Downtown Akron Partnership Inc

Knight initiatives: knight foundation funds were deployed toward tactical improvements, planning, programming and capacity support when and where needed. The work successfully inspired new public realm investments, enhanced investments in progress, activated public space and cultivated civic engagement through our partnership. By co-deciding when and where opportunities for this work were best suited for dap involvement, we maximized the public benefit of knight support. We were able to accomplish more initiatives through partnerships and matching funds that increased dap capacity to convene stakeholders and work as an ally across sectors.(continued on schedule o)knight initiatives, continued: key outcomes include:1. Support seven signature events to bring people to downtown, including akron latin fest, downtown fall fest, smells like snow coffee festival, lunar new year, sakura celebration, south asian springtime celebration, juneteenth. 2. Create public space placemaking improvements with community partners in cascade plaza and on the nihf stem school plaza.3. Program cascade plaza and other spaces with wellness, concerts and skate nights with a focus on mixing in place.4. Support downtown planning through the downtown vision and redevelopment plan 2022+.5. Improve downtown perceptions through storytelling, guides and marketing initiatives. 6. Improve main st winterscape through installation of holiday lighting.7. Support dap capacity through interns, consultants, and programming staff to accomplish the body of work.8. Sustain the downtown programming committee.9. Engage ms consultants to assist in the downtown akron special improvement district renewal. Knight support was used in multiple instances to guide public realm investment through planning and consultants, and private investment through stakeholder engagement. Through these efforts, dap came alongside city departments and stakeholders to integrate best principles into public spaces and, in some cases, help materialize those plans and program the respective spaces. Quantifying those investments and audiences engaged helps us demonstrate the broad impact of the work. Knight programmatic activity is supported by a multiyear grant from the john s. And james l. Knight foundation. Revenue was received this fiscal year for this work, and carried over from last year as well.

Member outreach & support: as the center of our urban core, the success of downtown plays a critical role in the economic recovery of our region. Storefront businesses support the downtown ecosystem through employment, improving safety, retaining talent, adding character and vibrancy to the neighborhood, and contributing to the local economy. Dap works with members to celebrate downtown as a valuable place. Through strategic marketing and management of downtown resources, dap promotes the district as the premier place to live, work and play in the center of our city.(continued on schedule o)member outreach & support, continued:dap also worked with baker media group to create the 2023 downtown look book, which, like the 2022 edition, is a primarily pictorial 10-page book. Dap worked with several local photographers to demonstrate in a vibrant, engaging way that downtown akron is a place where all people are welcome. The guide supplemented the august 2023 edition of akron life magazine, and 7,500 additional copies are being distributed throughout the district and in select hotels and rest areas in northeast ohio. Website users: 331kwebsite pageviews: 1mfacebook followers: 16,021x followers: 9,412instagram followers: 8,398linkedin followers: 2,638tiktok followers: 233do downtown weekly email newsletter subscribers: 14,241quarterly updates were produced in april, july, october and january. All issues are housed on the dap website.business owners meetings - through 2023-2024, dap hosted in person quarterly business owners meetings to share information about downtown projects and events, facilitate solutions to challenges and provide networking opportunities for downtown businesses. Average attendance was 20 people per meeting.as the center of our urban core, the success of downtown plays a critical role in the economic recovery of our region. Storefront businesses support the downtown ecosystem through employment, improving safety, retaining talent, adding character and vibrancy to the neighborhood, and contributing to the local economy.

