The Town of Millis has received a legislative earmark as part of the Mass Leads Act Economic Development Bond Bill (2024) to work with a consultant team to create a permitting and zoning guide for businesses and to identify community priorities that will inform a written blueprint for a future Town Center district management organization. 

Business Improvement Districts and District Management Organizations are public/private partnerships that serve to deliver supplemental programs and services beyond what the Town or any single business may provide. Together, these partnership organizations can help meet broader goals including marketing the Town Center, organizing public event programming, directly supporting small businesses with technical assistance and broader advocacy. Successful Town Centers and commercial areas are actively managed hubs of activities that make a Town Center a more vibrant destination.

The consultant team interviewed key business owners and property owners as part of the public planning process to explore community priorities and a possible future Town Center district management organization. 

The team is currently soliciting input in a variety of ways including the recent release of two separate surveys, one for business owners, and one for anyone who lives, works or visits the Town Center. The surveys are now open and will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Surveys are available at the links below and are in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Select your preferred language in the top right corner of the survey. The surveys will close on Mon., June 2.

To access the Business Owner Survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/MillisBusinessSurvey

To access the Town Center/General Survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/MillisTownCenter

The team is also hosting an upcoming Summer Social on Wed., June 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Millis Public Library. This event is a fun, free, casual event to hear from you about what you think would help Millis Town Center be a more vibrant destination. A guest from the award-winning Town of Hudson, MA BID, and a representative from a Main Streets organization, will also be in attendance to speak about recent organizational accomplishments and the benefits of having a Town Center district management organization. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome to attend. If you would like to request interpretive services, please make a request no later than May 30 to Robert Weiss, Millis Planning Director, at [email protected].