1. Mansfield Industrial Development Commission
Board of Selectmen Presentation
January 6, 2016
Bob Krentzman- Chair, Dr. Krista Hill-Cummings- Vice Chair, Mathew Cummings, David Martin, Beth Ashman-
Collins, Kevin Moran, Nancy Wahl...Maria Correia, Resident Representative
Assembled in February, 2105
Mission Statement- “The IDC works to promote economic development and a long term strategic vision for
economic growth within our community”.
 We act as advocates for our town regarding the need, the advantages, the effects and the goals, of
economic development in Mansfield.
 We will take a role in promoting commercial and retail development within our community.
 We will be a valuable tool in assisting in the promotion of the community, developing communications
tools and working with potential development projects to bring to Mansfield those projects that are in
line with the Community’s goals.
 We are identifying the near term opportunities that need champions to increase public awareness
(Business Park improvement, 106 Corridor transportation flow and safety improvements, Transit
Oriented Development zone, and North Main Street.).
Stage 1- Why Mansfield, MA…understanding our amazing community
1. Guest speakers:
a. Representative Jay Barrows
b. Kara Griffin, Executive Director- Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce…Peter Parker, Ed Tartufo-
Chamber Members
c. George Dentino, Chair- Mansfield Board of Selectmen
d. Lynn Tokarczyk- Business Development Strategies, Inc. TIF (Tax Increment Financing)
e. William Ross, Mansfield Town Manager
2. Future speakers
a. Zeffro Gianetti, Mansfield Schools Superintendent
b. Senator Jim Timilty
c. Jay Ash- Secretary of Housing and Economic Development
d. Mansfield Town Leadership (Selectmen, School Committee, Town Planner, other Town
Committees)
Stage 2- Who Are We as a Community…how do we measure up to our neighbors
1. Refer to “IDC- Indicators”

2. a. tell us about the Town’s economic development progress in terms of industrial and
commercial tax base, jobs, and job quality
b. benchmarked against Norton and Foxboro as well as the Massachusetts state average.
c. measures include:
1) Commercial and Industrial Property Value
2) Local Commercial and Industrial Tax Revenue (total and benchmarked to the number
of resident workers in town)
3) Job Quality (average annual pay)
4) Industry mix
5) Land use
6) Labor force
2. Industrial and commercial property values have been flat for five years.
3. There is a disparity between industrial and residential assessments. For a long time residential
assessments were well below market, but that has evened out. The goal is the have the assessments in
line with value.
4. Mansfield has the 3rd
largest Corporate Park in the State.
a. 1st
is Taunton, 2nd
is Devens, based on the companies located there.
b. Dr. Mullin called the Forbes Industrial Park “The jewel of the town”. It is our jewel and we
need to shine it.
c. The advantages of Municipal Electric and the fiber network in Cabot Business Park
d. There are a lot of companies looking up and down 495. Some recent companies that
have located near Mansfield needed sites larger than what was available in Mansfield:
Sysco, Horizon. At present Norton and Taunton having larger and more available parcels
than Mansfield, but we need to think regionally.
e. Even during the recession the Cabot Park was still 75-80% occupied. Now we are over
90%.
5. Our location at a transportation crossroads gives excellent access north, south, east, and west.
6. We have an excellent school system. Our special needs program in particular is a draw for families
who want superior education for their children. There are great programs for their children to
participate in athletics, arts, business strategy, etc.
7. Business leaders care about location, community quality, and the quality of the schools.
8. As jobs get more sophisticated, the affluent, educated community is important to businesses as it
gives them access to the workforce they need.
9. Police and fire are very important to businesses.
10. Having our own electric company is important. Reliability and good rates.
11. We have good water and sewer. We have the volume and flow capacity.
12. Our “Strategic Plan”- Dr. John Mullin, Mullin Associates
a. “No Great Town without a Great Downtown and no Great Downtown without a great Main
Street.”
b. Mansfield Main Street has a saw tooth smile – a smile with missing teeth. Mullin suggested
that short-term strategies to fill vacant spots (like pop up shops) can help get better Main
Street long-term.

3. c. You need at least 2 square blocks of continuous activity open past 6 PM, a theme such as
restaurants or antiques is also helpful. Downtowns benefit from evening activities like night
classes.
d. Free Wifi is a tactic
e. The National Main Street Center can be a resource
f. A Downtown Subcommittee or Working Group was suggested. The IDC is about more than
Main Street, but Main Street needs its own strategy. Interest in Main Street is strongly shared
by Keep Mansfield Beautiful, the Downtown Business Association, the Planning Board, and
the IDC.
g. The bike path is a key amenity in Downtown that we should highlight. On option being
talked about for Failes Oil site is a base park for the bike path.
Stage 3- What Do We Want as a Community…we’re going to do it, let’s do it right
1. Profile market demand for services and retail in Mansfield.
2. Measure opinions on future development (help us understand how well our goals align with public
sentiment and where challenges may be
3. Participation will ensure that we will be able to influence the creation of new businesses, restaurants,
retail stores and other development in our town. We are looking for a full community representative
sample.
Stage 4- Mansfield High School…the kids are our future, let them be a part in shaping it
Working with Michael Connelly, MHS Principal and his staff, it was acknowledgedthat participation from
Mansfield High School students is important, not just because they could provide community service, but
because their creativity and perspectives would enhance the overall effort.
1. Dr. Krista Hill Cummings, a marketing professor at Bridgewater State University, will run the program
in conjunction with other IDC members with varying backgrounds and careers. The ideal candidates
will be interested in a career in marketing, business, research, graphic design, or the public sector.
2. Students will be involved
a. with distributing the survey via online and media sources
b. in the analysis and presentation of the data collected.
c. in the creation of promotional materials for the town of Mansfield.
d. in developing a brochure and website around the theme "Why Mansfield."
e. in launching a social media campaign for the town.
3. The promotional activities for the town will occur throughout the school year.
4. MHS Statistic Class will be devoting a significant portion of this trimester to analyzing the survey
results and what it means to our community. This will become a part of our marketing program.
5. Elizabeth Gregory, a senior, has been tasked with creating advertisements to promote the survey.
She is a part of Mansfield High School’s Senior Project, a self-driven experience which allows
students to propose a topic or area of which they have a desire or passion to explore, and then