Vibrancy and economic development:downtown dora - the city of akron launched its first designated outdoor refreshment area (dora) in downtown in october of 2020. The dora allows customers to take alcoholic beverages outside within the boundaries of the designated area. Dap continues to support the dora through ambassador safety tours, programming, and management of the dora cup program as part of our commitment to downtown vibrancy. Downtown business development has evolved as a critical dap service since 2007. Dap meets with businesses for retention and expansion visits as a proactive approach to growing the number of jobs downtown, as well as assisting businesses with direct services and connections to address any challenges they face. Dap strives to meet with retailers quarterly, and with professional services at least biannually. Dap also conducts bre visits through the new bre effort within elevate greater akron. Dap tracks statistics on this work by calendar year. Within this effort in 2023, dap participated in all bre committee meetings and attended 60 egabre outreach visits. Our individual nps score in this work in 2023 was 64% (team goal is 50%) with 54% of interviewees responding to the survey (team goal is35%). Dap also meets with prospective businesses to assist them on their path to establishing a business. In 2023, dap conducted prospective business meetings with 73 site selection services - 37% were retailers, 14% creative industry, 39% professional services and 10% other types of business. Of these prospective businesses, 60% were owned by people of color and 51% were women owned. In 2023, 88% of ega portfolio businesses were retained downtown and 95% of all general non-retail businesses were retained. In addition, 8 new non-retail businesses moved downtown. In 2023, 4 new businesses were selected for phase 7 of dap's burton d. Morgan foundation funded start downtown program, formerly known as the pop-up retail program. The program matches entrepreneurs with property owners to bring new businesses downtown and encourage economic growth in the district. It prioritizes supporting businesses owned by women and people of color. The seventh cohort of start downtown businesses includes: three of the four businesses opened in 2023. In total, 89% of retail storefronts downtown were retained and 6 new storefront businesses opened downtown. Dap hosts an online site selection form to facilitate the process of entrepreneurs and businesses looking for space in downtown. Dap continues to maintain downtown available commercial listings on the lois (location one information system) database on downtownakron.com to engage entrepreneurs interested in locating their business downtown. Since the downtown vision and redevelopment plan of 2018, downtown's primary development focus has been on bringing mixed-use, residential projects to fruition. Residential development is critical to downtown's economic recovery, as well as an important part of keeping the district socially connected, vibrant and strong.dap continues to work closely with artists and instructors throughout the year to rethink traditional programming while remaining committed to supporting and celebrating arts and culture as a critical part of the downtown experience. We continue to convene district partners in a virtual, bi-weekly downtown programming call. Now with more than 20 organizations participating, the group is collaboratively helping rebuild downtown vibrancy. Placemaking through programming plays a vital role in dap's portfolio of economic development efforts. Dap adds programming to public spaces and assists others in bringing excellent programming to downtown to create a vibrant and valuable downtown for all. Part of dap's commitment to programming for diversity, equity and inclusion is illustrated by its work with local contractors, with a focus on working with businesses owned by people of color. For people of all backgrounds to feel truly invited to participate in what downtown has to offer, they need to see themselves reflected in the vendors, artists, instructors, committee members and performers dap works with to create programming. In total, 26,817 people were welcomed downtown through dap events and programs.- lunar new year celebration: an estimated 2,000 people gathered to celebrate lunar new year in the akron civic theatre. Traditional cultural performances included the lion dance, dragon dance, face-changing performance, waist drum dance, performances by nihf stem middle schoolers and martial arts performances. More than 6 cultural organizations helped to plan and implement the program. Fireworks followed. - sakura / japanese cherry blossom celebration: more than 6,000 people attended this event spanning the towpath from cascade locks through downtown to ohio & erie canal park, lined with 2,000 luminaries, to witness the beginning blooms of 472 sakura trees planted by the japanese association of northeast ohio (jano) and the city of akron. Guests enjoyed cultural performances, food trucks, k-pop dance challenges and more. - summer programs: approximately 2,000 participants attended summer fitness on cascade plaza. Free classes included yoga, pilates, line dancing, kickboxing, and zumba. Other summer events included happy hours and skate nights on cascade plaza.- juneteenth mix & mingle and family celebration: more than 3,000 families and friends gathered for a ticketed evening mixer and a free celebration in cascade plaza in celebration of black joy. Downtown black businesses owners were recognized and celebrated, amongst food, fellowship, and music. The family celebration included cultural performances, vendors and activities for all.- akron latin fest: more than 3,000 people attended the third annual festival, held in downtown for the first time. Event included vendors, cultural performances, food and more. - fall fest: more than 2,000 visitors attended this october 19 celebration spanning main street that featured 20 trick-or-treat stations; food, retail vendors and free activities. - smells like snow coffee festival: dap welcomed 5,000+ people to cascade plaza on november 3 for the gilmore girls inspired smells like snow coffee festival. Five local musicians performed; 22 local vendors sold food, wares and coffee; and show themed photo opportunities and references made for an authentic stars hollow experience. - akron pride festival: dap supported akron pride festival by programming cascade plaza with a roller skate night and operating the shed to serve beverages to welcome over 40,000 people to downtown.the relationship between the university of akron and downtown grew stronger in 2023 through numerous partnerships across campus and downtown. 2023 highlights include the announcement of the polsky building transformation, ua fall kick off, zips fall in love with downtown, a lunar new year partnership, downtown business workshops with the college of business, dap's participation in the university's carnegie reclassification effort and projects with ua interns at dap. Downtown continues to host the start and finish lines of the akron marathon. Dap provided marathon support as a liaison to businesses and residential properties as well as by staffing information tents on race day. With support from knight foundation, dap continues to contract with edison landscaping and lighting to install twinkle lights in the trees along the main st corridor to illuminate downtown over the winter months. Dap also sponsored fireworks for the much-loved holiday tree lighting ceremony and supported the installation of historic displays in main st. Store fronts. Dap launched the dap youth council in 2023. The dap youth advisory council aims to collaborate with students and to aid in the ideation, promotion, and implementation of youth-centered downtown events. Youth council participation currently includes 10 students from 5 aps high schools. Council members shared lunar new year and sakura festival information with peers and volunteered at sakura festival. Council members have circulated a survey to plan a youth skate night during the summer. It has received 100+ responses which will be used to plan a youth centric skate night and add student voices to other dap programs. Marketing materials will be shared with students before the end of the school year so they can attend. Youth council participation is currently at 100%youth of color. Dap staff will meet with the youth council to get feedback and evaluate the effectiveness of the program and how to improve it for next school year.

