Be a Contributing Merchant Star!

Merchant Star membership in the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance is a direct investment in improving Westville Village's business climate. The benefits of membership include Marketing, Promotion & Events, Business Support & Attraction, and Placemaking & Design services and improvements for your business and for our Village as a whole. The key resources and services WVRA provides for contributing Merchant Stars are listed below. For an application and more information, click HERE and/or call us at 203-285-8539.

Marketing, Promotion & Events

• Customized landing page on westvilleCT.org – dedicated website for the district and broader neighborhood
• Listing in 2015 Merchant Directory rack card – 5,000+ distributed locally & regionally
• Posting of your business’ news & promotions in This Week in Westville e-news– sent twice weekly to 2,500+ local and regional subscribers
  
  • Access to lighted movie poster-size Promo Board on Central Avenue – two-week blocks by reservation
  • Access to joint marketing campaigns & ad buys – coordinated efforts in local & regional print & online media outlets (e.g. Greater NH Visitors Guide, New Haven Living, SCSU Parent Guide, et al.)
  • Annual Westville Village ArtWalk – attracts 10,000+ people to the Village every Mother’s Day weekend
  • Beecher Park Summer Concert Series, Halloween Parade & Party, Tree & Menorah December holiday events – attracts foot traffic and further raises profile of Village as a destination                                                                       

Small Business Support & Attraction

• Eligibility for Retail Enhancement & Incentive Program (REIP) – 1-to-1 matching funds up to $5K for strategic investments in new and expanding businesses. More details available upon request.
• Business Retention & Expansion Support – one-on-one support to both newer and long-time businesses
• New Business Attraction – strategic efforts to strengthen local business mix and facilitate commercial tenant recruitment with property owners and brokers
• Small Business Resource Clearinghouse – resource center with info on employment and historic preservation tax credits, energy efficiency and façade improvement grants, low-interest financing options and other incentives
• Historic Preservation – expansion of Westville Village Historic District to leverage private investments
• Advocate and Liaison to City & State agencies and representatives – ongoing advocacy for regular, increased and coordinated services and support (police, parks, public works, parking, transportation, et al.)

Placemaking & Design: A Clean, Safe & Friendly Village

• Supplementary Cleaning & Snow Removal - clean-up of trash & debris on sidewalks and curbside; snow removal at corners, crosswalks & handicapped spaces; coordinated clean-ups; liaison with NHPD, DPW, LCI and property owners to reduce and manage trash, graffiti, and related issues;
• Planter & Tree Program – placement, planting & maintenance of 40+ planters and existing and new street trees throughout the district;
• Planning & Advocacy to City and State agencies to identify and improve:
  
  • Parking – availability, management, and perception of public and private parking;
  • Traffic-Calming – managing the speed of traffic through our Village and improving walkability; and
  • Comprehensive Planning – coordinated effort to envision and guide appropriate and responsible redevelopment and improvements in and around the district.