“Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney is revitalizing Plainville, Massachusetts.

Local News

The author of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and owner of An Improbable Story bookstore is on a mission to energize his adopted hometown of Plainville, Massachusetts.

Plainville, Massachusetts is a small town of less than 10,000 people located about 40 miles south of Boston. If you drove through downtown, you would currently see boarded-up storefronts and parking lots surrounding the town’s crown jewel, An Improbable Story bookstore and cafe.

“It’s not really a downtown,” said Maggie Clarke, a member of the Plainville Board of Trustees and Redevelopment Authority. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s run-down, but it definitely needs a facelift.”

This is where an unlikely source comes into play.

Jeff Kinney, bookstore owner and author of the popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series, is on a mission to revitalize the downtown core of his adopted hometown and make it a gathering space that community will be able to benefit for generations to come.

Kinney and his wife Julie built the bookstore on the corner of East Bacon and South streets in 2015 with the vision of bringing new life to downtown. They didn’t initially plan to redevelop the town square when they built the bookstore, but then felt compelled to do more for their community.

“The bookstore was the spark that started it all. This is the cornerstone of the redevelopment project,” Kinney said in a phone interview with Boston.com.

The Kinneys’ ambitious vision would be to completely overhaul the existing downtown, once known for its manufacturing and textile industries, and transform it into a destination destination for residents and visitors. Once demolition is complete, the building plans for a restaurant, beer garden and urban green space that could host farmers’ markets, festivals and civic gatherings. Residents are delighted with these projects.

“It’s a true gift, what he’s doing for our community.” He doesn’t do it for glory and he doesn’t do it for recognition. He’s doing it because he’s sincerely invested in our little town,” Plainville resident Kelly Connor told Boston.com in an interview.

The Kinneys also emphasized their desire to make a real, positive impact on the city and its residents.

“We felt like we needed to do more, especially at a time when there is so much polarization in our society. Now we are tackling a much more ambitious phase of the project, which involves building a public square,” he said.

‘Jeff de Plainville‘

Kinney and his wife have lived in the former manufacturing town since 2002, attracted by its location near Julie’s parents in Worcester, its proximity to Boston and its low-key profile.

“It’s a really unpretentious town. His name says it all,” Kinney said. “We are proud to have raised our children here and we are proud to do something to contribute to the development and redevelopment of downtown.” »

They stayed in the city despite being able to live almost anywhere thanks to the immense fame and success of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” franchise. The book series is in its 18th installment, with over 290 million copies sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling book series of all time. The “Wimpy Kid” franchise also includes a series of live-action films, three animated films and a musical.

Boston.com spoke with nearly a dozen Plainville city officials and residents who were unanimous in praising the Kinneys’ loyalty to the city and their dedication to improving it.

“If there was a Plainville Hall of Fame, he would be inducted on the first ballot,” Robert Rose, a 15-year Plainville Selectman and former resident, told Boston.com.

Brian Kelly, chairman of the city’s board of trustees, agrees. He lives around the corner from the Kinneys and said that despite the huge success of the “Wimpy Kid” franchise, the Kinneys have remained the down-to-earth family they’ve always been.

“When you have that type of success, you can go anywhere. But he stayed in Plainville, improving the community. It’s not selfish at all. He serves the community with his success. It’s truly remarkable,” he said.

“No matter how internationally famous he becomes, he’s still Jeff from Plainville,” Kelly added.

The Kinneys wanted to get community input on their idea and created a Facebook group, Plainville Square, for community members to keep up to date with the redevelopment plans and provide feedback. They also launched a website of the same name to provide concept images of their plan. Both received overwhelming support, the author said.

Indeed, the page scrolls through comments from several community members who praise the Kinneys’ plans and involvement.

“Let’s rename it Kinney Square!” » joked one commenter.

Restore the “dynamism of the past”‘

At one point in the city’s history, downtown was a vibrant, active neighborhood that hosted parades and community events, according to Kristine Moore, chairwoman of the Plainville Historical Commission.

Kinney worked with the commission on its redevelopment plans to ensure the proposal honored the city’s past and restored it to its former glory. The city’s heyday was part of the Kinneys’ inspiration for their redevelopment plan, Plainville Square.

“It was really a kind of hub that brought people together. There was a lot of activity there and it was really inspiring. I think that’s probably the main thing that inspired us,” Julie Kinney said of downtown’s historic role as a hub for residents and surrounding towns.

“When we looked at these historic photos, we could see the vibrancy of the past, and we think there is a great opportunity to bring that back to life.” We’re really excited about it,” she said.

Residents agreed that the city needs, and lacks, a community space where residents can gather.

“We don’t have that kind of place where everyone can come and gather. I think every town needs it,” said Plainville resident Kelly Connor.

The project is divided into development phases, with demolition of existing structures surrounding the bookstore likely taking place in late spring or early summer, Kinney said.

Once demolition is complete, the first phase of development aims to add an urban green space and beer garden to both corners of the intersection.

Kinney’s plans for the Green City include a landscaped area with a flagship restaurant and functional space for outdoor events such as farmers’ markets, craft fairs, seasonal celebrations, music events and more.

Samantha Faille, 36, resident of Plainville, lives a few steps from the city center. She said she is very excited about having another potential restaurant in town and the increased revenue the new and improved downtown would bring to the town.

“If people come from North Attleboro to like the (Wrentham) store, it would be nice for them to stop in Plainville and spend some of their money here. I think it will be good for tax revenue and for city business,” she said in an interview.

On the diagonal quadrant, Kinney hopes to create a beer garden with semi-permanent outdoor food stalls made from repurposed shipping containers that, over time, will be transformed into permanent storefronts. He estimates that the development of the two quadrants will take between four and five years in total.

Kinney said he will continue to engage with the community to get their feedback on what types of businesses they would like to see in the second quadrant.

Connor praised the Kinneys for their sincere interest in receiving feedback and speaking to community members.

“He really seeks to have all stakeholders and all members of the community involved in the project. It’s not something you get from a typical developer,” she said.

Once the downtown project is complete, Kinney said he hopes downtown Plainville will serve as a model for other small towns looking to breathe new life into their downtowns.

“Our goal for our city is to bring people together. But our overarching goal is to create a model city center,” he said.