DECI Annual Report - Downtown Eau Claire

2006
DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE, INC.
Dedicated to the Revitalization of Downtown Eau Claire
Annual Report
DOWNTOWN EAU CLAIRE, I NC.
2006 Annual Report
! Downtown Eau Claire, Inc.
203 S Farwell Street • Eau Claire WI 54701
Phone 715.839.4914• Fax 715.839.4939
www.downtown-eauclaire.com
D O W N T O W N
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C L A I R E ,
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Year In Review
D
Owntown Eau Claire experienced many successes in 2006. The completion
of the Downtown Farmer’s Market Pavilion in Phoenix Park brought
hundreds of shoppers downtown each week. Volume One’s weekly concert series also
attracted large crowds to enjoy Eau Claire’s newest downtown park every Thursday
night from April through September. Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. (DECI) staff and
Volume One partnered to bring the entire community the first downtown newspaper,
Downtown INK, and partnered to coordinate the popular Idea Lounge discussion
sessions. DECI staff and volunteers coordinated several successful events in 2006,
including Summerfest, International Fall Festival, and Christmastime in The City.
Summerfest brought an estimated 5,000 people to
the streets of downtown to enjoy classic cars,
food, and an evening dance and performance by a
50’s and 60’s style band. New to Summerfest was
entertainment by The Classics of Memorial High
School and The Taffeta’s from Fanny Hill. DECI
coordinated a fishing contest the same weekend
where more than two-dozen families enjoyed the
Chippewa River and the scenic views of Phoenix
Park. DECI’s 2006 International Fall Festival brought the most attendants ever, with
an estimated 15,000 people visiting Barstow Street to experience more than 100 ethnic
food and craft vendors, world stage performances, the Parade of Nations, a petting
zoo, and Kid’s Carnival. DECI staff and volunteers continued to stay busy with the
planning of Christmastime In the City events. With the new name, came a new
schedule for the event. DECI’s Festivals Committee made the decision to extend the
event to a Saturday afternoon. The tree lighting, Madrigal Singers performance, and
dinner with Santa at Pizza Plus took place on a Thursday night. The following
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Santa returned for lunch at Pizza Plus, while
Diamond School of Dance students performed and free horse-drawn wagon rides
were offered through downtown’s streets.
DECI’s Retail and Restaurant Promotions Committee held several meetings to
develop a plan for a new shopping and dining brochure. The new brochure was a
success and can be found throughout the community. DECI’s Jump-Start Downtown
Competition once again awarded hopeful entrepreneurs start-up money to join the
excitement happening in downtown Eau Claire.
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D O W N T O W N
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Annual Statistics
I
n order to fully track and monitor downtown development, a series of annual
statistics are compiled each year. These statistics include property assessment,
property taxes, downtown population estimates, number of downtown
businesses, number of downtown employees, total square footage and vacancy
rates. All of these statistics are found in the Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. Baseline
Report.
Property Assessment
According to the City of Eau Claire Assessor’s Office, land assessment is $20,466,800
and structure assessment is $123,436,000 for downtown Eau Claire. The total property
assessment for downtown is $143,902,800. This is a 4.6% increase from 2005.
The following charts represent the assessment in the downtown’s four districts:
Courthouse District
Courthouse
Millions
Land:
$3.7M
Structures: $23.1M
Total:
$26.8M
Source: 2002-2006 Baseline Reports
$45.00
$40.00
$35.00
Courthouse 2002
$30.00
Courthouse 2003
$25.00
Courthouse 2004
$20.00
Courthouse 2005
$15.00
Courthouse 2006
$10.00
$5.00
$0.00
Land
Structure
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Total
D O W N T O W N
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C L A I R E ,
Medical
I N C .
