Members of the Downtown Danville Association want to plan more events, continue its mural project and offer more assistance to people interested in opening a business downtown — and to do that, they feel they need to grow by hiring a full-time executive director, part-time marketing and events associate and renting an easily accessible office in the River District.
That’s what DDA board member Steve Farrar told Danville City Council this week, asking for the city’s financial support toward the effort by committing $50,000 a year to the group for the next five years.
The rest of the anticipated $200,000-a-year cost for the venture is expected to be covered through grants, some of which require proof that the city backs the effort, Farrar said, dues paid by members and other fundraising efforts.
Farrar gave council members a copy of the strategic plan, which was paid for by the Danville Regional Foundation.
The group’s priorities will be having the city re-designated as a Main Street Partner — a National Trust for Historic Preservation program that Danville was reclassified as an “affiliate” member in due to DDA structure changes in 2007 — as well as increasing its support of business start-ups, promoting the River District and partnering with the city to build a stronger downtown.
Farrar said the DDA’s outreach boundaries would be the River District, but Councilman Fred Shanks suggested expanding that outreach to include the entire newly-designated Tourism District, which includes the River District but also stretches up North Main Street to include the Historic North Theatre and more businesses.
A show of hands by the other council members supported that idea; DDA secretary Corrie Teague said she didn’t anticipate any problem getting approval from the board to expand the group’s target area.
DDA board member Jerry Amburn said people drop into his salon in the River District often, asking where there are restaurants downtown or asking where they can get information about opening a business downtown.
“We all [downtown business owners] try to help people with questions, but we’re all volunteers and have businesses to run,” Amburn said. “We need an information hub, somewhere to send people; we haven’t had that downtown since the chamber of commerce moved to its new building [in 2005].”
Amburn said the DDA began the downtown mural project with the two existing ones — one depicting the Old 97 train at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Main Street and the other showing the trolley that used to service downtown near the bus station on Spring Street — and is looking for the best location for a third one that will depict the region’s tobacco history.
Seven more murals are planned in years to come, Amburn said.
Business owner and DDA member Ben Rippe agrees.
“The volunteer efforts are scattered; this would add focus and be a point of contact,” Rippe said. “It will help the city grow and be good for economic development.”
A proposal for the financial support will be presented to City Council for a formal vote at an upcoming meeting.
