I am proud to share the collective progress the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District (EID) has made in advancing our mission to build a more active and inclusive neighborhood in 2024.
We are privileged to be members of the International Downtown Association (IDA), a network of 3,700+ placemaking professionals. This affiliation connects us to ideas and best practices from Downtowns across the globe. The IDA defines placemaking as a collaborative process that involves creating unique experiences, activating public spaces, fostering partnerships, empowering a range of voices, and developing tools and strategies. Highlights of our 2024 placemaking initiatives:
• Elevated our clean, safe, and beautification efforts. Clean and safe initiatives are the foundation of economic development, and this year we elevated our operations through the use of the Fulcrum app to track our activity and demonstrate impact.
• Launched the Downtown Evansville E-Gift Card to drive local spending in our district. Since launching in November the program has generated more than $6,500. Redeemable at 25+ businesses, e-gift cards support economic growth in our district through consumer spending.
• Opened the Earthborn Holistic Dog Park. Downtown’s first dog park is a free space that fosters connections for our pets and each other. Thanks to community partners, the EID secured $40,000 in donations to develop and maintain the space. Since the grand unleashing ceremony, hundreds have enjoyed the amenity.
• Welcomed 20+ new businesses to our neighborhood. New businesses and expansions have further energized our neighborhood and economy.
A special thank you to our property owners, businesses, residents, sponsors, volunteers, visitors, and board of directors for your involvement in bringing our mission to life. We look forward to your continued engagement in 2025.
Sincerely,
Adam Trinkel Executive Director
Earthborn Holistic Dog Park
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Stephanie Engelbrecht, Chair
Engelbrecht Enterprises
Lucero Tennis Kieffer, Vice Chair
Jackson Kelly PLLC
Johnathan Pope, Treasurer
YMCA
Kendra Vanzo, Secretary
Old National Bank
John Lamb, Chair Emeritus
German American Bank
BOARD MEMBERS
Larry Donald
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Dwight Emmert
Resident
Dr. Kimberly-Haywood Pfender
Evansville Eyecare Associates
Randy Hobson
2nd Language
Anna Jordan
South Central Inc
Jeff Justice
Hafer
Stacey McNeill
Bally’s Evansville
Tresa Miller
Grateful Threads Fabric & Furnishings
Jim Moore
One Main Financial
Gretchen Muchnick
F.C. Tucker Emge
Phillip Roberts
Baird
Amanda Schmitt
CenterPoint Energy
Lindsay Snyder
City of Evansville
Heather Vaught
Memo & River City Coffee + Goods
Photo: Livin’ Imagery
Community partners contributed more than $150,000 in financial support in 2024. We thank them for their generosity!
Bacon Farmer Workman
Engineering & Testing
Clark Security
Edward Jones: Steve Harding
Home Outlet
Pinnacle Contractors
Riverside Capital Management Group
Jim Back CFP® Financial Advisor &
Daniel Schweikhart Financial Advisor
Signarama
Southwestern Healthcare
Stephanie Morris Homes
DOWNTOWN CHAMPIONS
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
Edward Jones Financial Advisors
Jessica Engel, Steve Harding & Janet Schulteis
Gerling Law
Heritage Federal Credit Union
EARTHBORN HOLISTIC DOG PARK
Midwestern Pet Foods
CenterPoint Energy Foundation
Romain Subaru
Southwest Indiana Association of REALTORS
Engelbrecht Enterprises
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
Astound Broadband
F.C. Tucker Emge
Bally’s Evansville
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
Clark Security
Explore Evansville
NOMAD Technology Group
Riverside Capital Management Group
Jim Back CFP® Financial Advisor & Daniel Schweikhart Financial Advisor
Riverside Capital Management Group
Jim Back CFP® Financial Advisor
German American Bank
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
Astound Broadband
Earthborn Holistic
F.C. Tucker Emge
Romain Subaru
Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office
Romain Cross Pointe
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
MY 105.3 WJLT/Townsquare Media
Reach High Consulting and Therapy
Total Solar Eclipse
Evansville Eyecare Associates
Astound Broadband
The Scout Guide Evansville
Romain Cross Pointe
Barrett & Stokely/Promenade Flats
F.C. Tucker Emge
Rumble Boxing
Deaconess
Hafer
Southwest Indiana Association of REALTORS
Riverside Capital Management Group
Jim Back CFP® Financial Advisor
Midwest Communications (104.1 WIKY)
Mulzer Crushed Stone
Townsquare Media (MY 105.3 WJLT & 99.5 WKDQ)
Our clean, safe, and beautification efforts have a major impact on our Downtown businesses and neighbors. Enhancing the beauty of our neighborhood and creating a more vibrant Downtown helps us attract new businesses, consumers and workers. Our services are designed for their safety and peace of mind.
clean, safe & beautification
4,560 1,400 23 1,100
471 340 of leaves removed of resource guides distributed mountains hundreds
human and pet biohazard clean-ups
NEW IN 2024
Implemented a new service request form
Ongoing maintenance at the Earthborn Holistic Dog Park
Refreshed Game Room Alley, thanks to a generous grant from the Southwest Indiana Association of REALTORS (SIAR)
The EID’s snow removal contractor clears sidewalks after a winter weather event.
