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Economic revitalization task force outlines four work streams to boost downtown
Summary
Task force chair Eric Dinnenberg told the Newcastle Town Board the volunteer group is focusing on outreach to brokers and landlords, marketing and a new consolidated website, events to drive foot traffic and ‘cosmetic’ street-level improvements after a resident survey of more than 700 responses.
Eric Dinnenberg, chair of the Newcastle Economic Revitalization Task Force, told the Town Board on June 23 that the volunteer group is at the start of a multi-part effort to strengthen downtown commercial activity.
Dinnenberg said the task force — created Oct. 16, 2025, for a one-year term and composed of 11 volunteer members and town liaisons — has organized four work streams: outreach to brokers, landlords and tenants; marketing and communications; events and activations to drive foot traffic; and cosmetic improvements such as signage and lighting. "We are really at the beginning of what we think is the future of a vibrant productive downtown Chappaqua," he said.
The task force reported early accomplishments on outreach, including a restaurant tour that drew about 25 attendees from Westchester and New York City to showcase Chappaqua as a viable market and to build a Rolodex of prospective operators. Dinnenberg said the group has facilitated discussions between landlords and prospective tenants for several properties and has identified temporary pop-up concepts to seed new retail opportunities.
On community input, Dinnenberg said the task force conducted a resident survey in the prior month that received over 700 responses and will follow that with a survey of businesses to create a data-driven baseline for measuring progress. "These are our primary shoppers ... and those who we want to be utilizing downtown in a more regular manner," he said.
Marketing and communications work includes improved coordination with the Chamber of Commerce and a push to build a consolidated website and calendar that aggregates merchant promotions and town events. Dinnenberg said the task force is experimenting with AI tools to aggregate menus, event listings and available spaces so visitors can find downtown information in a single click.
Events and activations were cited as immediate levers to increase foot traffic. Dinnenberg credited recent efforts — including a widely attended Knicks watch party and Wine Around Town — for producing merchant cross-promotion and increased weekend visitation. He said the group is developing repeatable, smaller events that residents can rely on, and plans to coordinate a single calendar of recurring and one-off activities.
On longer-term work, the task force highlighted relatively low-cost "cosmetic" improvements such as improved directional signage, facade upgrades and better lighting levels as ways to make downtown more walkable and appealing. Dinnenberg suggested incentives to encourage landlords to upgrade lighting and storefront presentation.
Board members pressed the task force on sustainability and governance after the one-year term ends; Dinnenberg said options include hosting tools and channels with the Chamber of Commerce or other community organizations and that a formal recommendation on where the work should reside will be part of future reporting.
Dinnenberg closed by pointing to visible wins — including announcements that Mona's and Farm Cafe plan to open in town — while noting much of the task force’s work is infrastructural and behind the scenes. The board thanked the volunteers and encouraged continued reporting to the Town Board.
