Downtown SLO July 2019 - June 2020 Annual Report

DOWNTOWN SLO

July 2019 - June 2020 1135 Chorro Street | San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | (805) 541-0286 ReachUs@DowntownSLO.com | DowntownSLO.com

Putting together this report has been a bittersweet experience; our 2019-2020 fiscal year saw incredible highs and unexpected lows. It brings deep joy to remember the positive effects of our programsprior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and considerable sadness to see how our downtown and our organization were so painfully disrupted.

We lived our mission, to foster an economically vibrant downtown, every day.

- We help people and business grow and thrive - We foster a feeling of belonging - We create community - We like to bring people together - We celebrate diversity - We practice optimism - We are resilient - We actively promote a walkable, bikeable, accessible community - We value the outdoors and respect our natural environment - We believe that a thriving economy depends on authentic connection

Though life changed dramatically over this fiscal year, and much uncertainty remains, one theme has been consistent. We achieve our mission by bringing people together. In the first three quarters of the year, we brought people together through tried-and-true traditions like our weekly Farmers’ Market (that we’ll never take for granted again!), summertime Concerts in Mission Plaza, and our holiday activities and events bringing delight to children of all ages. And we stretched ourselves too, engaging in thought-provoking and community-building art exhibitions, learning from each other and from experts, and re-imagining what we wanted Downtown San Luis Obispo to be.

We asked the community what they wanted to see in downtown (more than 1,100 people responded to our surveys), and we started the calendar year in January ready to embark on a new strategic planning process for our organization. We had big plans and a bright future, with two new hotels ready to welcome visitors. Then with March came change, and we pivoted to use new modes of communication to bring us closer together when it could have been easy to feel farther apart.

Along the way, we had to say goodbye to people, too. We thank everyone who served our Downtown - volunteers, board members, and our staff.

Coordinated Shop Small Saturday with 40 participating businesses in our Passport Program

24th Annual Concerts in the Plaza Season Concluded

2019

Hosted the 3rd Annual Sip ‘n Saunter at 40 Downtown business locations

New wayfinding maps installed in the Downtown Congressman Salud Carbajal visits Downtown SLO and meets with local business owners

Downtown SLO CEO, Bettina Swigger, attends International Downtown Association Conference in Baltimore, MD

Downtown SLO Thursday Farmers’ Market is voted Reader’s Choice: Best in the West in Sunset Magazine

September

July

November

August

October

December

Cultural pedestrian banners installed

Hosted Sold-out Annual Breakfast: State of Downtown

Santa’s House & Classic Carousel in Mission Plaza

Strategic planning process launched “We are Downtown SLO” art exhibition & Art After Dark

Holiday Window Decorating Contest featuring 27 participants Hosted 44th Annual Holiday Parade with Parade Marshall Mike White (Boo Boo Records)

July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020

Downtown SLO entered the fiscal year with a surplus and a plan for a balanced budget. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions eliminated all sources of earned revenue for the last quarter, and the organization ended the fiscal year with a deficit of $50,349. In the last quarter of the year, 50% of the staff were laid off and the remaining staff were put on a reduced work schedule. As a 501(c)(6)organization, Downtown SLO was not eligible for the first round of Paycheck Protection Program loans offered as COVID-19 relief.

Contributed Fundraising Events Earned BIA Fees

$ 52,321 $ 41,217 $ 469,667 $ 271,715

Administration $ 134,595 Programs $ 694,285 $ 56,389 Fundraising

TOTAL

$ 834,920

TOTAL

$ 885,269

2020

Business Education Series: Hospitality and Retention Downtown SLO receives 1,167 responses to strategic planning survey

January

February R.A.C.E. Matters exhibit, Belonging: Local Expressions of Black Empowerment & Possibility, at Downtown SLO office Farmers’ Market Manager, Whitney Chaney, attends 4th annual Farmers‘ Market Pro conference in San Diego, CA CA Small Farmers Conference takes place in SLO with reception at Thursday Night Farmers’ Market

March 13, 2020Shelter at Home goes into effect in resonse to the COVID-19 global pandemic

