April 2, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
As part of an effort to support downtown Hingham, the select board is advocating for “building links and improving communication” to help Hingham Square and the surrounding area thrive at a time where there are a number of vacant storefronts.
The upcoming “Rev250” — a multiyear regional and national commemoration of the American Revolution culminating in America’s birthday in 2026 — is an opportunity to attract visitors to the Hingham Heritage Museum & Visitors Center as well as area shops and restaurants.
The idea is to leverage Hingham’s historic assets and the statewide 250th celebration to drive new activity into the Hingham Square and harbor areas.
Key to this effort is the creation of a town administrator-organized Rev250 task force charged with bringing together different people and organizations to host events and “connect them to our retail shops and restaurants to offer an experience tied to the Rev 250 theme,” Assistant Town Administrator of Operations Art Robert told the select board last night. The task force will meet for the first time next week.
Hingham Historical Society Executive Director Deirdre Anderson, a member of the task force, said the HHS is excited about partnering with the town and will be “rolling out some exciting opportunities for the community to gather and to also communicate the town’s rich history that our forebears protected and preserved for so long.”
Hingham’s cultural heritage
These activities will also be an opportunity for individuals and families to learn about Hingham’s cultural heritage while also supporting local businesses, particularly the ones located in downtown Hingham.
Such efforts support the goals outlined in the town’s master plan and its draft economic development strategic plan, according to Robert.
He explained that over the past few months, town staff have engaged with Hingham Downtown Association Executive Director Amy Brown and participated in meetings — including Hingham’s Executive Health Officer Susan Sarni and Community Planning Director Emily Wentworth, “who provided basic information about how small business owners can apply for various permits and access town services.”
A permitting guide is in the works to provide information to small business owners to help them navigate through the process and will include contact information for various services.
“We’re looking for ways to fill vacant storefronts,” Robert said. “It’s an ongoing challenge.”
Another resource is pop-up storefront training offered by the Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) grant program through the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, which promotes regional economic growth.
“This program helps identify entrepreneurs interested in launching a business by first testing it as a pop-up in a currently vacant spot,” Robert said.
Educating the community about these efforts and the importance of supporting local businesses is an important part.
Finding ways to improve cell phone service in the downtown area is key to improving communication. Currently underway, Verizon is in final stages of infrastructure activation on property the company owns at 30 Green St.; town officials are considering leasing land at 25 Bare Cove Park Drive where the DPW is located to a service provider interested in installing a monopole in response to a Request for Proposals issued by the town, by late this year or in early 2026; and voters will consider a warrant article at the April 28 Town Meeting asking support for a lease to install cell infrastructure at a Main Street location.
Select board member Liz Klein called Roberts’ report “all good news and lots of progress,” while encouraging the town to engage with not just downtown property owners but also with shop owners, many of whom lease their spaces.
‘I don’t want to see any more vacancies’
“I’ve heard rents are going up in spite of the number of vacancies, and I don’t want to see any more,” she said.
Chair Joseph Fisher is pleased with efforts to enhance communication. “This is a good opportunity to dispel some of the myth that the town is not supporting its businesses, which isn’t true,” he said.
Select board member William Ramsey was not present.