Medical District
Land:
$5.5M
Structures: $33.9M
Total:
$39.4M
Millions
Source: 2002-2006 Baseline Reports
$45.00
$40.00
$35.00
Medical 2002
$30.00
Medical 2003
$25.00
Medical 2004
$20.00
Medical 2005
$15.00
Medical 2006
$10.00
$5.00
$0.00
Land
Total
North Barstow District
North Barstow
Source: 2002- 2006 Baseline Reports
Millions
Land:
$4.6M
Structures: $29.2M
Total:
$33.8M
Structure
$45.00
$40.00
North Barstow 2002
$35.00
North Barstow 2003
$30.00
North Barstow 2004
$25.00
North Barstow 2005
$20.00
North Barstow 2006
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$0.00
Land
Structure
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Total
D O W N T O W N
E A U
C L A I R E ,
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Historic Waterfront District
Historic Waterfront
Land:
$6.6M
Structures: $37.2M
Total:
$43.8M
Millions
Source: 2002-2006 Baseline Reports
$50.00
$45.00
$40.00
$35.00
$30.00
$25.00
$20.00
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$0.00
Historic Waterfront 2002
Historic Waterfront 2003
Historic Waterfront 2004
Historic Waterfront 2005
Historic Waterfront 2006
Land
Structure
Total
Property Taxes
The property taxes collected from commercial properties within the downtown area
are dependent on the assessed value. The total property taxes collected in 2006 were
$2,905,110 – a decrease from the $3,028,313 collected in 2005 because of a drop in the
mill rate.
The property tax
mill rate for 2006
is 0.020188
Property Taxes by Downtown District
Thousands
Source: City of Eau Claire Assessor's Office
$884
$1,000
$800
$600
$797
$683
$542
$400
$200
$0
Courthouse
Historic
Waterfront
Medical
Downtown Districts
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North
Barstow
D O W N T O W N
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Population Estimates
According to 2000 US Census data, there are 2,852 residents of the downtown area.
The total number of housing units in all downtown districts is 1,130.
2000 Population by District
Approximately 4%
of the Eau Claire
population lives in
the downtown
area.
Source: US Census
Population
1500
1299
1000
500
0
552
513
Courthouse
Historic Waterfront
Medical
488
North Barstow
Downtown District
Number of Businesses
There are currently 463 businesses in the downtown area representing retail, restaurant,
service, manufacturing, medical, government, and entertainment/recreational facilities.
The majority of these businesses are located in the Historic Waterfront District of
downtown. Banbury Place businesses are included within the “North Barstow”
heading.
Downtown Businesses by District
Source:
Baseline
Total Number of Businesses
2002-2006
Report
500
249
163
450
400
443
466
487
463
392
350
North
Barstow
Historic
Waterfront
Medical
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18
Courthouse
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2006
300
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
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Number of Employees
There are currently 7,060 employees in the downtown area. The largest employers are
Luther/Midelfort Health System, Eau Claire County, City of Eau Claire, Royal Credit
Union, Eau Claire Press Company and AT&T.
Approximately
19.9% of the Eau
Claire workforce is
employed in the
downtown area.
Employees by District
Source: 2006 Baseline Report
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2412
2725
1302
621
Courthouse
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Historic
Waterfront
Medical
North
Barstow
Vacancy Information
There is a total of 1,614,353 square feet of commercial and industrial buildings in
downtown Eau Claire, excluding Banbury Place. In December, 107,281 square feet of
that total were vacant and on the market, bringing the vacancy rate to 6.6%. This
only includes market-ready vacant buildings and does not include Redevelopment
Authority-owned vacant properties or privately owned properties being renovated and
not currently on the market (e.g., Huebsch Building, Livery, Craig Chemical Building).
The vacancy rate with these properties included is 13.4%.
When Banbury Place is included, the total square feet of commercial and industrial
buildings downtown is 3,386,860. In December, 671,396 square feet of this total were
vacant and on the market, equating to a vacancy rate of 19.8%.
Square Feet w/o Banbury Place
Square Feet w/ Banbury Place
Office
Vacancies
on-the-market
59,093
Vacancies
off-the-market*
32,281
Total
Sq. Ft.
963,051
Vacancies
on-the-market
80,903
Total
Sq. Ft.
1,122,523
Retail
17,010
42,689
298,374
17,995
301,366
6,000
0
65,289
17,995
301,366
25,178
34,190
287,639
557,178
1,883,432
107,281
109,160
1,614,353
671,396
3,386,860
Service
Industrial
TOTAL
*estimated future use
Vacancy Rate by Year
Source: Baseline Report (2002-2006)
25.00%
2002
20.00%
2003
15.00%
2004
10.00%
2005
2006
5.00%
0.00%
With Banbury
Without Banbury
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In 2005, the City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division created a website
with an interactive database for available space. This new tool has streamlined the
collection, calculation and display of available space data in the downtown area.
DECI staff contacts realtors and property owners of downtown available buildings
throughout the year and continually updates the available retail, office and industrial
space on this online database.
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Downtown Eau Claire, Inc.