May Flower Initiative: Local artists paint 52 business windows

Downotwn SLO Response & Recovery weekly Zoom calls begin

“We Got This” kits 181 kits and supplies distributed

March

May

April

June

All events & programs are paused indefinitely

“Dear SLO” Video Campaign

Four new board members join Downtown SLO

2020 Beautification Awards are announced

Weekly COVID-19 Response & Recovery Zooms for all members

OPEN SLO program begins

Our community’s signature destination event for more than 35 years, the Downtown SLO Thursday Farmers’ Market brought thousands of locals and visitors downtown every Thursday evening. Visitors strolling Higuera purchased and sampled fresh produce from 25+ farmers, enjoyed barbeque and delectable street food and wandered the marketplace of ideas with nonprofits, craft, retail, and other vendors. Live music and other entertainment brightened up the intersections and street corners. New in 2019, Painter’s Alley brought dozens of local artists to the market to paint in real-time while onlookers watched in delight. In February 2020, the market hosted the Annual California Small Farms Conference Reception and saw hundreds of industry professionals gather, learn about, and enjoy our world-renowned market.

5,000+ Weekly Attendance

Halloween festivities at Farmers’ Market included the Downtown SLO Trick-or-Treat and Costume Contest. Thousands of kids and families showed up in their best costumes for candy and fun. 49 businesses and market vendors passed out candy throughout the night. Special thanks to the downtown businesses who donated prizes to the costume contest winners, the volunteers, staff, and 98.1 KJUG for announcing the event.

25+ Certified 75+ Food Farmers and Craft Vendors

Concerts in the Plaza was presented by Sunset Honda and hosted by Downtown SLO in the historic Mission Plaza. The 24th Annual concert series showcased a mix of new and returning bands for 14 weeks. Every Friday night, thousands of spectators gathered together to enjoy live music, cold beverages, and the chance to unwind and enjoy community. This inclusive event attracted people of all ages, backgrounds, and members of the community. The 2019 season included the addition of a satellite bar and a family-friendly kid zone by the amphitheater.

Special thanks to all the sponsors, in-kind support, volunteers, bands, and community members who contributed to the season’s success.

3,000 Weekly Attendance

$177,800 in sales to support downtown

743 disposable cups saved from the landfill each week with reusable cups

250+ Volunteers

Downtown SLO hosted a Concerts in the Plaza Volunteer Party in the beautiful back patio of Novo Restaurant and Lounge after the season ended. Over 250 volunteers assisted over the course of the 14 week concert series that raised over $177,800 in bar sales including beer, wine, cider and kombucha. To learn more about volunteer opportunities with Downtown SLO, visit DowntownSLO.com/about/volunteer.

The sold out 3rd Annual Sip ‘n Saunter in Downtown SLO was a tremendous success! More than 500 participants enjoyed an evening of shopping, sipping and dining throughout downtown on Friday, September 27, 2019. Each patron received a custom reusable wine cup and a map directing them to the participating businesses, which included 40 retailers, 32 businesses providing sips of local beverages, and 30 restaurants providing small bites.

For the first time in 2019, we provided the restaurants with a small food stipend to supplement their donation. This community happy hour generated $20,000 in ticket sales to support our programs and activities. Attendees loved the event, and many said they visited new businesses they might not have visited otherwise.

Downtown SLO along with the City of SLO presented the 44th Annual Holiday Parade, Holidays Around the World, sponsored by American Riviera Bank, on Friday, December 6, 2019. Parade Marshalls Mike and Muffy White of Boo Boo Records led the parade, which included 88 floats, over 2,800 participants, and dozens of volunteers for an evening of holiday cheer.

Eleven announcement booths (including a bilingual station in English and Spanish) were located along the parade route so everyone could hear about the floats as they went by. Thousands of spectators filled the streets to enjoy lighted floats, marching bands, and cheer on the community.

