Salem Partnership
The Salem Partnership's mission is to promote the greater good of the city of Salem and the surrounding region. Its focus is on the implementation of projects, informing its members about key issues in the city and region, and providing its members with the opportunity to affect change. The group's goal is to revitalize economic development in Salem.
In 1987, a group of Salem businesspersons gathered at the Hawthorne Hotel and agreed to establish a community-based organization to maximize Salem's economic potential. Senator Paul Tsongas related how a similar group in Lowell has organized, calling itself the "Lowell Plan." Its founding members included what was then the Peabody Museum and the Essex Institute, the Hawthorne Hotel, Salem State College, Eastern Bank, the Salem Five Cents Savings Bank, Holyoke Mutual Life Insurance Company, Parker brothers, the National Park Service and the Salem Evening News. The initial target for the group was to support pending legislation to expand the National Park Service's presence, restore Salem Maritime Historic Site, and build a regional visitor center. Since its creation, the Partnership has helped spur more than $80 million in investment in Salem and the region. In 2000, there were 70 members who paid a membership fee to help sustain the group. They focus on two or three projects they fell will benefit the community.
Some of their past success stories are: The Friendship of Salem, Essex National Heritage Area, and Salem Main Streets Program.
Current projects include: Renovation and expansion of the Courts Complex downtown, Salem Port Development project, and the Parking Garage at the MBTA train station.
See Also
- Vertical File in Salem Collection - Salem Partnership
- Salem Partnership official website
