About Rose City Renaissance

Three years ago, a dedicated group of Norwich citizens came together to work for the future of the city that they love. Adopting the principles of the Connecticut Main Street Program, the founders of what would become Rose City Renaissance [RCR] – The Norwich Main Street Program – made a commitment to lead a preservation-based, community-driven urban revitalization effort to restore the historic Norwich downtown and waterfront into a thriving center of community life.

“... lead the revitalization of downtown Norwich through creativity, cooperation and community partnership.”

Mission

First and foremost, RCR is a community response to the real and perceived problems facing our city. While we have had our share of “fact findingand report writing” during the past several months, we have no Master Plan for the city, save a process for effecting positive, incremental change. The community members who serve on our Board and Committees, and who volunteer for projects and other service, are those who will be advising us and setting our course.

Our organization is working toward meeting the following needs of the community:

To preserve and restore its existing historic structural assets
To refocus on downtown as the center of community activity – the place where a diverse group of people can interact
To introduce an appreciation of design as an element of the new Norwich – the community should accept nothing ugly
To establish a comprehensive approach to transportation to, from, and through the region
To restore a sense of community and civic pride
To recharge the economic engine of downtown
To encourage residential use of downtown property for a broad spectrum of the community
To encourage more residents of Norwich to view "Downtown" as part of their neighborhood and lifestyle

Rose City Renaissance continues to be in the forefront of downtown revitalization, driving the critical issues relevant to the sustainability and growth of downtown by supporting the needs of those who live, work, and play there.