Mission Plaza was filled with holiday cheer, including Santa’s House sponsored by The San Luis Obispo Collection. The house was open daily for visits with Santa Claus. Thousands of families visited Santa’s House, and each child received a free toy and activity book. Over 80 volunteer elves spread holiday cheer. The 20-foot-tall live Holiday Tree, a beautiful Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana) was repurposed and used for mulch after the holiday seeason. Children of all ages enjoyed a turn on the Classic Carousel sponsored by Lamplighter Suites.

2019 saw the return of our Annual State of Downtown Breakfast. A crowd of 220 gathered in the brand-new Hotel SLO for this program, which featured highlights from our past year presented by our board and staff. Guest speakers from the City of San Luis Obispo reported about new developments and the City’s multimillion dollar investment in Downtown Vitality. Guests heard about the people, organizations, and collaborations that are adding vibrancy and diversity to the heart of our region every day. Live music by Damon Castillo welcomed guests and a breakfast buffet was provided by Hotel SLO as part of the ticket price.

220 attendees

1 Mascot greeting guests

Food and venue provided by Hotel SLO

Five speakers

Live music from Damon Castillo

The May Flower Initiative launched May 1, 2019 with colorful floral artwork and displays appearing in more than 50 Downtown SLO storefront windows. Downtown SLO coordinated the effort, asking businesses to participate while Arts Obispo, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, sent a call for artists. Downtown SLO staff then matched artists with businesses. The Initiative was a success and will be renewed for another year with new artwork and collaborations.

Artist: Paula DeLay

Artists: The Scott Family

Artist: Rachel Hamann

Artist: Sadie Rogers

Artist: Frank Walker

Mayor ’s Award: Gateway to Downtown American Riviera Bank, Stalwork Inc., Blue Marble Investments 1085 Higuera Street

CEO’s Surprise & Delight Award: Cultral Icon Flags and Parking Kiosks Throughout Downtown SLO

Downtown SLO awarded honors to 29 Downtown businesses and 7 improvement programs in the 31st Annual Beautification Awards. These awards honor physical and/or aesthetic improvements toward keeping Downtown beautiful.

Downtown SLO’s Cultural Arts Committee oversaw the process, selecting the candidates and presenting the awards virtually (due to COVID-19) in categories including New Construction, Tenant Improvements, Merchandising, Maintenance, and several special awards.

Chairperson’s Award: Hotel San Luis Obispo 877 Palm Street

Our Downtown Ambassadors work together with the San Luis Obispo Police Department and the Public Works Department to make sure our Downtown community is safe, clean and hospitable for residents and visitors. During the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the ambassador program grew to include 80 hours per week of service, thanks to a grant from the City of San Luis Obispo. The ambassadors are responsible for welcoming tourists to the area, establishing and maintaining relationships with local businesses and shopkeepers, providing necessary services and interacting with transients as needed. They focus on removing graffiti & litter and serving as representatives of Downtown SLO. After the Stay-at-Home order went into effect, our Ambassadors transitioned to providing phone support for our business members and tended to non-emergency issues as allowed and safe to do so. As the economy began to reopen in May/June, ambassadors distributed 181 “We Got This” kits, consisting of sanitizer, gloves, face masks and other materials so businesses could reopen safely.

You can reach the Ambassadors via voice or text on the hotline at (805) 250-6467.

Plant | Prune | Protect The Downtown Foresters is a group of volunteers formed in May 2007.

Volunteers meet as needed to assist City tree crews in caring for and maintaining the trees in the Downtown area. In 2019, the Foresters received a grant from California Urban Forests Council to purchase new equipment.

2,635 pounds of trash removed

385

stickers removed

509

graffiti tags removed from public property

Elected Members

Pat Arnold, CoVelop Inc., President Jai Covey, Novo Restaurant and Lounge & Luna Red Michael Dammeyer, Steven Puglisi Architects Maryalice Hamilton, Blackwater Donna Lewis, Guaranteed Rate Mortgage Beverley Matthews, Hotel Cerro Rodessa Newton, Libertine Brewing Company Stephen Patrick, Stephen Patrick Designs and The Bladerunner Salon & Day Spa Pierre Rademaker, Pierre Rademaker Design Mark Rawson, Copeland Properties M. Faríd Shahíd, Eighty20 Group Scott Smith, Central Coast Surfboards David Smith, Hotel San Luis Obispo Stephanie Stackhouse, SLO Yoga Center Shelley Stuckey, Tails Pet Boutique

