Monday, July 27, 2009
Downtown Improvement District
This month in downtown marked the first public presence of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District. Those of you who frequent downtown may have noticed the Ambassadors, as they are being called, in atomic green shirts with the logo below emblazoned on their backs. Before I get into my thoughts on the district itself, I have to complain a tiny bit about the logo. Now, I'm not a graphic designer, but I'm having a hard time imagining what the pitch would have been for the logo below... "I've got it, let's take the acronym and split it up like this: an I with a pair of uppercase Ds hugging tightly on each side, ooh - emphasize the I too - make it bigger, and to cap it off let's make sure the I is spraying some unknown green substance into the air" (insert joke about the Hulk or the Jolly Green Giant here). Yes, it's a tree, I know...but seriously...do they not have 13 year old boys on staff that they can consult before going public with their materials?
Okay, with that out of the way...I happen to be employed in the downtown core, and my coworkers and I frequently take "lunchtime constitutionals" to peruse the goings on in the city. While I haven't had a first hand encounter with one of these fine Ambassadors, they have so far had an indirect impact on my perception of downtown. There seems to be a more positive feel in the air lately - this coming from someone who has always loved downtown anyways. I've not shared the negative perception that the area has cultivated over recent years. While I do feel that the local media has unfairly sensationalized the safety and cleanliness issues in the downtown office and entertainment area over the years, it is all too true that the negative perception is sometimes a very sad negative reality. Now, I'm not a downtown apologist, there are plenty of ways downtown could improve. It's just that I really love being there for work, dining, entertainment, shopping, going to the parks, you name it. Anyways, the DID has kicked off their presence downtown with the Ambassadors, who have been roaming downtown giving directions, answering questions, and reporting crimes. Media has been largely positive surrounding the new service.
It has been a long time coming in Minneapolis. Over five years of planning by the Downtown Council and many hours of negotiating with stakeholders finally resulted in the creation of the district by City Council action in December of 2008. The decision was ultimately up to the property owners downtown, who ended up supporting the measure in large numbers. Similar arrangements have been in place around the country for years. Denver is one of the more notable examples I have experienced. When I visited several years ago, I couldn't walk more than 50 feet down the 16th Street Mall without running into one of their Ambassadors.
The initial proposed budget of $6.5M per year will go mainly toward property maintenance such as cleaning sidewalks and greening streets. Remaining funds will focus on the Ambassador program. Some sidewalks along Hennepin Avenue have already received their first desperately needed power washing - the gum covering the sidewalk in places covers more space than it doesn't. There is a tiered service plan for the district, areas closer to Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall will receive more frequent cleaning and will have more Ambassadors dedicated to the vicinity.
Hopefully the perceived and real increase in safety and cleanliness will reap rewards in the coming months and years. There is no doubt a portion of the Twin Cities population that has been turned off by downtown for just those reasons. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the negative perception has made companies less likely to locate downtown as well. Regardless, there are a large number of visitors to downtown on a daily basis that come from all over the country. Making downtown Minneapolis a more comfortable and pleasant place to be is a good thing for Minnesota - even if only on a public relations level, and downtown businesses should be applauded for stepping up in this way to improve the community. I know I already feel embiggened by the direction of our humble little burg, we're gonna make it after all!
Okay, with that out of the way...I happen to be employed in the downtown core, and my coworkers and I frequently take "lunchtime constitutionals" to peruse the goings on in the city. While I haven't had a first hand encounter with one of these fine Ambassadors, they have so far had an indirect impact on my perception of downtown. There seems to be a more positive feel in the air lately - this coming from someone who has always loved downtown anyways. I've not shared the negative perception that the area has cultivated over recent years. While I do feel that the local media has unfairly sensationalized the safety and cleanliness issues in the downtown office and entertainment area over the years, it is all too true that the negative perception is sometimes a very sad negative reality. Now, I'm not a downtown apologist, there are plenty of ways downtown could improve. It's just that I really love being there for work, dining, entertainment, shopping, going to the parks, you name it. Anyways, the DID has kicked off their presence downtown with the Ambassadors, who have been roaming downtown giving directions, answering questions, and reporting crimes. Media has been largely positive surrounding the new service.It has been a long time coming in Minneapolis. Over five years of planning by the Downtown Council and many hours of negotiating with stakeholders finally resulted in the creation of the district by City Council action in December of 2008. The decision was ultimately up to the property owners downtown, who ended up supporting the measure in large numbers. Similar arrangements have been in place around the country for years. Denver is one of the more notable examples I have experienced. When I visited several years ago, I couldn't walk more than 50 feet down the 16th Street Mall without running into one of their Ambassadors.
The initial proposed budget of $6.5M per year will go mainly toward property maintenance such as cleaning sidewalks and greening streets. Remaining funds will focus on the Ambassador program. Some sidewalks along Hennepin Avenue have already received their first desperately needed power washing - the gum covering the sidewalk in places covers more space than it doesn't. There is a tiered service plan for the district, areas closer to Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall will receive more frequent cleaning and will have more Ambassadors dedicated to the vicinity.Hopefully the perceived and real increase in safety and cleanliness will reap rewards in the coming months and years. There is no doubt a portion of the Twin Cities population that has been turned off by downtown for just those reasons. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the negative perception has made companies less likely to locate downtown as well. Regardless, there are a large number of visitors to downtown on a daily basis that come from all over the country. Making downtown Minneapolis a more comfortable and pleasant place to be is a good thing for Minnesota - even if only on a public relations level, and downtown businesses should be applauded for stepping up in this way to improve the community. I know I already feel embiggened by the direction of our humble little burg, we're gonna make it after all!
