Everyone knows where our downtown is, but do we know what downtowns are and why they matter? Whether the downtown streets are named Hay or Franklin or Old, what they represent is universal. Our downtown is our economic engine, the center of our arts and cultural opportunities, and the heart of the community. 

Our historic downtown tells us not only who we are but also who we were and how that past help shaped us. We do not go to sprawling suburbs, shopping malls or restaurant rows to learn about our past, to explore our culture or to discover our identity. Our downtown is the place of shared memories where people still come together to live, work and play. It doesn’t belong to us but to our history and our future. Those here today are blessed with the opportunity to enjoy, to cherish, to protect and
 to develop our downtown for tomorrow’s generations. 

The Downtown Alliance has long been committed to the continued nurture, development and promotion of our downtown as a vibrant destination. Effective with the upcoming fiscal year, the City of Fayetteville will contract with the Downtown Alliance for business development, design improvements and coordinated marketing for the downtown area. The new structure supports the city council’s strategic goal for a vibrant downtown. 

The work plan has been developed as a roadmap to guide the activities and resource allocation of the Downtown Alliance for the fiscal year 2015-2016. It includes the delivery of services to all property owners, businesses and residents in the area. Plans include the hiring of two staff members and the full-time staffing of the offices at 222 Hay Street to serve as a one-stop point for information about downtown Fayetteville. The board of directors will be restructured to reflect the broader mission. The organization will conduct quarterly meetings and prepare activity reports for review by the city. All downtown property owners that contribute to the MSD funding will be engaged with the development of plans for the downtown area and in leading the professional staffing and volunteers charged with implementing them. In addition, the Downtown Alliance will serve as the liaison among downtown property owners, businesses and residents and the City of Fayetteville. 

The Downtown Alliance will build on the successes we’ve enjoyed over the past year that saw the development of a vacant building ordinance, a revision of the downtown sign ordinance, a coordinated marketing campaign that promoted downtown Fayetteville as economically and culturally vibrant destination, the creation of a downtown community watch group, several new design and appearance standards for the downtown area and many successful events that showcased downtown like the Small Plate Crawl and Loft Tour. 

The Downtown Alliance’s annual meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at Marquis Market on Person Street at 6 p.m. All supporters of downtown are invited to share in updates of the 2015-16 Plan of Work and learn about opportunities to get involved to unite the community to promote and advocate for business, residential, and cultural life in the heart of our city.   

Please visit our website  at  www.visitdowntownfayetteville.com for more information about these exciting changes, read the recent press release and review the FAQs section where we plan to address any questions and follow us on the downtown Facebook page as we embark on this exciting journey together.