Patrons & Community Leaders
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Banner Bank
Champion Street Center
Five Star Development
Greenhouse
Port of Bellingham
Thank you for your support! |
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Partnership News
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January 2010
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Dear Partnership Member,
Together, Downtown Bellingham Partnership memb  ers have successfully revitalized downtown over the past decade into a prime business location, visitor destination and important source of community identity. Through your support, the Partnership continues to clean and beautify downtown public-right-of-ways, promote downtown businesses through events and marketing campaigns, host local and out of town visitors at the Downtown Info Center and advocate for downtown-friendly public policy. All these activities directly impact property values, business success and economic development.
Given the current economic climate, the Partnership views 2010 as a more important year than ever to work together with our members, downtown stakeholders and City officials to continue to improve downtown. As we look forward to the new year, we anticipate many exciting developments, including an expanded maintenance and beautification area, an increase in the frequency and quality of member marketing opportunities and promotions and a continued focus on downtown issues and advocacy. We encourage you to share your input and ideas for downtown with us as we continue to focus on supporting a
healthy, vibrant city center.
Best wishes for the new year!
Kirsten Walker
Executive Director
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Downtown Maintenance & Beautification Update
The Partnership works hard in the Downtown
Maintenance District to create a clean and welcoming downtown environment. For more than a decade, the downtown maintenance and beautification crew have removed litter, graffiti, spills, leaves and more from downtown's public-rights-of-way. In addition, we have installed and maintained hanging baskets and over 1,500 trees, shrubs, plants
and flowers in new and existing beds and planters.
2009 Successes
Due to Partnership Board member presence on the Parking Commission in 2009, we were able to drive efficiencies in the parking system that helped prevent a rate increase and supply revenue intended to expand and improve the downtown maintenance and beautification program in 2010. The Partnership was also responsible, with the support of Public Works, for the 2009 Parkade facelift,
with Partnership employees improving the structure with new paint, plantings in the courtyard, clean stairwells and customer service.
Looking Forward: 2010
The maintenance and beautification program has historically operated as a matching grant program in partnership with the City of Bellingham. The City has provided grant monies annually with the qualification that a portion of the grant must be matched by business contributions (as businesses and property owners are the direct beneficiaries of the service). A portion of your Partnership membership dues functions as that match.
As a result of a variety of factors at City Hall, the grant will no longer be available in its current form. Funding for 2010 downtown maintenance and beautification services has been approved by City Council but City staff are currently deciding how to deliver that funding for the district. In the meantime, the
City has contracted with the Partnership through March 31 to continue
our current services.
Parkade Back to City Staffing
Parkade services will not be part of the Partnership s ervices after February 15, 2010. Parkade cleaning and customer service will revert to City staff as of February 16, with dedicated City staff at the facility.
The Partnership hopes to continue to
improve and expand our maintenance and beautification services in 2010 so that the program continues to be an integral part
of our more comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts. We will keep you posted as the future of the downtown maintenance
and beautification program becomes more clear. If you have questions, please contact Kirsten.
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CLEAN@
DOWNTOWN
BELLINGHAM.COM
The Partnership has launched a new e-mail dedicated to providing responsive, efficient service to all our members in the Maintenance & Beautification District, as well as anyone working in, visiting or living downtown.
If you notice a mess, a missing plant, graffiti or anything else in the Maintenance & Beautification District that needs attention from our staff, e-mail clean@
downtownbellingham.com or call (360) 961-8574. Messages are checked frequently every day and we will respond as promptly as possible to your report.
Thank you for helping us continue to keep downtown clean and attractive!
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Upcoming Events
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1st Friday of Every Month
Downtown Art Walk
6-10 pm
downtownbellingham.com
January 8 - 30
Artists from the EDGE
Allied Arts Gallery.
www.alliedarts.org
Thursday Brown Bags
Whatcom Museum
1892 Old City Hall building
12:30 PM
www.whatcommuseum.org
February 12
Opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
February 12
Sebastian in Bellingham Preview Party.
sebastianbellingham.com
February 13 - 27
Sebastian in Bellingham
Warehouse exhibit.
Hours: Wed -Sun, 12-6pm
sebastianbellingham.com
February 28
Closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
March 1 - 5
Sebastian in Bellingham
The city installs sculptures in cultural district.
March 5 - 26
Allied Arts of Whatcom County Members' Show
www.alliedarts.org
April through
December
Bellingham Farmers Market
10 am - 3 pm, Saturdays.
