Acting OPD director urges Lawrence rebrand to draw visitors, cites language and menu barriers downtown

Santiago Matias, who identified himself as acting OPD director for the City of Lawrence, told a city meeting that Lawrence needs a rebranding effort to attract visitors from neighboring towns and to revitalize downtown businesses.

"We have a problem... we want to rebrand the city," Matias said. He told the meeting that many restaurants in downtown Lawrence are closing or seeing reduced customer flow and that visitors from nearby towns often choose other places because of issues he said the city needs to address.

Matias said some downtown establishments lack staff who speak English, which he described as a barrier when outside visitors ask for food, and said menus do not always offer options beyond Spanish cuisine. "Why we don't have hamburgers in our menu? They complaining about it," he said as an example of menu preferences he said are not reflected in some local offerings. He also cited complaints about loud music during daytime business hours and said a Boston University report had praised Lawrence's history as an asset the city can showcase.

Matias said the city is planning efforts to "bring people to know our history" and mentioned that city partners are being sought; he referenced working with "Sony" to bring ideas, as stated in his remarks. No formal proposal or vote followed his public comment.

The Chair and staff acknowledged Matias's remarks and provided materials on permitting and fees that may be relevant to businesses considering outdoor patios.