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Ambassadors map vacant sites and push marketing ideas as EDC readies wayfinding project
Summary
EDC ambassadors completed a driving inventory of vacant buildings/land (initially 21 sites, later noting two more), proposed matching that inventory to assessor data and using LoopNet, updated video, and kiosks for marketing; staff said branding/wayfinding is grant-funded and expected to be installed by June 2026.
EDC ambassadors and staff reported progress compiling an inventory of vacant buildings and potential development sites and discussed outreach and marketing options during the Dec. 3 meeting.
Speaker 6 described a multi-hour driving survey of plazas and corridors to identify vacant buildings and parcels and said the exercise produced a useful baseline for business outreach: "We found a lot, some that I hadn't even really noticed before," she said. Speaker 3 said she had counted 21 sites initially and later identified two additional locations, bringing the working total to about 23 while the team maps acreage and ownership information.
Committee members proposed several marketing steps to support site activation: using commercial listing services such as LoopNet (noting subscription costs), refreshing the town's promotional video with statistics for property listings, and exploring kiosks or phone-based wayfinding that could tie into a business directory. Speaker 2 offered to demonstrate LoopNet and flagged that a subscription can be costly for municipal use.
Separately, Speaker 3 updated the committee on a branding and wayfinding project: consultants held two public meetings to capture Westborough's identity, will produce design options and a master plan, and the project has funding in place. Speaker 3 said the implementation phase (sign design and installation) will likely require a second RFQ and that completion is targeted for June 2026.
The committee tasked staff and ambassadors to continue building the inventory, identify priority sites for targeted outreach and explore low‑cost ways to feature listings and promotional content for businesses.
