State officials open to plans for cultural district in downtown Westfield

WESTFIELD — Representatives from the Massachusetts Cultural Council recently provided positive feedback during a site review of Westfield’s proposed cultural district, said Community Development Director Peter Miller.

Although he has not yet received any official feedback, he believes the proposal meets the delegate’s expectations.

“They seemed happy with our programming model, where we took the programming that our existing partners were already doing and used that to create a better marketing plan for the downtown area,” he said.

A cultural district is a neighborhood designation that, if approved by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, would give Westfield access to state funding for arts and community events in that area. Districts must be walkable, accessible, and home to artistic and cultural activities.

After 12 years of work, the City Council voted in March to create the Downtown Westfield Cultural District, a designation that will last 10 years. The vote was required to submit an application to the state Cultural Council.

In May, five or six representatives from the Massachusetts Cultural Council met for a meeting to discuss the application at City Hall, followed by a tour of the proposed district, stopping at the Westfield Woman’s Club, the Athenaeum, Elm Street Plaza and the Westfield on Weekends Creative Arts Center. WOW Chairman Bob Plasse, who was on the tour, said they also visited the Old Burial Ground on Mechanic Street.

“It’s really something when you show your city to someone else,” Plasse said. “For me it was, ‘Wow, I get it. I get what we have and I also have a lot of hope for where we’re going.”

Plasse said other locals who took part in the tour included Miller, community development coordinator Michaela Grady, ArtWorks Westfield President Bill Westerlind and Ward 3 City Councilwoman Bridget Matthews-Kane.

Miller said the representatives asked about the city’s not-yet-formalized partnership agreements with local organizations, including ArtWorks, Westfield on Weekends, the Athenaeum, the Westfield Theatre Group and the Downtown Merchants Association. They also asked about accessibility, not just for the disabled, but across cultural barriers, he said.

Miller said the representatives were receptive. Plasse said they complimented WOW’s “Journey Stories: Faces of Westfield” exhibit, which showcases Westfield’s diversity through its immigrant community. He also said one representative found the center very accessible, though Plasse learned from the tour how to make it more accessible.

The State Council for Culture has not yet provided official feedback or asked any follow-up questions.

“I hope this means we’re in good shape,” Miller said.

Miller expects the Massachusetts Cultural Council to vote on Westfield’s proposal in August. If approved, the city would formalize its partnership agreements in September and, he hopes, get the district up and running in October and November.

Plasse believes that residents of Westfield should help promote the neighborhood.

“We need to complement what we do with not just verbal support, but also with active participation in what is there,” he said.

Plasse said having the designation would officially validate work organizations like his. He also said it would recognize downtown as a place where people can come to celebrate their similarities and differences, something he called an important aspect of culture.

Miller said it would recognize downtown as a place to visit and do business, as well as the amount of arts and cultural programming it offers. It would put it on par with other communities known for programming, he said.

“We think ours is competitive, as good or better than the communities that are already cultural districts in terms of programming,” he said.