Designated Members The Board of Directors meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 AM in the Downtown SLO office or on Zoom. The Board shapes policy, oversees financial management, and sets the strategic direction for the organization. Board members serve two-year terms beginning April 1 of the election year and ending March 31; two consecutive terms may be served. Elections are held in February/March. If you are interested in running for a seat on the Board of Directors, please contact ReachUs@DowntownSLO.com

Brandon Downing, KSBY (media) Carl Dudley, Pacific Western Bank, Treasurer (financial) Courtney Kienow, Cal Poly (education) Laura Mullen, HumanKind Fair Trade (nonprofit)

­ Government Liaisons to the Board of Directors

Aaron Gomez, City of San Luis Obispo Council Member Greg Hermann, City of San Luis Obispo Christopher Lopez, County of San Luis Obispo Charlene Rosales, City of San Luis Obispo

During this fiscal year, seven committees met regularly: Cultural Arts; Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market; Economic Activities; Food, Beverage, & Services; Issues Evaluation; Parking & Access; and Special Events.

*-COMMITTEE CHAIR

BOLD - BOARD MEMBER

COMMITTEE

- Advocated for Palm/Nipomo Parking Structure - Streamlined communication with City Parking Staff - Provided input on the Late Night Passenger Loading Zone Pilot Program

Members: Steve Akers, Bike SLO County Gamaliel Anguiano, City of San Luis Obispo Pat Arnold, CoVelop, Inc. Tim Bochum, City of San Luis Obispo Anna Devers, SLOCOG Donette Dunaway, SLOCo Pedal Taxi Rick Ellison, Bike SLO County Alex Fuchs, City of San Luis Obispo Gaven Hussey, City of San Luis Obispo

COMMITTEE

John Osumi, Bishop Peak Technology LLC Gigi Paquette, Ride-On Transportation *Pierre Rademaker, Pierre Rademaker Design Barry Rands, San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club Mark Rawson, Copeland Properties Scott Smith, Central Coast Surfboards Stephanie Stackhouse, SLO Yoga Center Patty Thayer, SLO Repertory Theatre Megan Weeks, City of San Luis Obispo

- Led Business Education Series - Invested in MySidewalk.com an economic development online dashboard - Tracked new businesses in the district

Members: Jay Beck, American Riviera Bank Audrey Bigelow, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast Molly Cano, City of San Luis Obispo Bart Devaney, Sunset North Car Wash & Detail Center Jules DuRocher, Jules D. Molly Kern, San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce

Courtney Kienow, Cal Poly *Laura Mullen, HumanKind Fair Trade Jeff Olds, Jamba Pierre Rademaker, Pierre Rademaker Design Charlene Rosales, City of San Luis Obispo Sara Vaskov, Hands Gallery

COMMITTEE

Members:

John Ashbaugh, SLO County History Center Ron Combs, City of San Luis Obispo Landy Fike, Downtown Enthusiast Karen Kile, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art Denise Leader Stoeber, Cal Poly Arts Christine Marie, Downtown Enthusiast Monique Matta, SLO City-County Public Library

COMMITTEE

- Coordinated We Are Downtown SLO Art Exhibit - Judged Holiday Window Decorating Contest - Coordinated Beautification Awards Chris Miller, Performing Arts Center Edel Mitchell, ARTS Obispo James Papp, Secret SLO *Stephen Patrick, Stephen Patrick Designs & The BladeRunner Salon & Spa Leann Standish, Foundation for the Performing Arts Center Lindsey Stephenson, City of San Luis Obispo Patty Thayer, SLO Rep

- Provided extra toilets downtown during peak holiday weekends - Participated in community discussion regarding key issues related to operations

