weekend.
“It’s sort of like our own little downtown currency,” Lamoureaux said.
Whether shopping or dining in downtown Ridgefield, spenders can send receipt copies and a mailing address to info@ridgefieldmainstreet.com for downtown cash in return.
“It’s all but about two food trucks that don’t take it,” she said. “Most downtown shops and restaurants use it just like cash, and then we go around and reimburse our merchants dollar for dollar for that moola.”
Lamoureaux added that she hopes the “moola” program will encourage people to visit downtown, spend their rewards cash and provide more for the merchants in the historic district.
“It’s a direct budget line item for us,” she said. “Last year, we reimbursed about $12,000 to merchants. We have over $75,000 of moola floating around out there. What we know is that our redemption rate is about 66%, which is a lot better than a normal gift card. So it really is a popular program.”
Lamoureaux pointed out that downtown Ridgefield presents a unique challenge compared to many others across the nation. In Ridgefield, one can now get everything they need a couple miles out of downtown. They can avoid downtown altogether.
“The challenge of Ridgefield and especially our downtown is that it is a downtown that you drive to. You don’t have to go through it,” she said. “But I mean, the people that know about it and obviously the proximity to Lake River, the waterfront area, the national wildlife refuge, there’s a lot that’s geographically unique about Ridgefield that really is helping with the exposure and promotion of our cute little downtown.”
Lamoureaux added that in the last decade since the Ridgefield Main Street Program formed, the downtown area has transformed as the city marked it a priority and the nonprofit program helps to facilitate the downtown beautification. The program assists in sidewalk and street improvements.
To learn more about the Ridgefield Main Street Program, visit ridgefieldmainstreet.com.
