Hull Chamber of Commerce Unveils Ambitious Economic Development Plan
Focus on 'Quiet Tourism' and Historical Assets Aims to Boost Year-Round Economy
HULL - January 8 - The Hull Chamber of Commerce presented a comprehensive plan to boost the town's economy during a recent Select Board meeting, focusing on attracting "quiet tourism" and leveraging Hull's rich history. The initiative aims to increase visitor spending during off-peak seasons and create a sustainable year-round economy.
Steve Greenberg, president of the Chamber of Commerce, outlined the organization's successes in 2024 and its vision for 2025. "We want a different customer," Greenberg said, emphasizing the desire to attract visitors who will "spend money and enjoy our beautiful place."
The Chamber's strategy includes developing a historic preservation plan and creating new storyboards highlighting Hull's historical significance. One such project involves recognizing the site of the first night baseball game, which Greenberg believes will attract baseball enthusiasts.
"If we want more customers in the shoulder season, how many customers, how many would we want?" Greenberg asked rhetorically. Speaking about the Society of American Baseball Researchers, "let's go for those people who will spend the most money and be quiet. Just come and spend money, use our services, enjoy this beautiful place, and basically walk around"
The Chamber is also exploring transportation improvements to support this vision. Discussions are underway about potentially offering free bus service during the summer months to facilitate a "boat to bus to beach" experience for visitors.
Greenberg emphasized the importance of controlling tourism growth. "I don't even want tours," he said. "I don't want 40 people walking down those streets. You want two people, four people, no group bigger than 10."
The plan also includes the development of a welcome center at the proposed Paragon Park development, which would serve as a hub for visitor information.
In other business, Town Manager Jennifer Constable provided updates on several ongoing projects and initiatives. The town is preparing to implement new software programs for asset management, inventory, and online permitting.
Constable also addressed the complex process of relocating town hall operations to the local middle school. "It's not a pack up town hall and move down the street," Constable explained, citing the need to navigate complex procurement laws.
The relocation project involves multiple stages, including designer selection and construction planning. Constable emphasized the importance of careful planning to ensure optimal space utilization.
"Part of the process is determining, aside from town hall, what that other space will be used for," Constable said. She added that once town hall is relocated, there will be an assessment of the remaining space and community input on its best use.
The seawall project continues to progress, with Constable reporting that it is on schedule or potentially slightly ahead. Paving has been completed for the season, and there are discussions about continuing concrete pouring through the winter.
Other updates included the promotion of Mackenzie MacCune to Town Assessor and ongoing work on personnel policies and procedures.
The meeting also touched on the success of the recent bonfire event, which drew thousands of attendees and provided a boost to local businesses.