Organization
D
owntown Eau Claire, Incorporated (DECI) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to promoting the development of business and cultural resources
and activities within Downtown Eau Claire. It was founded in January 2002
and is charged with implementing the recommendations of the HyettPalma
Downtown Action Agenda completed in 2001.
The DECI Board of Directors consists of eighteen members representing businesses,
neighborhoods, government, and Business Improvement Districts that operate in
Downtown Eau Claire. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of most months.
2006 Goals
The DECI Board of Directors held a retreat in March 2006, and this time not only
invited board members but also invited all of DECI’s committee members and
stakeholders. Retreat participants voted on top goals for the year. Below is a list of the
goals that received top votes and the status of each at the end of 2006:
1. Develop and implement a marketing plan to attract consumers downtown.
(59 votes)
Status:
DECI
staff
developed
The
Marketing
Plan
Committee. Top marketing professionals throughout the community were
invited to join the group. The committee meets once a month and is actively
working on the development of a marketing plan.
2. Reassess the organization. (mission, purpose, name) (41 votes)
The DECI Board of Directors formed a subcommittee to develop a new
mission statement for DECI. The mission statement developed reads as follows:
DECI is a community-driven, non-profit organization focused on convening and building key
partnerships necessary to stimulate the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of Downtown Eau
Claire.
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3. Promote the creative economy/class (39 votes)
To promote creativity as an asset to the area, Downtown Eau Claire, Inc.
began co-hosting a series of Idea Lounges in 2006. These laidback, creative
community discussions gave members of the creative class an opportunity to
get together and have an open dialogue about Eau Claire while forming
support networks among the creative class. Because of the popularity of
these events, staff will continue the series in 2007.
Staff also worked on assembling a super group of people with wide-ranging
styles of creativity, including those involved with politics, arts, design, media,
technology, academia, business, economic development and non-profit
organizations. People in the community were asked to nominate talented
individuals to be part of the group. DECI’s goal is to get a full list of 100
people, and so far has received 85 nomination forms. The objective is to
invite Eau Claire’s Creative 100 to unite, whether formally or informally, to
change the future of their community through an ongoing dialogue of ideas,
concepts, and strategies. Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. wants to recognize the
talents of each group member as an asset to the community and a drivingforce of economic growth, creating more prosperity. This nomination form
was promoted in the Leader Telegram, Volume One, and DECI’s website.
DECI also co-sponsored and coordinated an Extreme Entrepreneur Tour
event in October. As part of a national tour, young multi-millionaire
entrepreneurs stopped in Eau Claire to encourage local entrepreneurs to
turn their ideas into reality by following an action plan and creating support
networks. The event ran from 3:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and included exhibits
by area small business assistance organizations. Portions of the event will be
aired on Community Television in 2007.
4. Recruit and retain downtown businesses and housing. (35 points)
DECI implemented its 2nd annual Jump-Start Downtown Business Competition
from April through June to encourage entrepreneurs to open businesses in the
downtown area. The two 2006 winners were: The Diamond School of Dance,
which located at 123 Graham Ave., and Sandra Marie’s Bakery and Dessert
Diner, which is still finalizing location details.
DECI staff contacted 78 business prospects to locate downtown based upon
properties available in 2006 and followed up inquiries with information packets
including available space options, new downtown developments, loan programs,
demographics, traffic counts, and current businesses located downtown.
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Staff provided assistance to 56 business prospects in 2006 by meeting with them;
providing information on available site options, downtown demographics and
traffic counts, loan programs, and community development zone boundaries;
giving community and available property tours; and aiding in the permit and
inspections processes.
Staff also fielded hundreds of phone calls and worked with several existing
downtown businesses on parking, waste disposal, festival/event concerns,
expansion, relocation, redevelopment questions, sign regulations, traffic
concerns, and other issues throughout the year.
5. Promote downtown housing. (28 points)
In 2006, DECI formed a loft apartment project committee comprised of
property owners and interior designers to encourage five potential loft apartment
renovations, to produce a downtown living show on Community Television in
2007, and begin planning a downtown living tour for spring 2008.
6. Wayfinding/Signage (23 points)
DECI staff continues to work with the City’s Public Works Department on
implementing an effective wayfinding system.
