Project for Public Spaces to be Keynote Speaker at MSA Annual Meeting

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is pleased to announce that Renee Espiau of the Project for Public Spaces will be the Keynote Speaker for their Annual Meeting on November 13, 2007 at 7pm. The meeting will be held in the Christ Church Parish Hall at 61 East Main Street and is free and open to the public.

The Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public places that build communities. Their community-led placemaking process has resulted in improvement of places as diverse as Bryant Park, downtown Detroit, and creation of marketplaces throughout the US.

Renee Espiau is a Senior Associate with the Project for Public Spaces. Renee is an Urban Planner with a diverse background in transportation policy and planning, having worked for a state Department of Transportation, a transportation think tank, and the non-profit sector. She is an advocate for incorporating Smart Growth, context-sensitive, and multimodal strategies into transportation and community development projects.

Speaking of her work Renee says, “I strongly believe in building relationships with project stakeholders in order to create innovative solutions that benefit a wide constituency.” She added, “I look forward to making my first visit to Oyster Bay”.

Stephen Tilly Architects will also be present to provide their findings on preservation options associated with the historic ca. 1851 Octagon Hotel. This landmark building is located at the corner of Spring and West Main Street and is now being considered for redevelopment. The Gerry Charitable Foundation and the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities both provided technical assistance and financial support to help commission this report.

The Christ Church Parish Hall was selected as the venue to celebrate the recent successful completion of a renovation and preservation project that improved this historic building and the surrounding grounds.

As with most regular meetings of the Main Street Association, the meeting will begin with reports from the President, Executive Director, and each of MSA’s four committees.

The Main Street Association is led by President William Sheeline and Vice President Ellen Roche. Committee chairs include John Bonifacio, Organization Committee; Diane Meltzer, Promotion Committee; Ellen Roche, Design Committee; and Jack Bernstein, Economic Restructuring Committee.

The Main Street Association is based on the four-point approach for commercial district revitalization established by the Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This approach has proven to be the most successful economic development initiative in small to medium sized communities throughout the US.

The Main Street Association was incorporated and received its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in 2001. Anyone wishing to become a member may do so online by visiting www.oysterbaymainstreet.org or calling (516) 922-6982.