www.bellinghamfarmers.org
April 2 - 30
Re-Art
Allied Arts of Whatcom County
www.alliedarts.org
April 16 - 18
NW Projections Film
Festival
www.whatcomfilm.org
April 30
EverybodyBIKE Kick-off Reception
www.everybodyBIKE.com
May 1
Procession of the
Species
www.bpots.org
May (TBA)
Ladies' Night Out
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Bellingham Escapes
Partnership marketing cooperative makes headlines
The Partnership's collaborative marketing program with downtown cultural institutions has generated positive press throughout the region and a flood of hotel bookings in Bellingham in recent weeks. As a direct result of our campaign in the Seattle area, two fantastic articles recently ran in the Seattle Times, one on the new Whatcom Museum and one on downtown Bellingham as a stop on the way to the Olympics. The articles were picked up by papers including Spokane's Spokesman Review, the Oregonian, the Anchorage Daily News and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. To read the full Seattle Times article on downtown Bellingham, click here. Bellingham Escapes, the name of the marketing program, is a collaboration between the Partnership, the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, the Jazz Project, the Pickford
Film Center
and the Whatcom Museum. The program features downtown as a year-round
destination for first-rate culture and arts experiences and is designed to
attract overnight visitors from the Seattle area. Packages begin at $299 and include two nights at the Hotel Bellwether plus certificates for all participating cultural destinations as well as for Nimbus and Chuckanut Brewery. For details on Bellingham Escapes packages visit bellinghamescapes.com. As a result of the positive press and subsequent package bookings, we launched a new package option, the Olympics Package, good from Feb. 11 through Feb. 28. The marketing campaign ends April 30. If you have questions or would like to become more involved, please contact Kirsten.
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Ladies' Night Out
2nd Annual Event Coming in May
We're gearing up for the 2nd
Annual Downtown Ladies' Night Out, a benefit for Womencare Shelter in May. It's
a great opportunity for you to
promote your business, show appreciation for your loyal customers and have some
fun... all while benefiting a good cause! Businesses can host a special sale,
trunk show, or other promotion at their location during the "shop-crawl" portion
of the event, then everyone heads to the benefit after party. If you would like to
be updated when more details are available or would like to help out, contact gretchen@digsshowroom.com.
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Snow and Ice Control
Winter weather may still visit us, please help us keep downtown accessible to customers and open for business.
The
City of Bellingham does not provide sidewalk clearing of snow and ice.
It is the responsibility of each business to clear the space in front
of your building.
Here's an overview of what the City of Bellingham does provide and what you can do to keep downtown safe.
The
city provides night-sweepers with sand/salt for icy roads, and plows
for snow that is 4 inches deep and forecasted to keep falling. Sweeps
and plows follow priority routes, which include major roadways and
transit bus routes. Be aware that sidewalks and driveways will not be
opened by the city after plowing.
Please have a shovel and salt
ready for the winter months. The Partnership maintenance crew has some
salt and a few shovels available if you need assistance (call Peter or
Mike on our maintenance line at 961-8574). Help keep downtown safe and
friendly for customers by keeping sidewalks ice-free.
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Downtown Social Media Initiative
Poll results show interesting trends
Through
our 2009 social media initiative, funded in part through a Small & Simple Grant from City of Bellingham, the Partnership developed social media sites on
Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. Through
these three sites, the Partnership attracted over 1,000 friends, fans and
followers interested in Downtown Bellingham neighborhood news, discussions,
opportunities and events. In addition,
the Partnership contacted all downtown stakeholders via a postcard to announce
means of interacting with the Partnership. We conducted an online poll of downtown stakeholders through this mailing and our social media sites.
Poll results
In
all, 101 people responded to the survey, only 15% of which were current
Partnership members. Forty-three percent
lived in downtown, 35% worked downtown and 78% recreated downtown. All respondents were interested in receiving
more information on downtown events and programs, while 64% were interested in
downtown issue discussions and 64% were interested in downtown networking
opportunities. Fifty percent of
respondents indicated they were interested in educational opportunities and
fifty percent were also interested in taking part in online downtown discussion
groups.
The next survey question was
geared at assessing how downtown stakeholders access information on community
events, programs and issues. Rated by
frequency of use, respondents most frequently accessed information via
Facebook, posters and posted announcements and daily online newspapers. Weekly newspapers (hard copy), monthly
publications and Twitter were the next three most frequently accessed followed
by online weekly newspapers. The three least
frequent source for information were daily newspapers (hard copy), MySpace
and other print publications.
Survey
results informed Partnership activities for the coming year regarding content
on our social media sites and services we will try and offer. The responses also will guide how we reach
out to downtown stakeholders in the future.
While the survey indicates a strong bias toward online information access,
we are aware that many of those responding to the survey are already plugged
into social media sites and therefore are more interested in online information
than other parts of the population may be.
