Taos Main Street outlines plaza events, business hub and destination stewardship plan to county commissioners

Taos Main Street told the Taos County Board of Commissioners on May 12 that it will launch a weekly plaza fitness program called “Meet Me at McCarthy’s” on May 19, pursue a Business Resource and Innovation Center at 115 Civic Plaza Drive with an initial one‑stop offering targeted for October, and is hosting a Destination Stewardship Network to put a 2023 stewardship plan into action.

The presentations, led by Taos Main Street Executive Director Charles Whitson, staff member Arsenio J. Trujillo and Destination Stewardship Network manager Jessie Hook, described projects meant to draw residents downtown, support local businesses and coordinate tourism planning across municipal and tribal partners. Whitson said Taos Main Street “secured a million dollars of capital outlay funding from the state” to help fund a second phase of plaza infrastructure improvements in partnership with the Town of Taos and Taos County.

Why it matters: County officials and Main Street presenters framed the work as an effort to shift downtown activity from being primarily tourist driven to more resident‑focused uses that could support year‑round businesses. Commissioners asked how merchants had been engaged and how the programs would be sustained beyond initial funding.

What presenters described

- Meet Me at McCarthy’s: Arsenio Trujillo said the program is “slated to begin in 1 week on May 19,” running Monday evenings about 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for roughly 20 sessions over the summer. He described the event as a low‑to‑medium‑impact fitness series intended to bring residents downtown and create regular foot traffic that could benefit merchants.

- BRIC (Business Resource and Innovation Center): Whitson described a planned hub at 115 Civic Plaza Drive that would provide a one‑stop, weekly business support day, coworking space and coaching services. He said partners include the SBDC, the Chamber of Commerce, UNM Hive and others; the group is drafting operational agreements and issued an RFP for an operational plan. Whitson said the BRIC team is targeting an October launch for the first phase (the one‑stop business services day).

- Destination Stewardship Network: Jessie Hook, identified as the network manager, said the network will implement elements of the Taos Destination Stewardship Plan (DSP) with a community‑first, collaborative approach. Hook said the network’s early priorities are stewardship communications, inclusion and equity, and collaborative management. Hook read a quote from Mayor Pascual Meyestas used in the DSP: “Unchecked tourism growth can pose significant challenges to our environment, our culture, and our communities,” and said the network will focus on education, measurement and coalition building.

Questions and next steps

Commissioners pressed presenters on merchant outreach, timing and funding terms. Whitson said the capital outlay award was routed through the county as fiscal agent and that the state’s finance review was underway; he said Taos Main Street agreed to host the stewardship work under a contract running December 2024–December 2025 and would consider extending hosting if the network’s governance determined that was appropriate. Whitson said New Mexico Main Street is providing technical assistance and design work for the BRIC building pro forma and that partners are finalizing lease and operational agreements.

No formal county action was taken on May 12; the presentation was informational and commissioners did not vote on project funding or contractual items during the meeting.