The village board of trustees heard a presentation from Orange County Partnership CEO Connor Eckert during its Aug. 18 meeting, as officials weigh economic development strategies for the village’s comprehensive plan.

“We have a presentation this evening from Connor Eckert of Orange County Partnership. We appreciate you coming,” Mayor Becky Pearson said. “We have been working on our comprehensive plan, and you were recommended for possible economic development and what we could do to help our village.”

Eckert opened by outlining Walden’s advantages over other municipalities, comparing its downtown to that of a city because of its unique amenities and resources. He cited the village’s historic buildings, natural assets such as the Wallkill River and the Walden-Wallkill Rail Trail, and its proximity to employment centers, highways, markets and tourist attractions. He also noted Walden’s location within a craft beverage corridor that draws visitors from across the county.

“Our team has always been intrigued by Walden, because you have the bones of a city’s downtown area in the boundaries of a village,” Eckert said. “You have walkability and intangible assets that communities across the region and state are fighting to build — things that they don’t have naturally.”

Eckert pointed to the Wallkill River and the rail trail as assets that could help attract and retain young professionals, and highlighted the village’s position near Angry Orchard, a proposed boutique hotel at the site of the Borden Milk Factory, Magnanini Winery and City Winery Hudson Valley as a cluster of nearby tourism draws.

“So there’s a cluster of tourism assets by way of craft beverage that surrounds the community,” Eckert said. “We look for these unique qualifying assets, and that is something unique to Walden.”

He offered several recommendations for improving downtown Walden and drawing visitors, including hosting brand festivals, installing wayfinding signage and streetscaping improvements, and amending the zoning code to encourage hospitality-friendly development. He cited Beacon and Ellenville as examples of villages that used strict design standards to build appealing downtowns.

“These assets are separate, but could be connected in a really unique way, whether through brand festivals, wayfinding, or zoning for more hospitality-friendly uses,” Eckert said.

Eckert also identified potential development sites, including a property on Coldenham Road and sites within the Route 208 corridor, as opportunities for job creation.

“While a lot of the big investment is happening in Wallkill and Montgomery, I think Walden certainly has an opportunity to compete in the job creation game as well,” he said.

He pointed board members toward state funding resources, including the New York Forward Grant and the New York Main Street Program, both of which support downtown revitalization projects.

“The New York Main Street Program is highly impactful; it can help with things like facades, storefront improvements, infrastructure investments, commercial rehabilitations and housing,” Eckert said. “It’s called the CFA, the Consolidated Funding Application, which communities can apply for to upgrade downtowns and infrastructure, but also individual projects.”

During the question-and-answer period, Trustee Cheryl Baker, who facilitates the Walden Business Council, told Eckert that many residents and business owners feel discouraged about the village’s prospects.

“Walden is a drive-thru village, not a destination village,” Baker said. “Both residents and businesses have a ‘Oh, this is just Walden, it’s just the way it is’ type of mentality. What are your thoughts on combating that?”

Eckert said the village could take a more active role in marketing its downtown, such as by hiring an intern or staff member dedicated to promotion.

“Combatting that mentality requires the village and/or the economic development community to help and tell the story of the downtown area in broader strokes,” he said.

Baker also asked how the village could attract businesses to fill vacant storefronts on Main Street. Eckert said OC Partnership could help compile an inventory of available properties into a marketing sheet to share with regional commercial real estate brokers.

“I think we could do something similar for your downtown area and put that in front of the top retail estate brokers in the market, who are running around with clients,” Eckert said. “Because the communities that are winning are aggressively marketing their available spaces, and that’s a great place to start.”

Baker raised concerns that high rents charged by some landlords discourage new businesses from opening in the village. Eckert suggested that the village work directly with landlords to share data on local market rates.

“If they’re asking for a certain number and it’s 25% higher than what’s been leased within 15 miles, that’s a problem that they should at least be educated on,” he said.

The board thanked Eckert for the presentation and said it would factor his recommendations into the ongoing update of the village’s comprehensive plan.