Members: Marco Abarashed, Mother ’s Tavern Mark Borges, Cal Poly ASI Toney Breault, F. McLintock’s & Buffalo Pub *Jai Covey, Novo Restaurant and Lounge & Luna Red Tucker Dean, BarrelHouse Brewing Co. Jason Flores, Buffalo Pub Shayna Lynch, Cal Poly ASI Beverly Matthews, Hotel Cerro

COMMITTEE

Ron Meier, ASH Management Jacob Moore, The Library Rodessa Newton, Libertine Brewing Company Myriam Olaizola, Black Sheep Bar & Grill Kevin Phillips, City of San Luis Obispo Police Department Shelley Stuckey, Tails Pet Boutique Christine Wallace, City of San Luis Obispo Police Department

- Launched new program called Painter’s Alley - Expanded table and chair dining area - Created non-storefront vendor category

Members: Jason Beres, City of San Luis Obispo Chantal Burns, City of San Luis Obispo Steve Hilstein, Unshakable Music Peter Jankay, SLO County Farmers’ Market Association Jordan Lane, City of San Luis Obispo Sean Lee, THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY

COMMITTEE

Ron Meier, ASH Management Aasim Sajjad, Shalimar *M. Faríd Shahíd, Eighty20 Group Doug Shaw, The Sanctuary Nancy Snyder, MO’s Smokehouse BBQ Neal Stuckey, Tail’s Pet Boutique

- Coordinated Concerts in the Plaza 2019 season - Coordinated Halloween Trick-or-Treat & Costume Contest - Selected bands and promotional material for Concerts in the Plaza 2020 season

Members: Cassandra Bethard, City of San Luis Obispo Chantal Burns, City of San Luis Obispo Molly Cano, City of San Luis Obispo Kathy Collins, Maino Bros. Corporation Dusty Colyer-Worth, SLO Chamber of Commerce Therese Cron, Copeland Properties Brandon Downing, KSBY

COMMITTEE

Amity Faes, Pacific Premier Bank Corinn Gallo, Kreuzberg & Batch Christine Marie, Downtown Enthusiast Karen Motto, Tolosa *Rodessa Newton, Libertine Brewing Company Pam Pickering, Farm Supply Company McCall Stone, The Sock Drawer

- Worked with PUMA Consulting and downtown property owners to explore the feasibility of a property based business improvement district (PBID) - Initiated the petition process to create PBID

Members: *Pat Arnold, CoVelop, Inc. Will Clemens, County of San Luis Obispo Kathy Collins, Maino Brothers Corporation Therese Cron, Copeland Properties Jim Duff y, Ten Over Studio

Rodessa Newton, Libertine Brewing Company Matt Quaglino, Quaglino Properties LLC Pierre Rademaker, Pierre Rademaker Design Charlene, Rosales, City of San Luis Obispo Hilary Trout, iFixit

The following businesses, individuals and organizations sponsored events from July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020. Every effort has been made to ensure this list is accurate; please contact us at ReachUs@DowntownSLO.com if you have questions or if you are interested in sponsoring an event.

$15,000 Sunset Honda $4,000-$5,000 American Riviera Bank Guaranteed Rate Pacific Western Bank The San Luis Obispo Collection $3,000-$3,500 Firestone Walker Brewing Company Sunrun $2,000-$2,500 SLO Transit Woodstock's Pizza $1,000-$1,500 Aerovista Dental Chamisal Vineyards Coastal Dispensary Jean Marie Cidery Rabobank SLO Credit Union Tartaglia Realty The Gold Concept Thoma Electric

$700-$900 Bill Gaines Audio CoVelop, Inc. Creeky Tiki Frog & Peach Pub McCarthy's Irish Pub Mission College Prep Moondoggies Beach Club Mother's Tavern SESLOC Federal Credit Union Splash Café The Creamery Marketplace $650 Central Coast Gymnastics Coastal Pediatric Dentistry Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab Friday Night Lights Youth Flag Football Habitat Home & Garden T-Mobile Trust Automation, Inc. $500 Quaglino Properties LLC THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Special thanks to the City of San Luis Obispo for their support of our programs.