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DECI Committees
Since 2002, DECI committees have offered a vehicle for public participation and
citizen input on downtown revitalization. In April of 2006, DECI held an All
Committee Retreat to discuss opportunities to improve the original committee
structure to make it more efficient and to better support the downtown’s changing
needs. Recommendations from the retreat were implemented and the committees
were reorganized as follows:
Marketing Plan Committee
This committee meets monthly to work on the
development of a formal marketing plan for downtown
Eau Claire. The committee has been actively working on
developing a downtown image and plan.
Retail/Restaurant Promotions Committee
In 2006, this committee helped with the development of
a new shopping and dining brochure that was distributed
throughout the Eau Claire area. The committee also
helped to develop the idea for the new monthly events
during the summer called Downtown Night Out.
Participating retailers would display merchandise outside
and various musicians performed on the street. Children
were encouraged to decorate the sidewalks with chalk.
The committee also planned a new event called Flavor of
Downtown in November to kick-off the holiday season.
Participating businesses offered free samples of holiday
goodies in their stores.
Transportation Committee
The primary responsibility of this committee is to
encourage transportation improvements in the
downtown area. In 2006, the committee met with the
City’s Public Works Director and Transportation
Engineer to walk the North Barstow redevelopment area
and recommend improvements to the trail system,
crosswalks, and intersections. Members of the
committee began a bike rack initiative to increase the
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number of bike racks located in the Historic Waterfront
and Courthouse Districts. And the committee also
reproduced a downtown parking show that illustrates all
of the available parking spots for downtown visitors,
which aired on Community Television throughout 2006.
Festivals Committee
The festivals committee focused on helping with the
coordination of downtown’s major events including
Summerfest, International Fall Festival, and
Christmastime in the City.
Loft Apartment Project Committee
The loft apartment project committee’s main goal is to
unite property owners, builders, and interior designers to
foster the renovation of upper floors downtown into
stylish urban lofts and encourage people to live
downtown. In 2006, the committee began its project of
supporting five potential loft apartment renovations.
However, because of the substantial upfront investment,
only two of the five are still in progress. The committee
began producing a downtown living show with
Community Television that includes loft renovations in
progress; interviews with property owners, interior
designers, and tenants; and other existing downtown
apartment options. The show will air in 2007, and will be
followed by a downtown living tour/event in spring
2008.
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Downtown Development
Land Development
The North Barstow redevelopment area took off in 2006 with the completion of
Phoenix Park and the Farmers Market pavilion. Three mixed-use projects are currently
underway in the six-block area adjacent to the park.
(1) Oleson’s Livery/Craig Chemical Building Renovation – John Mogensen took
on the gigantic task of renovating the historic Oleson's Livery on Wisconsin St.
and the former Craig Chemical Building on N. Barstow St. and constructing a
new building on the corner in between the two existing buildings to form a
solid building façade along the south and east sides of that block with parking
behind. The buildings will house a restaurant, retail, offices, and possibly loft
apartments.
(2) Lander Group/Geoff Moeding Development – Geoff Moeding and the
Lander Group, a private developer out of Minneapolis that specializes in
mixed-use urban development, approached the City’s Redevelopment
Authority this year to secure exclusive development rights to the entire North
Barstow redevelopment area. Their plan is to begin construction of a grocery
store, pharmacy, retail lifestyle center, apartments, and parking in the 100 and
200 blocks south of Madison Street in spring 2007. This project is the first
phase of a larger, tentative plan encompassing the rest of the land heading
toward RCU. It will include more retail and offices, apartments, condos, and a
post office.
(3) Huebsch Building Renovation – Cigan Properties continues its renovation
work inside the former Huebsch Building on North Dewey St. Plans involve
turning the massive brick structure into a restaurant and upstairs professional
office space.
Preliminary discussions also began on potential South Barstow redevelopment. River
Architects, an architectural firm out of La Crosse, presented six redevelopment
concepts at community forums earlier in the year. DECI staff continues to meet with
property owners to encourage redevelopment of the riverfront in this area.
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Business Development
DECI held its second annual Jump-Start Downtown Business Competition. The
competition encourages entrepreneurs to open their business in downtown Eau Claire
by providing start-up capital prizes to the best applicants. The 2006 competition
awarded start-up capital to the following:
Grand Prize Winner ($5,000)
Alicia Kubetz
Diamond School of Dance
123 Graham Avenue
2nd Place Winner ($3,000)
Sandi Meinsen
Sandra Marie’s Bakery & Dessert Diner
DECI staff also continued business recruitment efforts by contacting 78 business
prospects to locate downtown based upon properties available. Inquiries were followed
up with recruitment direct mail packets including available space options, new
downtown developments, loan programs, demographics, traffic counts, and current
businesses located downtown.
