The opportunity was exactly right forBethel, Vermont, at exactly the right time.
Some of those elements were built; most were forgotten.
In 2011, Bethel hit a low point whenTropical Storm Irenedevastated the downtown and surrounding community.
After Irene, there was a sense that Bethel had little to offer.
Some of the buildings were vacant and in need of significant repairs.
Investors were interested in the properties but hesitant to commit without a sense of the town’s future possibilities.
A Better Block demonstration would help townspeople and investors see and experience Bethel’s potential in real life.
Materials, permits and insurance for the event cost about $4,000.
In one weekend, Bethel’s downtown came alive with hundreds of visitors.
People waited excitedly in long lines for food at the pop-up taco stand.
Families enjoyed new spaces for kids to play and socialize.
Enhanced crosswalks and planters led to safer conditions for pedestrians.
Local artists sold their wares in once vacant buildings.
Visitors sat around an outdoor table in a new pocket park, formally an overgrown lot.
Thepop-up shopsdemonstrated how retail and service-sector jobs could operate in Bethel.
Page published January 2017 | Updated October 2019
