You may see some new signs around MagCenter promoting the “Midtown” rebranding of the area. Councilman Robillard assures you, you can still say “Brockton Arcade.” (Ken Crawford)
You may have noticed that new "Midtown" signs have appeared throughout Magnolia Center, marking the beginning of a rebranding initiative for this central commercial district. This change represents more than just new signage—it's an effort to create a cohesive identity for an area that has historically lacked one.
We talked to Councilmember Stephen Robillard about the new campaign in his district.
"There is no kind of cohesive identity to the area," explains City Councilmember Stephen Robillard from Ward 3. "It was called Magnolia Center because it's on Magnolia and the center of the city... but there's no cohesive identity of the whole area."
The rebranding focuses primarily on the business districts while preserving established neighborhood names. As Councilmember Robillard notes, "We knew that residents would be sensitive to any kind of name change for this area, so we're not changing Brockton Arcade or the Plaza or Sunnyside. We're still gonna be individual areas within the Midtown broader area."
"Midtown is a thing across many cities across the country," Robillard points out. "It's a universal term that understands it's right in the middle of town, which is what this is. So it was a natural fit."
While change always brings mixed reactions, Robillard reports, "I've had almost overwhelmingly positive feedback."
