Popping Up in Ashland: The Corner Spot

The Corner Spot will contain a park and a building for new businesses to try out in downtown Ashland starting next spring, with the help of grants and donations from businesses and many individuals.
The land at 6 Cherry St. will have the feeling of a park, with games and activities for children and portable landscaping alongside a small, temporary shop structure. The Corner Spot will be less than a mile walk from the train station and a block away from Mill Pond Park. Customers will find ample parking in the nearby municipal lot.
Based on the pop-up parks concept used around the world, the project is an innovative approach to energize the downtown district, provide residents with a variety of new, engaging retail options, and attract other businesses to town.
The Ashland Affordable Trust, which owns the Cherry Street property, known as the Fredenzi house, has plans for a mixed use development with a retail business on the street level and affordable housing above, but for now this spot is ideal for Reynolds’ pop-up concept. When the Trust is ready to develop the site, the park and structure will be moved to another site in Ashland.
Making it Happen
Beth Reynolds, Ashland’s economic development director, explained: “We envision our downtown as a thriving, bustling center, and we’re excited to offer this new pop-up business concept, but we can only make it successful with the help of our businesses and residents.”
Reynolds already has the buy-in of several local vendors that will provide pro bono demolition services to tear down the current building during the upcoming winter months, for landscaping services next spring and plumbing and electrical work for the pop-up structure once it’s constructed in April 2017.
Pro bono services for the project will be provided by Rodenhiser Excavating, Inc., Pederson Landscaping, Michael Kaufman Plumbing, and electrical work by Thomas DeAlmeida, but full community involvement is critical to the success of the project.
Deadline to
Match the Funds: Dec. 7
Reynolds launched the $50,000 fundraising campaign for The Corner Spot project in October. She is partnering with MassDevelopment, the state’s quasi-public economic development agency, and Patronicity, a crowdfunding site, to help raise funds. If Ashland residents raise $25,000 by Dec. 7, MassDevelopment has guaranteed to match those dollars.
All funds raised will be used for items that can be moved and used again: the simple shop structure, landscaping materials such as planters, shrubs, trees and pavers, open air seating and games for kids.
A Moveable
Business Incubator
The doors to the first business will open in June 2017. Reynolds has been working since August with several committed volunteers who formed The Corner Spot Committee. Their goal is to have this location feature a new pop-up business every four to six weeks. Here, each emerging small or family-owned business will have an opportunity to test out their dreams at no charge to the small business.
“Ultimately, each successful pop-up will move to a permanent location in town, providing a greater diversity of services available to everyone and enhancing Ashland’s economy,” Reynolds added.
“If we use this opportunity wisely and creatively, it will stimulate economic activity for existing businesses, test the market for potential new businesses, showcase Ashland as a prominent site to potential future developers, and simultaneously create a community outdoor living room of sorts for residents to connect and to enjoy downtown Ashland,” Reynolds said.
The Corner Spot Committee is promoting this investment opportunity through the town’s website at www.ashlandmass.com, The Corner Spot Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecornerspotashland, and outreach at local business meetings and community events.
To donate, visit www.patronicity.com/Ashland. For more information, contact Ashland Economic Development Director Beth Reynolds at breynolds@ashlandmass.com or 508-532-7905.