Staff provided assistance to 56 business prospects in 2006 by meeting with them;
providing information on available site options, downtown demographics and traffic
counts, loan programs, and community development zone boundaries; giving
community and available property tours; and aiding in the permit and inspections
processes.
Staff also fielded hundreds of phone calls from existing downtown businesses and
concerned citizens on parking, waste disposal, festival/event concerns, expansion,
relocation, redevelopment questions, sign regulations, traffic concerns, and other issues
throughout the year.
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New Businesses
The following are new businesses that have located in Downtown Eau Claire in 2006:
Aspect Engineering (800 Wisconsin Street)
Autumn Hill (305 S. Barstow)
Automated Notification Systems (800 Wisconsin Street)
Ancient Arts (210 S. Barstow)
Bolt Locker (800 Wisconsin Street)
Creative Counseling (306 S. Barstow #208)
Chippewa Valley b2B
Chippewa Valley Boxing Club (800 Wisconsin Street)
Comfort Keepers (800 Wisconsin Street)
Custom Concrete Finishers (800 Wisconsin Street)
Cyber Marketing Networks (800 Wisconsin Street)
The Communication Station (401 S. Barstow)
Darkside Creations (800 Wisconsin Street)
Diamond School of Dance (123 Graham Avenue)
The Dog Hut (1502 Bellinger Street)
E-3 (800 Wisconsin Street)
Franzwa’s (800 Wisconsin Street)
Focus Financial (130 S. Barstow)
Gaia Massage (112 E. Grand Avenue)
Gemini Helping Hands (800 Wisconsin Street)
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The Haymarket Grill (101 Graham Avenue)
Interior Arts (308 Eau Claire Street)
Marie’s Original Bakery (307 S. Barstow)
Mickelson Construction (800 Wisconsin Street)
One Tree Martial Arts (210 S. Barstow)
Pursuit Athletics (800 Wisconsin Street)
The Tradin Post
Trendsetters (201 N. Barstow)
White Custom Carpentry (800 Wisconsin Street)
Wisconsin Citizen Action (1128 1st Avenue)
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Businesses Leaving Downtown
The following are businesses that left downtown in 2006.
Adventures Guild
AEI Recovery Agency (800 Wisconsin Street)
Affordable Appliance (220 N. Barstow Street)
Air Dynamics Heating and Cooling (800 Wisconsin Street)
Air Systems (208 Eau Claire Street)
Ancient Arts (210 S. Barstow)
The Bike Doctor (215 N. Barstow)
Blowout Sportscards (800 Wisconsin Street)
Buss & Burleson (505 S. Dewey St., Suite 205)
Ceejaes Consulting, Inc. (405 S. Farwell)
CITA Baptist (800 Wisconsin Street)
The Communication Station (401 S. Barstow)
Destini Artworks (210 S. Barstow)
Emerald Tap & Table (101 Graham Avenue)
E-Rolling Skate Shop (307 S. Barstow)
Global ERP Solutions (800 Wisconsin Street)
Flashin Graphics Sign & Apparel (800 Wisconsin Street)
General Coin and Jewelry (309 S. Barstow)
IDSO’s Pressure Washers (610 S. Barstow)
Larr Law Office (131 S. Barstow, STE C)
Lex Tinker-Sackett (800 Wisconsin Street)
M3 Photography (800 Wisconsin Street)
MGR Solutions (800 Wisconsin Street)
Midwest Professional Planners (405 S. Farwell Street)
MyCogen Seeds (505 S. Dewey Street)
Northern Business Group (306 S. Barstow)
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Once Upon a Time Scrapbooking (312 S. Barstow)
Paper To Go (405 N. Farwell Street)
PMSI Architects (7 S. Dewey Street)
Premiere Marketing Group (307 S. Farwell Street)
Pure Energy Productions (312 S. Barstow Street)
Razzlin (800 Wisconsin Street)
Red Cross (218 N. Barstow Street)
Ricky D’s (1502 Bellinger Street)
Ron McGuire Family Therapy (306 S. Barstow Street)
Salisbury Cabinets & Carpentry (800 Wisconsin Street)
S.D. Kinderman & Associates (601 S. Farwell Street)
Sherman Dental Studio (307 S. Farwell Street)
Sherwood Inn Express (800 Wisconsin Street)
McKinley Companies (424 Galloway Street)
Michels Corps. (800 Wisconsin Street)
Visiting Angels, Inc. (800 Wisconsin Street)
Western Wisconsin Homecare (800 Wisconsin Street)
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Special Events
T
he 2006 downtown events were a success and brought thousands of people
to the downtown area to discover everything that makes downtown Eau
Claire special.
