DEAR DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS:

Dear Downtown Stakeholders:

We are pleased to share this 2022 Downtown Ithaca Alliance annual report, with summaries of the activities and vision of our organization.

For 25 years, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) has been the voice, catalyst, and facilitator for downtown revitalization here in Ithaca. Each day our dedicated staff of professionals works to improve the lives and the livelihoods of our downtown stakeholders and, by extension, the entire Ithaca community. From the smallest detail to the grandest plan, we strive to make this place called Downtown Ithaca more vibrant and dynamic, more resilient and sustainable, and more compelling.

As we emerge from the turbulent years of the pandemic, we see a changed landscape filled with both new needs and new opportunities. As we applaud and pay tribute to the businesses that weathered the COVID years, we acknowledge the stress and strain that they even today continue to endure. The retail and office landscapes have changed in ways we are just beginning to understand. One thing remains certain: Downtown remains fundamentally strong, and the assets and opportunities that drove its redevelopment are as relevant today as ever.

In 2022, the DIA Board of Directors, aided by community stakeholders, replaced our vision statement first crafted in 1997. Our new vision, mission, and values statements reflect the voice of the Downtown community 25 years after our organization began its journey of delivering services and providing leadership to guide and direct our district. You can find these statements on page 2 of this report.

During 2022 the DIA led and facilitated initiatives, projects, and programs that continued to provide tangible benefits to the downtown community.

- We celebrated the rebuilding and reopening of a portion of the new Green Street Garage;

- We watched as the Ithacan and Asteri projects rose out of the ground and are poised to open in 2023 and 2024;

- We welcomed 22 new small businesses to Downtown;

- We collaborated with TCAT and others on the receipt of a $7 million Electric Mobility grant to service the West Hill and Flats areas, improving access into and out of Downtown;

- We grew a TDM program that currently has over 800 members and will be spun off to be its own free-standing entity;

- We produced over 80 press releases for the media, garnering dozens of stories about downtown;

- We generated more than 110,000 social media engagements related to posts about Downtown;

- We moved closer to opening our new Ithaca Community Conference Center- in early 2024;

- During 2022, the DIA itself programmed events on 45 distinct days;

- Our events attracted over 170,000 people;

- Our clean and hospitality ambassadors logged several thousand hours beautifying downtown and helping to inform our many visitors about downtown.

As the world around us changes, the DIA will mold and adapt to provide the best services to propel our Downtown district forward. On behalf of our engaged volunteer Board of Directors and our dedicated professional staff, we thank our stakeholders, friends, and colleagues who strive to create a stronger Downtown community. We look forward to working with you in the next 25 years to come.

Ashley Cake Gary Ferguson DIA Board President DIA Executive Director