Dear Subscriber,
In this issue, we share news and ideas from our print newsletters, Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter.
The City of Fontana, CA, has implemented a successful facade renovation program for three blocks of its downtown. Unlike typical matching grants for facade improvements, it doesn’t cost property owners anything. What’s more, because the program requires buy-in from all property owners on each block, the results are far better than those produced by matching grant programs.
“The way it works is, we talk to the property owners and get them to give us a facade easement that is not recorded against their property for 10 years. That turns over the front 18 inches of their building to us, the redevelopment agency. So in essence, for the next 10 years, the agency owns the front of their building,” says Raymond Bragg, former redevelopment and special projects director for the City.
Ladies night out events are gaining in popularity across North America. While each event is different, one thing is clear: To keep women engaged, fresh new themes and in-store activities are a must.
Downtown Ukiah, CA, merchants held their first Girls’ Night Out in July, and it’s become a new monthly tradition. Girls’ Night Out is held on the third Thursday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m. The evenings offer extended shopping hours, discounts and specials at participating boutiques and restaurants, which put up pink balloons outside their storefronts to proudly show their involvement.
This month, David Feehan, President of Civitas Consultants, asks what role philanthropic support should have in funding downtown improvements. He notes that in many communities, local foundations have become deeply involved in downtown revitalization. “One of the more interesting and substantial examples of foundation support for downtown development began more than two decades ago,” says Feehan, “when the Kalamazoo Community Foundation made a major commitment to the rebirth of that city’s downtown.”
To read the full article, and learn more about how downtowns are using philanthropic support, visit the Downtown Research & Development Center website at http://www.DowntownDevelopment.com/perspectives.php.
I hope that these ideas have given you some food for thought and action until the next edition of Downtown Digest.
Sincerely,
Paul Felt
Editor