2022 Downtown Everett Association Annual Report

2022 Annual Report

dear stakeholders, 2022 marked a year of energy and optimism as more people returned downtown. Downtown Everett Association launched a series of new programs aimed at developing a vital downtown. In May 2022, we hosted consultants Frontdoor Back, who gave a seminar featuring ways to improve storefronts and interiors. Their visit culminated in consultations and reports for 10 businesses.

Following this, we kicked off a grant to improve storefronts with funding from the City of Everett’s Everett Forward Grant.

The launch of our new website helped kick off the event season. From May through December, people flocked downtown for new and recurring events like Fisherman’s Village, Sorticulture, Upper Left Beerfest & Food Truck Festival, Farmers Market, Cruisin’ 2 Colby, and Wintertide. We also launched new events including Sip & Shop and Salty Sea Days.

Keeping downtown clean and safe is a top priority. Our Clean Team serviced the nearly 40 block Downtown Improvement District 7 days a week. In addition, our team managing the city-owned Everpark Garage maintained it as a convenient option for parking. Despite an uptick in vandalism, our teams strove to make downtown inviting and clean for residents, employees, and visitors.

Whether it’s a frigid January day or one with record setting summer heat, you can find them hard at work. We can only imagine what downtown would look like without our field crew’s daily presence.

Our volunteers worked on several projects to enliven downtown including the flower program and holiday lighting. We partnered with the City of Everett and Valley Electric to add more decorations and piloted one block with lit street trees. In addition, we created new street pole banners with the help of a local designer and volunteer committee. The colorful banners add to the downtown experience and build a sense of community. Lastly, we received a grant from Snohomish County to host a historic preservation expert to lead a tour of masonry buildings with businesses and property owners.

A major achievement was expanding our revenue base. In 2022 we surpassed our goal and tripled our donor base through the Main Street tax credit. Additionally, our partner organization Downtown Everett Partners (DEP) provides a way for the community to make charitable donations to support the flower program, holiday lights, and Downtown Trick-or-Treating.

In Fall 2022, residents moved into Nimbus Apartments. With views of the Olympics and Cascades, this apartment building is an impressive new addition. As more residents move downtown, it will be ever more important to provide dining and shopping options, public spaces, safe and convenient walking, and transportation options.

We are champions for our downtown stakeholders through economic development, public safety, historic preservation, business support, and event promotion. I am inspired by our staff and volunteers’ accomplishments this year, and I am excited to work with the community as Downtown grows and transforms.

Sincerely,

Liz Stenning Executive Director

the main street approach Main Street is a nationwide economic development program designed for revitalizing historic downtowns. In January 2021, Downtown Everett became a designated Main Street Community, joining a growing network across the state. Washington Main Street helps communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown districts using the successful Main Street Approach, a comprehensive revitalization strategy built around a community’s unique heritage and attributes. The Main Street Approach has four focus areas, called the Four Points, which drive our revitalization efforts: Design, Economic Vitality, Organization, and Promotion.

the four points Design - cultivates and activates an inviting, accessible, and people-centered atmosphere that celebrates the historic character of Downtown Everett.

Economic Vitality - strengthens exisitng businesses and attracts new ones to draw residents, visitors, and investment that creates a healthy, diverse, and thriving economic hub for the entire community to enjoy.

Organization - collaborates with residents and businesses to improve our organizational capacity in conjunction with Downtown Everett’s growth.

Promotion - celebrates and shares downtown’s thriving arts, entertaiment, and dining experiences by promoting community developments and activities happening in and around downtown.

main street tax credit incentive program Donations to the tax credit program help us continue to focus our energy on providing vital support to the district, and the businesses within.

When a business pledges to donate to the Downtown Everett Association through the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program (MSTCIP), they are able to redirect their tax dollars back into our community - assisting us in our efforts to support economic vitality, promote local experiences, cultivate a strong organizational network, and steward public spaces and historic places.

