In a classic illustration of the old aphorism “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce has decided to confront the fear, uncertainty and doubt over the downtown reconstruction project by launching a new marketing campaign.
We admit that there is an element of cleverness in the slogan, “The One and Only Brattleboro.” After all, there is no other town named Brattleboro in the world, and the town's uniqueness has been celebrated (and occasionally laughed at) worldwide.
But the reality is that for the next couple of years - less time off for winter - downtown Brattleboro will be ground zero for a massive road-repaving project that includes new traffic lights and sidewalks. Traffic patterns and parking will be further disrupted by the construction of the new Brattleboro Food Co-op building.
Those who live and work downtown - ourselves included - are justifiably worried about what is going to happen next.
Yes, we understand that when all the construction is finished, we will see improved traffic flow, a smoothly paved Main Street and Putney Road, and a state-of-the-art Co-op that will be the first major new commercial downtown building in decades.
Unfortunately, to get to that point, we will have to put up with months of disruption that may result in some downtown businesses closing for good. And no amount of marketing or clever slogans can distract visitors from the reality that it is going to be very difficult to get around Brattleboro this year and in 2011.
That's why we're encouraged that downtown merchants have been talking about providing bus service to shuttle tourists and shoppers from strategically located parking areas around town.
The biggest obstacle for doing this is money.
Merchants are hesitant to pay for shuttle buses. They're not just worried about whether they can help pay for the service; they're worried about whether they can survive all the disruption from the construction project.
The town has no money to spare. With the future management of the BeeLine now in flux, the town is not in a position to expand bus service during the construction. The Chamber and Building a Better Brattleboro also aren't in positions to pay for shuttle service.
With that many strikes against having a shuttle bus, perhaps the other idea that has sprung up - a website that would allow people to get a daily update on where and when construction is taking place - is the best we can hope for.
Still, if the prospect of two construction seasons worth of disruption is scaring downtown merchants to the marrow, shouldn't there be a little more urgency from the town, Building a Better Brattleboro, the Chamber and the Co-op to come up with a workable plan to deal with the chaos?