Barb Woodruff with Just Faux IT and SIAR volunteers refresh the paint of the mosaic rugs in Game Room Alley.
Our events welcomed more than 58,000 people in 2024. Each event is an opportunity to showcase our neighborhood, make lifelong memories, and encourage economic development through consumer activity in our shops and restaurants. We thank our sponsors and volunteers for their support in creating these enhanced experiences.
Total Solar Eclipse
Spring Wine Walk presented by Romain Cross Pointe
Sidewalk Sale presented by Heritage Federal Credit Union
Market on Main (16 events)
Night Market presented by Deaconess (3 events)
Fireworks on the Ohio presented by Bally’s Evansville
Dog Day Downtown presented by German American Bank
NoCo Makers Market presented by Grateful Threads Fabric & Furnishings
Spooky Wine Walk
Our venues, restaurants, and shops hosted 1,200+ events in Downtown Evansville in 2024.
Our website calendar
Printed bi-monthly event calendars
Weekly events graphics on social media
Halloween Stroll and Trunk-or-Treat Car Show presented by Romain Cross Pointe
Small Business Saturday
A Downtown Christmas presented by Engelbrecht Enterprises
Santa Stroll presented by Riverside Capital Management Group: Jim Back CFP® Financial Advisor
Goldman’s is very grateful to everyone who continues to go out of their way to Shop Small! Whether you come to buy a gift, choose a treasure, or just to say hello from near and far, we are so thankful for you!
Andy Goldman Goldman’s Pawn Shop
A Downtown Christmas
WEBSITE
Users 142,184 Page Views
NEW IN 2024
Our marketing efforts initiate conversations online, gain both local and regional exposure, and increase activity for our Downtown businesses and developments. We share the story of our neighborhood through our social media efforts, media appearances, and website. 64,000+
Recognized 6 individuals as part of our Faces of Downtown campaign for their significant contributions to our neighborhood
Introduced the DTEVVs awards program to celebrate our Downtown businesses and neighbors
Multiple messages focused on shopping & dining small and our upcoming events2024.
DIRECT MAIL
General messaging focused around our 10+ shops and 40+ restaurants024.
Sent to 1,500 households in targeted zipcodes
Total impressions: 1,540,728
The Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District continues to drive economic development through data-driven insights, strategic partnerships, and community-focused programs. In 2024 our initiatives included:
Placer.ai: We leveraged Placer.ai, a location analytics platform, to gain detailed insights into foot traffic patterns, visitor demographics, and consumer behavior within the district. These data-driven insights have allowed us to make informed decisions about business recruitment, marketing strategies, and event planning, ensuring we meet the needs of our growing Downtown neighborhood.
Heatmap Based on Visitation # of Visitors from July 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Relationship Building: We have relationships with property owners and key community partners, including the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership and the Indiana Small Business Development Center. These collaborations have been essential for fostering business growth, connecting entrepreneurs with resources, and advancing shared economic goals.
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
25+ participating businesses
$6,500+ gifts purchased
160+ gifts sent
Downtown Evansville E-Gift Cards: An easy, accessible way for consumers to invest directly in Downtown Evansville, our e-gift card program has supported local businesses and encouraged consumer spending. This initiative has driven foot traffic and created new opportunities for community engagement.
New in 2024
Big Slice Company
Broker Brother’s Mortgage
C3 Suites
Catanese Reality
Chef Lo
Earthborn Holistic Dog Park
Enine Arts
First House Salon
Gem Rock
GRO Marketing
Hush on Main
Hydration Station at Old National Bank
Icon by Hairguy77
Industry Bar
La Campirana
Lab on Main
Matthew 25 Pharmacy
Mikey’s Caribbean
Mission First
Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub
Rava’s
Robert’s by the River
The Secret Garden Tattoo + Cosmetic Studio
Veridus Group, Inc.
Expansions
Emerald Design
Jackson Kelly PLLC
NANDO
Terrica’s Drink & Dine Coming Soon
Residential Coming Soon
63 residential units at Market Street Apartments
161 residential units at the Vault on Main
The Vault on Main Rendering
The Secret Garden Tattoo + Cosmetic Studio
Hush on Main
Emerald Design
The EID organized monthly meetings with businesses in the district to communicate EID-led initiatives, neighborhood events, and serve as an open forum to discuss ideas and potential collaborations.
Parcels within the EID boundaries fund our work through an annual assessment levied on tax bills. Properties that front Main Street pay a higher rate, commensurative with the additional services they receive.
MAINST.BENEFITZONE
In 2024, we expanded our Shopify store by introducing new merchandise and capitalizing on unique opportunities such as the Total Solar Eclipse. This resulted in a substantial increase in sales and allowed us to diversify our revenue streams beyond our events.
2024 Sales: $5,061 295% GROWTH
Site Visitors: 4,578 270% GROWTH
Total Orders: 368
868% GROWTH
Top Selling Products:
1. Solar Eclipse Glasses
2. 812 Day T-shirt
3. Pride T-shirt
NEW IN 2024
To enhance the visitor experience, we launched a DTEVV Ambassador program. This volunteer-based program enables our ambassadors to serve as the go-to person for questions, directions, and personalized recommendations. In 2024, 16 ambassadors assisted over 270 guests during large-scale events, significantly improving the overall guest experience.
