AWARDS: Hard work paying off Continued from Page One moting their place and down- town in order for change to happen,” said Kimberley Par- sons-Whitaker, the center’s as- sociate director. She noted that Torrington is struggling to find funding for infrastructure improvements and still grap- ples with a high storefront va- cancy rate downtown, but a core of believers continue to push for positive change. “The fact that they submit- ted as many applications as they did is certainly a testa- ment to their pluckiness and their belief in downtown,” Parsons-Whitaker said. DAVID BENDER KNEW THERE WAS AN OPPORTU- NITY. A Torrington retailer was going to stop selling Kohler brand plumbing hard- ware. Bender, of Bender Plumbing & Supply, sent his company vice president, Steve Fecteau, to scout locations. Torrington’s downtown storefronts were going for lease rates lower than a high- way billboard. The storefront Bender and Fecteau spotted stood out at the corner of East Main and Main, in downtown's major intersection. Once inside, they found more: a hidden tin ceiling, glass globes that used to cover gas lamps, and original brick walls, including one still paint- ed with an advertisement. The company would go on to bust its budget for the renovation at 29 Main St. but store manager Jane Capinera said the stun- ning restoration has been worth it. “We have people who come in all the time just to have a look,” Capinera said. “Torrington is primed for something new that also speaks about their history.” The company’s efforts land- ed it an award for best build- ing rehabilitation. Parsons-Whitaker said it sets the bar for future ten- ants and owners: “The job he did with that building inside and out is really exemplary of a historic but neglected building turned into a model of what buildings on Main Street can be.” MAIN STREET MARKET- PLACE DREW THOU- SANDS DOWNTOWN FOR NINE WEEKS LAST SUM- MER. The Main Street Center named the outdoor market and festival, run by the volunteer Torrington Arts & Culture Commission, its “outstanding event” of the year. The award is intended to serve as proof that “down- towns can be vibrant,” and Marketplace, with its enter- tainment, crafts, food, and special events “creates an en- vironment where people want to linger,” Parsons-Whitaker said. The festival this summer will double the number of ven- dors and feature more of the arts, according to the commis- sion. The recognition will not be the last for Marketplace; next month, city officials will offer a presentation at the New Eng- land Foundation for the Arts’ Creative Communities Ex- change conference which is recognizing the event as one of 10 that made a difference in the region last year. JULIA SLOAN APPLIES THIS TENET TO HER BUSINESS: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. Sloan opened Brazen Betties boutique on Main Street in March 2009, in the midst of the economic collapse. Her posi- tive outlook has never wa- vered, she says, as she sells art and clothing by Connecticut designers. Her creative mar- keting approach includes “high five Fridays,” where customers get 15 percent off for giving a high five, and 10 percent discounts and a pack- age of Ramen noodles for col- lege students. Her Main Street Center award, for retail promotion, was the result of Sloan bring- ing that attitude out of her shop. For her business's first birthday, she closed a block to traffic, and lined up entertain- ment, food and a fashion show. Sloan plans a larger version for the shop’s second birthday, from 4 to 8 p.m. May 21. Parsons-Whitaker called Sloan “a model for the energy is takes to be a business own- er.” You have to have hope that the town you are located in is going to flourish” Sloan said. THE WORD ‘EMERGING’ WAS ADDED TO A MAIN STREET CENTER AWARD FOR MAIN STREET PART- NERSHIP. Torrington Down- town Partners, the trio of investors who last year bought nine downtown — buildings, have just embarked in their role as downtown’s property darlings. Bender, Steven Temkin and Steven Roth spent $1.5 million saving the properties from foreclosure. Then then asked for community buy in, selling $100 memberships to their partnership and plenty of posi- tive outlook. The 150 people who bought a membership caught the Main Street Cen- ter’s attention. “This is the kind of partnership it takes to bring any downtown back to life,” Parsons-Whitaker sai The partners’ renovations continue with attention to his- toric detail, space has been available for artists, and they recently inked a deal with Subway to locate a new fran- chise on Main Street. Temkin said the success of the Main Street Marketplace, and the high degree of cooper- ation from city officials and merchants like Sloan, among others, bodes well for the fu- ture. “There’s some vibrancy coming to the sidewalks,” Temkin said. Visit www.rep-am.com to comment on this story.