Tuesday March 17, 2026

By Maggie Raymond A storefront on Main Street may soon be taken over by the Town and filled with artisans and provide a range of resources for businesses trying to get off the ground. The Town Council gave the greenlight recently to an economic development program that could increase tax revenue by fostering new small businesses. The program, expected to open by the end of March, will be in the heart of downtown in the retail space at 261 Main St. occupied until recently by the UMM Shop: Underground Minerals and More.  The Town will assume the lease at least through the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, according to the council's approval in February. The program is intended as an 18-month pilot project, but would need council support to continue into the next fiscal year. The council authorized spending up to $25,000 on the program from $100,000 budgeted last year for small business support. Tentatively to be called The Neighborhood Exchange, this program will serve as both a retail market and a centralized entrepreneurial hub, according to DeCarlo Brown, the town’s director of planning and economic development. As a retail market, it will showcase residents' handmade arts and crafts. Participating artisans will share the rent through a percentage of sales. The rear of the space will offer educational resources and mentorship for aspiring business owners.  The town's planning and economic development office, which will temporarily operate the retail portion of the program, will use this space while Town Hall is under construction and will …

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