Spring Spruce Up
The Spring Spruce Up event was held on Saturday, May 20, 2006. It was a one-day
spring-cleaning of the downtown area. Volunteers swept sidewalks and picked up litter
throughout the Historic Waterfront and North Barstow areas of downtown. Lunch
was provided to volunteers courtesy of Mega Foods and Coke.
Summerfest
Summerfest brought an estimated 5,000 people to the streets
of downtown to enjoy classic cars, food, and an evening
performance by The Thundermen, a 50’s and 60’s style band
along with a dance. New to Summerfest was entertainment
by The Classics of Memorial High School and The Taffeta’s
from Fanny Hill. DECI coordinated a fishing contest the
same weekend where more than two-dozen families enjoyed
the Chippewa River and the scenic views of Phoenix Park. The Leader Telegram
covered the event with an in-depth article regarding one of the auto vendors along
with a photo in the Sunday paper. Four live remotes were done during the event with
Clear Channel Radio. TV-13 covered the event with an interview the day before and
with an interview during the fishing contest. Volume One also covered the event.
International Fall Festival
DECI’s 2006 International Fall Festival, held on
September 16th, brought the largest attendance in the
history of the event. An estimated 15,000 people visited
Barstow Street to experience more than 100 ethnic food
and craft vendors. DECI staff also coordinated the event’s
world stage performances, where ten international acts
performed throughout the day. The Parade of Nations
was DECI’s largest ever. Other activities included a petting zoo and Kid’s Carnival,
and a book signing and readings of new book “Pumpkin Town” by children’s author
Katie McKy. TV-18 covered the event with a live Daybreak Interview the morning
before and TV-13 covered the event with a live interview the day of. The Leader
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Telegram attended the event and put an article and photo in the Sunday paper. Other
media covering the event included Volume One, The Spectator, and four live remotes
with Clear Channel Radio.
Downtown Trick or Treating
An estimated 1,000 little ghosts and goblins filled the downtown streets for Halloween
in 2006. Downtown business owners once again handed out candy, and Clear Channel
Radio and the Leader Telegram advertised the event. TV-13 and TV-18 covered the
event, and B95 radio did a live remote from South Barstow Street.
Christmastime in the City
With a new name, came a new schedule for the event. DECI’s
Festivals Committee made the decision to extend the event to
be held over two different days. The tree lighting,
Madrigal Singers performance, and dinner with
Santa at Pizza Plus took place on Thursday,
November 30th from about 5 to 8 p.m. From 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. the following Saturday, Santa
returned for lunch at Pizza Plus, while the Diamond School of Dance
students performed. Free horse-drawn wagon rides were offered
through downtown’s streets. TV-13 covered the event with a live
interview at 5 p.m., and also broadcast stories at 6, 9, and 10 p.m.
“Shop Talk” Business Social Events
DECI staff coordinated and held three business social events in 2006 targeted to
business owners and other professionals. Downtown business owners and managers
were encouraged to attend Shop Talk social hours located at a different downtown
venue each quarter. Hosts for the Shop Talk events included The Bistro, The
Haymarket Grill, and Pizza Plus. Each host offered attendees free appetizers. Door
prizes for the events were donated courtesy of Body Focus Massage, Brent Douglas,
The Hypnosis Center of Eau Claire, and Eclectica on Grand.
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Young Professionals Downtown Tour
DECI staff coordinated and hosted a downtown event for the Chamber’s Young
Professionals of Eau Claire group. The 2006
event focused on the West Grand Avenue area
with tours of Eclectica on Grand, Just Local Food
Co-op, Grand Avenue Café, The Grand Little
Theatre, and the new Downtown Farmer’s
Market. Right-Way Shuttle transported the young
professionals, and Haymarket Grill hosted a social
event at the end of the tour.
