 After a few months of trying, LaMantri couldn't get enough support from property owners to form the downtown bid. But he decided to put down roots in New Bedford anyway. He and his wife bought a second home in the city. A few years later, they bought a vacant building downtown and painted it a bright seafoam green. Today, their sons run a handmade clothing and jewelry store in the building. And their daughter works in one of the city's addiction treatment centers.