Consultant urges downtown-focused strategy, LDC and stronger PSU partnership

Neil Cannon, an economic development consultant, told the Plymouth Select Board that Plymouth’s best immediate economic opportunities lie in strengthening its downtown and formalizing local development capacity.

Cannon framed the downtown as the town’s main revenue engine and urged town leaders to favor projects there—sidewalks, sewer and water upgrades, river access and incentives for second-floor housing—because “300 feet of sewer line in the downtown is gonna serve more value than 300 feet in the outside of the downtown area,” he said. He added that river access and even modest amenities such as boat launches or green space can pull visitors into the village core.

The recommendation follows years of piecemeal projects and several stalled or frozen grants. Scott (Town Manager) told the board the town is still awaiting a $488,000 final payment and that an infrastructure grant of roughly $500,000 the town applied for has been frozen, constraining planned work on drainage, lighting and other improvements.

Why it matters: Cannon said concentrating limited public dollars downtown yields higher private returns and helps capture visitor spending—an important point in a community where…