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Councilors push downtown revival: lights, events and a social-district plan
Summary
Councilors discussed a suite of measures to make downtown Laconia more attractive to visitors and employers — from overhead lighting and storefront outreach to a proposed social-district pilot the council hopes to have by spring.
Councilors at a recorded workshop laid out a package of ideas to revitalize downtown Laconia, focusing on aesthetics, programming and public safety as ways to increase foot traffic and private investment.
Councilor Conan proposed establishing social districts downtown to encourage visitors and provide a controlled way to allow alcohol in pedestrian areas, saying the measure could help the city become a regional destination. “I think we need to take advantage of what's in front of us and get that, solved and start with downtown and get it right,” Conan said.
Other councilors advocated for clearer lighting, events programming and an events budget line to sustain regular attractions. Councilor Bogart suggested reaching out directly to landlords to understand why storefronts stay vacant and recommended a short survey of downtown property owners to solicit ideas. “If we came up with, like, a Visit Laconia website…we can advertise too,” Bogart said.
Several members tied downtown perception to public safety, recommending more visible patrols and beat officers to make residents and visitors feel safer. That shift, councilors said, may require additional police staffing and a budgetary commitment.
The council asked staff to bring back updates: a public safety committee meeting will be posted for Tuesday, and one councilor requested a standing agenda item so progress on downtown work and any social-district implementation is tracked at every meeting. No formal action or vote took place at the workshop.