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Downtown Art Walk
1st Friday of Every Month
Downtown Art Walk in downtown Bellingham exhibits the high quality of artists and remarkable variety of venues present in downtown Bellingham. From 6-10pm on the First Friday of every month, galleries, boutiques, restaurants, studios and more keep their doors open to showcase a wide array of artwork by local and renowned visiting artists. Art lovers are invited to stroll through the streets of downtown, enjoying art, food and community. A special Children's Art Walk is held each May from 6-9pm by Allied Arts of Whatcom County, featuring pieces from elementary school students. If you are interested in participating in Art Walk as a venue, artist or sponsor, contact Lindsey at 527-8710. |
Downtown Sounds
Wednesdays from July 14 to August 11
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership presents Downtown Sounds Summer Concerts in downtown Bellingham. This award-winning series will be held in the same location as 2009: in the gateway to the Arts District on Bay Street between Holly and Champion Streets. These free, all-ages concerts offer music, dancing, food and live entertainment suitable for the whole family. A refreshments area is available for the over 21 crowd and kids can enjoy chalk art, face painting and hula hooping. The concert series runs every Wednesday starting from July 14 to August 11 and occur from 5:00-9:00pm. Attendance at the 2009 concert series doubled from previous years and hit a record high on the last day with 2,400 attendees. Please visit the Downtown Sounds website in the upcoming months for details on the 2010 line up, food vendors, volunteers and much more. If you are interested in becoming a Downtown Sounds sponsor, contact Lindsey at 527-8710. |
Sebastian in Bellingham
Preview Party & Exhibition
SEBASTIAN IN BELLINGHAM is a collection of
16 urban sculptures by Mexican sculptor - Sebastian (Enrique Carbajal). The work will be
exhibited in Bellingham's
Arts District from February through October 2010. As one of Sebastian's
largest exhibits ever presented in the United States, his sculptures, some
over 100ft. tall, are a pageant of pure geometry and creative percussion. The
sculptures have arrived in Bellingham
and have been stored at 2107 Iron
Street where the fundraising Preview Party will be
held. Enjoy a cerveza, marguerita, vino tinto or bebida along with zesty
Mexican appetizers and Latin music during the Preview
Party from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, February 12, 2010.
Tickets may be
purchased from Allied Arts of Whatcom
County and are $30 each.
Donations are
welcome. Phone 360.676.8548. For more information visit sculpturenorthwest.org |
Recruiting for Community Forum Participants
The City of Bellingham is seeking neighborhood input for a forum to examine "Perceptions and Views of the Relationship between Activists, Law Enforcement and the Community at Large." Sixteen neighborhood representatives are needed to participate, along with members of local government and the activist community, in a facilitated discussion which will include: perceptions of activism and how they "color" the interactions between activists, law enforcement and the community. Hearing the voice of neighborhood residents is integral to developing a complete assessment of these perceptions.
This forum will be held Wednesday, February 17, 5:30pm-8:00pm (refreshments served) in Bellingham. If you are interested in participating as a neighborhood representative, please contact Bellingham Police Deputy Chief David Doll at 778-8604. Reservation for the event is required and a formal invitation, listing the forum location, will be provided upon your reservation.
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Downtown Relief for Haiti
Steve Crosier at Bayou on Bay is interested in organizing a fundraiser downtown to benefit the people impacted by the earthquake in Haiti. If you are interested in donating a portion of sales over a day or weekend, or finding some other means of contributing, please contact Lindsey by January 29th. We will then work with those interested to solidify the details of this event.
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Mount Baker Theatre | Musical of Musicals
Mount Baker Theatre offers discounts for Partnership members
Receive a 20% discount on the first three opening nights to THE MUSICAL OF
MUSICALS (THE MUSICAL!). This discount applies to members of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, their employees and guests for the
following shows - WEDNESDAY FEB 10, THURSDAY FEB 11 & FRIDAY FEB 12.
Get tickets on-line at this link http://bit.ly/BuyRepTickets and type in the
code "HAMMERSTEIN". Or avoid ticket fees by purchasing tickets by phone or in-person and mention "Downtown Bellingham Partnership" to receive the 20% discount.
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Not Following Us Yet?
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Here's how:
On Twitter:
twitter.com/DowntownBham
On Facebook:
facebook.com/
DowntownBellingham
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Partnership Programs & Deadlines
As a
member, you not only support our ongoing advocacy on behalf of downtown, you
have the opportunity to benefit from a variety of programs and member discounts
the Partnership offers throughout the year.
Please be aware of the following programs and deadlines in order to
realize maximum value from your membership.
Downtown Info Center:
Each
member receives a free brochure slot at the center and a free listing and link at downtownbellingham.com. We accept brochures for the center year round. Additional business advertising is available for a
low fee at the center and on our website.
Map & Business Directory:
We publish
this popular publication annually. The
2010 Directory will be available soon and will be distributed
throughout the region from Seattle
to Vancouver.
Cooperative Marketing Promotions:
The Partnership
organizes cooperative advertising campaigns to help leverage your advertising
dollars. Our 2010 campaigns
will include the Bellingham Escapes marketing campaign, Ladies Night Out, the Sidewalk Sale and Shop Where Your Heart Is.
Downtown Dollars:
Participation
in the program is free with a small fee when Dollars are spent in your
business. We accept new participants anytime.
Promotional Events:
The Partnership
organizes events throughout the year that attract thousands of people to
downtown. These include Art Walks,
Downtown Sounds, the Bite of Bellingham and Trick or Treat.
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About Us
Since 2000, the
Downtown Bellingham Partnership has been the only organization that unites
the diverse interests that define our city center. Through our
network of members, we present a powerful voice for Downtown
Bellingham.
1304 Cornwall Avenue | 360.527.8710 | downtownbellingham.com
Bellingham, WA 98227
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