David Krietor has served as CEO of the newly-formed Downtown Phoenix, Inc. (“DPI”) since April 8, 2013. In that time, he has begun work with community stakeholders to develop the downtown we want. “Your Downtown” shares his thoughts and DPI’s progress with the downtown community and beyond. Read the other chats here.
Photo by Steve Dreiseszun
On Monday, July 14 the Downtown Phoenix Partnership (DPP) Board of Directors approved a contract to consolidate its administrative and financial management with Downtown Phoenix, Inc. (DPI). The DPP Board will remain in place to develop and oversee the program of work and budget for the property owners within the Enhanced Municipal Services District (EMSD) bounded by the Union Pacific tracks south of Jackson, 7th Street, Fillmore, and 3rd Avenue. All staffing will consolidate under DPI.
The contractual alignment of DPP and DPI creates administrative efficiencies and, for the first time, coordinates the strong and well managed activities within the EMSD with our broader emerging downtown. Concurrent with this effort, a team of community leaders and property owners in the Roosevelt Row and Evans Churchill neighborhoods is evaluating the potential to create a second EMSD that could also have an affiliation with DPI.
As part of its approval of the consolidation, the DPP Board asked DPI to establish a more structured relationship with Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA) as our membership affiliate or move forward with a direct membership effort under the DPI umbrella. There was very strong recognition among DPP Board members that the broader and more inclusive our membership base, the more effective we will be in advocating for our downtown. PCA has a long successful history working in central Phoenix and it has been DPI’s preference to structure our membership through PCA.
In addition to our work with DPP, we have been very engaged in advancing our event and marketing activities. The DPP Board approved additional funding for these activities creating for the first time an event promotion fund. Downtown Phoenix is quickly becoming the live music capital of Arizona and this fund should help us accelerate our efforts. So many other good things are happening in and around our downtown to promote as well.
We have also established a strong working partnership with the Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation (CDC). With financial support from Local Initiatives Service Corporation (LISC), a partnership has been established with the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, and Phoenix Industrial Development Authority to begin major community and neighborhood based redevelopment efforts in the west side of downtown.
It is difficult not to be enthusiastic about the future of our downtown. We have strong business leadership, emerging partnerships with neighborhood and community groups, and a city government that is actively engaged in our organization. I am very excited about our formalized relationship with DPP which bodes well for a more collaborative approach to defining our future.
