Case Study: PROVA! Brockton
PROVA! was the City of Brockton’s response to infuse the city’s rich culture and community into a downtown activation plan.
The City of Brockton wanted to prove that Downtown Brockton was a place that people would go for dining and entertainment on the weekends, as a number of downtown parcels sat vacant. PROVA! hoped to attract more commercial and residential investment into the downtown core to show that it could be a thriving place to live, work, and play, while embracing the city’s rich culture and existing community and commercial base.
PROVA! was the city’s response to infuse the city’s rich culture and community into a downtown activation plan combining local music, arts and culture. Prova (a word that means “Proof” in Creole) is designed to be a rich, colorful garden; a “garden” that is a dynamic venue which proves and celebrates Brockton’s rich multicultural heritage through local food and craft beer, family fun, diverse arts and entertainment. The mission of PROVA! is to prove that Brockton can come together as one community and have fun doing it, demonstrating the potential that exists for businesses to be successful in the downtown.
“The diversity has been so incredible at the site every time we open. You can never quite pin the “crowd” type for the night and everyone is just mingling and having a great time.” - Emily Hall
Residents and visitors were ecstatic about PROVA! The project attracted an average of over 200 attendees per night and generated an average of $2,000 for the brewery and participating restaurants. People of all ages, socioeconomic, cultural, and political backgrounds came together for weekly events. The city is moving to create a permanent outdoor event and festival space in the downtown.
Project Details
- Project: Prova Brockton
- Project Type: Public Plazas and Markets, Public Art, Events, Alleys and Streetscapes
- Project Location: Brockton, Massachusetts
- Crowdfunding Raise: $84,440
- Crowdgranting Match: $50,000
- Patrons: 120
- Leveraged Funding: $57,000
- In-Kind Amount: $10,000
- Total Project Estimate: $201,440
Commonwealth Places
Commonwealth Places, a collaborative initiative from MassDevelopment and Patronicity, was a crowdgranting challenge program to activate new or distressed public places and community spaces. The program was open to municipalities and nonprofits to improve low- and moderate-income communities in Massachusetts.