$900-$1000 Amazon San Luis Obispo CoVelop, Inc. Carolyn Herzog Pierre Rademaker $500-$600 Abbie Lynch Laura & Patrick Mullen Rodessa & Eric Newton

$400 Cal Poly Office of the President City of San Luis Obispo County of San Luis Obispo Design Collaborative, Inc. Eighty20 Group Foundation for the Performing Arts Center Hotel Cerro RRM Design Group SLO Repertory Theatre Ten Over Studio Wells Fargo

In-Kind American General Media Arts Obispo Big Big SLO Bike SLO County Carmel & Naccasha LLP City of San Luis Obispo Clark Pest Control Farm Supply Hotel SLO Kreuzberg KSBY Lamplighter Inn & Suites Martin's Auto Service Miners Ace Hardware Pacific Energy Company San Luis Garbage San Luis Ranch SLO Safe Ride SLO Transit The San Luis Obispo Collection Union Bank

$100-$300 Amanda Stephens Beverley Matthews Charlene Rea Rosales Courtney & Ken Kienow Donna Severs Bettina Swigger Howard Carroll Michael Simkins Pacific Western Bank Sean M Lee Stephanie Stackhouse Stephen Patrick Design

FACEBOOK

Downtown SLO page likes 5,913 Farmers’ Market page likes 12,507 Concerts in the Plaza page likes 5,695

INSTAGRAM

DowntownSLO account followers 5,085 Farmers’ Market account followers 2,818 Concerts in the Plaza account followers 923

TWITTER

DowntownSLO followers 5,397 150+ mentions by local to nationally recognized accounts.

EMAIL MARKETING

Downtown Deliver-E : 2,843 subscribers with a 30% open rate, above industry average.

In March 2020, a weekly e-mail was created to keep our downtown BIA members informed on COVID-19 updates.

RADIO

Downtown SLO has a weekly radio presence with American General Media on four local stations, promoting Farmers’ Market and other events. Spots air every Thursday morning.

ADVOCACY

Our staff sit on Advisory Boards, attends City Council and Advisory Body meetings, and ensures that Downtown is part of the conversation around Economic Development, Community Vitality, and that parking and access are always top of mind.

OUTREACH

Our staff launched a Response & Recovery weekly Zoom call in March to address COVID-19 related issues and updates for business members. These calls hosted speakers from the City, County, Cal Poly, and other key stakeholders as it related to the pandemic.

WEBSITE

Our website hosts a robust business directory connecting visitors and locals to our downtown business merchants. It is updated with event information, resources, and more.

1135 Chorro Street | San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | (805) 541-0286 ReachUs@DowntownSLO.com | DowntownSLO.com

Bettina Swigger, Chief Executive Officer Rachel Maiorino, Chief Operating Officer Brent Vanderhoof, Office Administrator Whitney Chaney, Farmers’ Market Manager Kat Thompson, Marketing & Communications Manager Niesha Johnston, Events Manager Austin Bertucci, Ambassador Stephan Georgopoulos, Ambassador Alex Church, Operations Assistant Grace Glaeser, Operations Assistant Amber Bellrose, Operations Assistant Chase Campanelli, Mascot

Kelly Chu Erika Colucci Maxim Dahan Lauren Erion Brandon Koay Tanner Lechner-Luke Cameron Ruiz Andrea van Ginneken Amanda Weddle

Through a robust partnership with Cal Poly University, Downtown SLO offers students the opportunity to engage in hands-on event management, operations, and communications. Interns typically work for 10-14 weeks.

We are always accepting applications for new interns.

Launched in 2018, Friends of Downtown SLO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on the following:

- Clean and safe efforts, including our successful and proven Ambassador program - Beautification and public art - Urban forest protection and green spaces - Homeless outreach, services and advocacy

Scan to Donate

Funds to support these programs come through revenue from our events such as Farmers’ Market, Concerts in the Plaza and the Holiday Parade. To ensure we are able to bounce back and continue to put on the events San Luis Obispo has come to know and love, we look to you, our incredible community, and ask for a tax-deductible donation today.

Scan the QR code to donate. No donation is too small.

Annual Report photos courtesy of Downtown SLO and Heraldo Family Photo