4. pursue it with the guidance of a mentor. Elizabeth plans to followa career in business and
government at St. Lawrence University next fall.
6. Student comments:
a. “I found the survey simple and fun to take, but what really enhanced the experience was the
fact that I could be helping to shape the future of Mansfield”
b. “Statistics isn’t as boring as everyone makes it to be! It’s an important tool that is helping
our town grow and flourish!
c. “Having the opportunity to work to better the community all while receiving a hands on
experience with what I hope to pursue has been invaluable to me”
Stage 5- Marketing and Distributingthe Survey…getting the word out
The goal was to primarily promote the web-basedsurvey because collection and tabulation are easier. The
paper version will be available at a few key locations with broad public visibility.
1. Town link to the survey was placed on the Mansfield homepage. This allowed us to direct everyone to
the Town of Mansfield website rather than a temporary survey website.
2. Ads were placed on Mansfield Town Website, social media, the MHS school e-newsletter, and
Downtown Business Association, they were distributed via Facebook, Twitter, Town Website, Cable
Access and Keep Mansfield Beautiful.
3. Hard Copies were left at: Town Hall, Library and Council on Aging.
4. A Flyer with QR code was placed at: Mansfield Crossing, Train Station, Post Office, etc.
Stage 6- Survey Results…the people have spoken
1. Refer to Survey Results attached
 992 Link responses (waiting to tabulate paper surveys)
 968- Mansfield resident 21- non-Mansfield residents
 206- work in Mansfield 779- do not work in Mansfield
 241- take the train 746- do not take the train
 69%- female 31%-male
 89%- between 26-55
 Household Income- 74% $100,000 +
 Level of Education- 80% Bachelor Degree +
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 Commercial businesses- 63% want more
 Industrial companies- 47% want more…32% neither agree nor disagree
 Retail in downtown- 75% want more
 Apartments/condos in downtown- 68% no more
 Downtown parking- 52% want more…31% neither agree nor disagree
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5.  67%- more fine dining restaurants
 81%- more casual dining restaurants (no gluten free, international cuisine) yes- diner
 63%- more take-out restaurants
 59%- wants a bakery
 56%- wants a coffee shop
 64%- no more convenience stores
 52%- wants a brewery
 73%- no candy stores
 86%- no cigar bar
 63%- want more clothing stores (Marshall’s 62%- yes)
 71%- want a bookstore
 No- Arts, museums, bike stores, day care centers, dance halls, fitness clubs, yoga/barre/salsa clubs
 75%- want a cinema
 65%- want a bowling alley
 67%- want Panera Bread
 66%- 75%- want a Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s/Wegmans/Market Basket
 76%- no Taco Bell
 Starbucks- 45%-yes…42%-no
 Costco- 42%- yes…42%- no
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 Comments: 30 pages!!
 Place for kids to hang out
 More owner run business downtown
 Gas station in West Mansfield
 Turn fire station into a parking lot
 Traffic control on Rte. 140/106/downtown
 Widen Main Street
 Make Main Street more pedestrian friendly
 Boutique retail stores
 Uniformed signage downtown
 Bring in more biotech companies to Forbes
 “Welcome to Mansfield” signs off highways
 Use Mansfield “green” for “branding purposes” (i.e. street signs, road markings, etc.)
 Brand Mansfield as quaint and well planned
 I appreciate the survey
 Thank you for asking
Stage 7- Communicating & Activities…what’s to do next
1. We will communicate survey results to the community through local and social media as well as on our
Town website.

6. 2. We will want to put together brochures and refine the marketing message using the “Why Mansfield,
MA” document, the survey results and the MHS Statistics Class analysis.
3. Work with the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce in developing a “Why Mansfield” promotional filmin
conjunction with their “Why Do Business in the Tri-Town Area” film project.
4. Need a plan to reach out to other property owners to learn about why they are here and how they can
help us promote Mansfield
5. Look at how Mansfield is represented on economic development-relatedweb sites such as Loop net
6. Sponsor a “meet and greet” with existing Mansfield companies to know our customer base, possibly
creating an IDC Annual Awards Program for Community-Involved businesses
7. Sponsor a breakfast showcasing successes and remaining parcels inviting potential Mansfield
businesses and realtors.
8. Hold small community meetings
9. We need to do more to get the message out to the brokers and to the developers about Mansfield’s
new development opportunity through zoning.
10. Reach out to commercial brokers who market property to commercial and retail businesses. Such as Steve
Clancy of CB Richard Ellis, JLL, Cushman and Wakefield, DTC
11. Provide due diligence on the possibility of hiring an Economic Development Director. Walpole has
someone to focus on nurturing existing businesses and creating events. Expectations are that the
position would eventually pay for itself)
12. Working with the Planning Board and Finance Committee to discuss the balance between business and
residential development and its implications for town finances.
Stage 8- Bringing in Commercial and Retail Development…givethem what they want