Ribbon Cuttings
To celebrate the openings of new businesses
downtown, DECI staff coordinated and hosted
eight ribbon cuttings in 2006 for the following
businesses:
•
Dave and Lisa Strobel’s revitalized Strobel
Building, and its tenants (Allstate, Losby &
Pauls, Riverside Counseling Clinic, Strobel
Insurance Agency, Willow Creek Women’s
Clinic)
•
Entropy Multimedia
•
Autumn Hill
•
Franzwa’s Café and Catering
•
Diamond School of Dance
•
Lewis Financial Advisors
•
Haymarket Grill (co-hosted with the Eau
Claire Area Chamber)
•
The Downtown Farmer’s Market
Speakers for the ribbon cutting events included representatives from City Council, the
County Board, The DECI Board of Directors, The Eau Claire Area Chamber of
Commerce, and The Convention and Visitors Bureau. The speakers throughout 2006
included:
•
Tedd Barr (Redevelopment Authority)
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•
Colleen Bates (Eau Claire County Board)
•
Brandon Buchanan (City Council)
•
Marjorie Bunce (State Senator Kohl Representative)
•
Stan Carpenter (DECI Board of Directors)
•
Dennis Jenson (Eau Claire County Board)
•
Kerry Kincaid (City Council)
•
Bob McCoy (Chamber of Commerce)
•
Nick Meyer (DECI Board of Directors)
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Berlye Middleton (City Council)
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Jen Roth (DECI Board of Directors)
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Tammie Schraufnagel (Eau Claire County Board)
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Tammie Scott (Chippewa Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau)
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Bernie Trettin (DECI Board of Directors)
Downtown Night Out
Downtown Night Out events were held the first Thursday night of
each month July through September from 4 to 8 p.m. Participating
business owners displayed merchandise outside. DECI staff
coordinated the participation of other food vendors and live musical
entertainment on the street including the
Clearwater Ringers Bell Choir, guitarist Eric
Gardner, guitarist Buzz Meade, Bella
Accordian, and The Neil Radichel Band. TV-13 covered the
event with an interview with DECI staff before the first
Downtown Night Out.
Arbor Day Tree Giveaway
DECI staff and volunteers coordinated an Arbor Day
Tree Giveaway with the help of the City of Eau
Claire’s Forestry Department and The Paint Creek
Nursery. Several downtown businesses gave away the
white pine trees, and the event was covered in the
Leader Telegram, TV-13, and TV-18.
Idea Lounge Series
As part of an initiative to empower Eau Claire’s creative class, Downtown Eau
Claire, Inc. hosted two Idea Lounges in 2006 with Volume One. These laidback,
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creative community discussions gave members of the creative class an opportunity
to get together and have an open dialogue about Eau Claire while forming support
networks among the creative class. Because of the popularity of these events, staff
will continue the series in 2007.
Extreme Entrepreneur Tour
Tied in with other efforts to foster the growth of the creative class, DECI staff
helped facilitate an Extreme Entrepreneur Tour event on October 23, 2006. As
part of a national tour, young multi-millionaire entrepreneurs stopped in Eau
Claire to encourage local entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality by following
an action plan and creating support networks. The event ran from 3:00 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. and included exhibits by area small business assistance organizations.
Portions of the event will be aired on Community Television in 2007.
South Barstow Redevelopment Listening Sessions
In the first three months of the year, DECI staff assisted the Redevelopment
Authority in facilitating four listening sessions regarding South Barstow
redevelopment along the riverfront.!La Crosse-based River Architects unveiled six
redevelopment concepts for the area to spark discussions with stakeholders and
community members. DECI staff continues to meet with property owners to
encourage redevelopment along the riverfront.
Wake Up Downtown Housing Forums
In April, DECI staff held two community forums to provide a vehicle for citizens
to voice their opinions on how much and what type of housing is needed
downtown. A housing survey was also distributed throughout the community in
coordination with the forums.
Other Events
DECI also helped sponsor Volume One’s “Sounds Like Spring” Concert Series on
Thursday evenings in Phoenix Park. And staff helped the Eau Claire Area Economic
Development Corporation coordinate the Advancing Entrepreneurship in the
Chippewa Valley event held at the Ramada, where Jump-Start Downtown winners
were announced.
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Marketing
To help spread the excitement about downtown, the following marketing methods
were used throughout 2006:
Advertising
Several advertising methods were used in 2006 to publicize events and other special
happenings downtown. Various advertising vehicles included:
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DECI’s website
DECIFEST website
News Releases
Leader Telegram
Chippewa Valley Newspapers
Volume One
Chippewa Valley Hidden Treasures
The Bottom Line
Chippewa Valley B2B
The Spectator
WEAU- TV 13
WQOW-TV 18
Community Television
Clear Channel Radio
The Chippewa Valley Visitors Guide
Eau Claire Magazine
The Chamber Directory
Chamber e-newsletters
Downtown Agenda
Downtown INK
Downtown kiosks
Downtown Website
The Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. website was created in 2002 and given a new look in
2006. Features include a business directory, upcoming events, information on business
resources, available space listings, and agendas and minutes from previous meetings.