Engagement & strategy:dap represents and advocates for downtown across a number of local and regional partnerships designed to drive equity, economic growth and placemaking. Elevate greater akron - elevate greater akron (ega) is an economic development plan for the greater akron area is designed to create a transformative, high functioning and collaborative economic development system for greater akron. Dap serves the partnership as a member of refocus on downtown, spark! Akron, opportunity akron, new bre teams of elevate 2.0, and the economic development working group. Ega's work is based on a collaborative approach that is both necessary and fundamental to building long-term, sustainable economic development in akron. For more on elevate greater akron, visit elevategreaterakron.org.consensus and strategy are imperative to successful community building. Dap routinely engages board members and stakeholders in the design, planning and implementation of our work. Established and ad hoc committees met in 2023 to guide business development, marketing, board nominations, residential services, beautification, finance, programming and governance. Dap is honored to attend the monthly downtown operations group meetings convened by the city of akron's office of integrated development. During these meetings, representatives from city departments work together to address issues and determine downtown's best and most efficient path forward through shared information and collaboration.successful public transit is a critical part of an excellent, attractive, equitable downtown. As part of their efforts to draw opportunity to akron, metro is partnering with community stakeholders to study the potential for development around robust transit service in akron. In 2023, dap served on the committees to study the feasibility of both transit oriented development and bus rapid transit. The hub for arts, culture and entertainment in summit county, downtown serves as a placemaker for the region. Coordination and promotion of the more than 25 arts, culture and entertainment venues and events downtown is facilitated by dap through bimonthly calls among programming partners.the reconnecting our community initiative is a multiyear, inclusive and equitable engagement process to identify community preferences for the future of a portion of the innerbelt. Dap serves on the advisory group for this process to uplift the reconnection of akron's neighborhoods with downtown, and the shared work with akron's communities to imagine a healed future of opportunity and solidarity. For more information visit: akroninnerbelt.com.

Civic commons:reimagining the civic commons demonstrates that transformative public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more resilient communities. Dap continues to participate in this national, multi-year initiative funded by the rockefeller, kresge, knight and jpb foundations. Notable downtown projects include planning for the renovation of lock 3, the sakura/ cherry blossom festival in april, the expansion of the dora, and roller skating on cascade plaza. Phase i of the lock 3 olin plan rehabilitation is scheduled to reopen in november 2024. Visit ohioeriecanal.org/akron-civic-commons for more on the coming transformation of lock 3.