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MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. Some residents of Mount Kisco are trying to fight the empty spaces that have been accumulating in the downtown area of the village, leading to a new movement with a familiar, nationally known name.
Occupy Main Street, begun by homeowners Sarah OGrady and Maria Colaco, is trying to rally the village residents and those around Westchester to once again try and make Mount Kisco the shopping and eating center of Westchester.
We both live, shop, eat, spend time in Mount Kisco as much as possible. And we have been disappointed in the last six months to a year with whats gone on in Mount Kisco, OGrady said. I think a lot of residents and business owners are upset with stores closing and things like that.
The movement has already held a virtual meeting, as it garnered many residents from around the area for a Twitter conversation about the importance of get Mount Kisco back to where it once was.
Our numbers were amazing. People all over Westchester attended the chat, and really were engaged in the conversation, Colaco said. It wasnt a blame game; it was engaging conversation. This is more of an awareness project than anything else.
The name Occupy naturally has people thinking of another movement not far from the Mount Kisco area, but the pair assures those curious about a connection that there is none, except for the literal usage of the word.
Some people got a little scared with the term, but I want to clarify that, for us, the term occupy as residents and citizens is the idea of literally occupying Main Street, bringing people into our town, OGrady said.
The organization is hoping to bring in many locals who wish to revitalize the area, as they will be holding their first live meeting on Feb. 29 in the Mount Kisco Public Library. Until then, the determined duo is hoping that locals can start brainstorming about how they can rejuvenate their downtown.
We all need to find a way to work together, think more progressively and outside of the box on how we approach how to bring in new business, keep business here and become a vibrant destination for Westchester, OGrady said.
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