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Brochures
A new Downtown Eau Claire Shopping and Dining Guide brochure was created in
2006. DECI’s retail and restaurant committee held several meetings to plan the
brochure. DECI staff coordinated work with several graphic designers, and the
committee chose one designer to complete the project. Participating businesses were
charged $30 to help cover the costs of the brochure design and printing. DECI staff
distributed the brochures throughout the Eau Claire area.
Downtown INK
A new Downtown Eau Claire newspaper, Downtown INK, was launched in 2006
from a partnership between Volume One magazine and DECI. DECI and Volume
One staff held several meetings regarding content and mailing. Volume One talent
wrote articles, took photos, and designed the paper, while DECI staff edited and
distributed the paper. 8,000 papers were directly mailed and 2,000 dropped off
throughout various areas of Eau Claire in November.
Downtown Agenda Newsletter
A monthly downtown newsletter, Downtown Agenda, was published January through
October in 2006. The newsletter featured downtown development updates, upcoming
events, available space, and general information for small businesses. It was sent each
month to a mailing list of 720 people/organizations. Each downtown business
received a copy, along with City Council members, County Board members, and
board members from the Redevelopment Authority, Downtown Eau Claire, Inc.,
Downtown Business Improvement District, West Grand Business Improvement
District, Chamber Downtown Revitalization Committee and members of all
downtown committees. The newsletter is also available online.
Cooperative Advertisements
Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. teamed up with Eau Claire Press Company to offer
downtown businesses a group rate in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. The first
Thursday of each month, businesses could purchase an ad for $12.50/column inch.
This rate is significantly less than the open rate. The downtown ads were grouped
together and featured with the Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. logo and web site address.
DECI staff also added extra information each month regarding events, special
activities, or any other timely messages.
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Chamber of Commerce Business Expo
Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. staffed a booth at the 2006 Business Expo in October.
The booth contained information for business prospects and community members
about downtown redevelopment and business opportunities/resources. Staff handed
out information regarding the Christmastime In The City events. The booth also
outlined progress on the North Barstow redevelopment plans. The Haymarket Grill
donated a gift certificate to be given away as a door prize.
Campus Community Connection
Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. staffed a booth at the 2006
UWEC Campus Community Connection. The booth
contained student employment guides, as well as
downtown brochures and other downtown information
for students.
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DECI Members
DECI was able to continue its mission of downtown revitalization in 2006 because of
the generous support of the following organizations and individuals:
AT&T
Banbury Place
Benjamin Haas (Benny Ha Ha)
B-Framed Galleries
Cigan Properties
Clearwater Diversions LLC
Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild
City of Eau Claire
Downtown BID
Eau Claire Regional Arts Center
Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce
Eclectica on Grand
Flaten Retirement & Investment
General Growth Properties
Harmon Solutions Group
Health Education Network
Hillside Dental
Houligan’s Steak and Seafood
Imagination Station
John Torgerson
John's Sewing Center
Just Local Food Co-op
Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn
LJM Properties
M&I Bank
Marlene & Dave Arntson
McKinley Companies
Luther/Midelfort
Nelson Properties
Northwestern Bank
One Source Imaging
Quality Management Services
RCU
Reach, Inc.
RiverLooks Family Hair Care
Ruder Ware (Garvey Anderson)
S&C Bank
SDS Architects
Stan & Linda Carpenter
Steve and Lorrie Anderson
Strobel Insurance
The Hair Den
The Haymarket Grill
The Jackson Agency
The Mousetrap
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
US Bank
Wells Fargo Bank
Xcel Energy
Yellow Dog Knitting
YMCA
Funding
City
BIDs
Memberships
Sponsorships
Grants
2005
$87,700
1 @ $25,000
28 @ $4,225
13 @ $8,250
1 @ $500
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2006
$87,700
2 @ $30,000
36 @ $6,550
14 @ $10,108
2 @ $3,000
(+/-)
0
+$5,000
+$2,325
+$1,858
+$2,500
+$11,683
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