New London — The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a fatal blow for New London Main Street, the 33-year-old nonprofit that  helped provide a lift to the downtown and its businesses.

Sidelined from fundraising activities and event planning throughout the pandemic, the group’s board of directors voted in May to dissolve. The move came shortly after the resignation of executive director Kristin Havrilla Clarke. The group recently vacated its leased spot on State Street at the Garde Arts Center.

“COVID got the best of the organization,” said Keith Turner, the co-president of the board of directors. “COVID made it so that New London Main Street couldn’t function normally and the Board decided other organizations and the city were better suited to accomplish the same goals.”

The organization had been involved in anti-blight initiatives and events that included the annual Christmas tree lighting and twice-yearly Food Stroll. The Food Stroll, not held last year because of the pandemic, brought crowds to downtown and doubled as the group’s largest fundraiser.

Turner said the volunteers working for the organization have their hearts in the right place and will continue to serve elsewhere around the city in different capacities and aiding other organizations “in an effort to see that the downtown thrives.”

Tracy Tremblay, a former board president who is also a former staff member — during a time when the organization had staff — said she was saddened by the news that New London Main Street was no more.

Tremblay had worked with former directors including Penny Parsekian and Annah Perch.

“I’ve always been proud of my association with New London Main Street,” Tremblay said.

New London Main Street also spearheaded events that included the Fish Tales, Tugs and Sails family festival and Light Up New London, an initiative that lit up empty storefronts on parts of State Street. The group was instrumental in some of the downtown way-finding signs, and at one time it had hosted a summer music series.

The city cut funding to the group in 2012, and an organization that had three and a half staff members became a group with no paid staff and just a director. The city has budgeted $13,140 for New London Main Street over the past several years, though it was unclear if the city had included any funding in its current budget.

City records show the city had budgeted $77,000 to $80,000 in the years prior to 2013 when the budget was reduced to $40,000. It dropped again in the city’s 2016-17 budget to $13,100.

Tremblay said from her standpoint the group had continued to do great things despite the lack of city funding but was more dependent on sponsorships, donations and fundraisers. The Day is listed as one of its six primary sponsors on the group's website.

Downtown New London Association and City Center District have similar goals to New London Main Street — to support property owners and small businesses owners, said DTNA Executive Director Barbara Neff. Neff said New London Main Street did a great job with its newsletter and its website, keeping a strong online presence.

“Those two things are going to be missed,” Neff said.

There are already members of her organization looking to pick up the slack. The City Center District budgeted some funds for a new website, and Neff said she expects some of the same volunteers who worked with New London Main Street would help maintain an online presence and newsletter.

While New London Main Street was associated with the Connecticut Main Street Program and by extension the national organization, Turner said the New London group was self-funded. The board of directors plans to meet to discuss how to distribute the remaining funds in its account, about $7,500, Turner said.

Clarke, who has served as the executive director since 2016, could not be reached to comment.

g.smith@theday.com