The MSTCIP is unique to Washington State and offers an incredible opportunity to effectively quadruple a business’s donation to the DEA. In 2022, the DEA raised $123,000 through the Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program!

A complete list of 2022 MSTCIP donors is available at the back of this report. Learn more dteverett.org/mainstreet.

design flower program In the spring, dozens of volunteers joined us to plant nearly 3,000 flowers in 260 planters around Downtown Everett.

This was our third year running the Downtown Flower Program, and we continue to grow the program each year.

Our seasonal employee, Josiah, returned to water the plants; volunteers adopted the planters, keeping them weeded and well-maintained throughout the summer.

Thanks to generous donations from the community, we were able to purchase flowers for the 2022 program. Financial contributions to the Downtown Everett Partners are critical to keeping the Downtown Flower Program growing and thriving.

street-pole banners We installed 54 new street pole banners just in time to kick off summer events. Through a collaborative design process, we added more vibrancy to our sidewalks by replacing old and faded banners to nearly triple the number of district banners.

historic masonry walking tour Members of our Design Committee secured a a Snohomish County Historic Preservation Grant through the Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to host an Historic Masonry Walking Tour in October. Architect Steve Waite, an internationally-renowned expert in historic brick and stone masonry, led a group of property owners, neighbors, and local historians through Downtown Everett to see examples of masonry in various conditions and provide information about preserving historic buildings.

holiday lighting program With support from the DEP, we expanded our holiday lighting program once again with the addition of two new snowflakes on the 2600 block of Colby (for a total of 20 holiday ornaments!).

We also worked with High Strung Christmas Lights on a pilot program to add tree wraps on that block. The pilot program was made possible by a generous donation of time and materials from Valley Electric to bring power back to the vintage street poles.

public safety task force Public safety conversations are critical to the vitality of Downtown Everett. In 2022, a group of property owners and volunteers formed the new Public Safety Task Force and began regular meetings with City of Everett staff and the Everett Police Department.

economic vitality storefront program In May we hosted a Storefront Seminar presented by the retail experts from Frontdoor Back. In addition, 10 downtown businesses were selected through a competitive application process to receive consultations and reports at no cost to the business. By leveraging Everett Forward Grant funds, even more businesses were selected to receive funds to make physical improvements in the fall. Improvement projects are ongoing in 2023.

entrepreneur education series In September, we launched a series of free seminars and workshops focused on the needs of small businesses in Everett. Speakers have presented on basic business finance, social media strategy, and mental wellness for small business owners with more topics planned for 2023.

ribbon cuttings We started offering ribbon cuttings in May, kicking off with a celebration for Artisans PNW. We went on to host ribbon cuttings for Artisans Books & Coffee, Burkett’s Home + Gift, Petrikor, and Urban Yogis.

new businesses 2022 brought a mix of exciting new businesses to Downtown Everett: • Retail - Artisans PNW, Burkett’s Home + Gift, Cassandra’s Closet, Petrikor • Restaurants - Artisans Books & Coffee, Red Chilly Restaurant • Personal Care - Colby Ave Tattoo, Maintenance Salon • Health & Wellness - Urban Yogis • Services - Think Tank Cowork

investments The newly-constructed Nimbus Apartments opened in December, adding 165 new units to the housing inventory in Downtown Everett. Rehabilitation of the Hodges Building was completed this year, adding dozens more residential units and becoming home to Artisans PNW and Artisans Books & Coffee. Imagine Children’s Museum opened their $25 million expansion in October, doubling the size of the museum by adding three new floors and 12 new galleries.

$12,652,725

$157,858

Private investment reported in 2022

Public investment reported in 2022

organization fundraising mixer We hosted our first fundraising mixer in September with support from the Organization Committee, inviting current and potential donors to learn more about how they can support DEA programs over Happy Hour at Think Tank Cowork.

volunteers This year, 145 community members volunteered for a record 1,052 hours! Volunteers serve in long-term roles on our board and committees, as well as short-term roles supporting our Downtown Flower Program and events like Salty Sea Days and Downtown Trick-or-Treating.

2022 Volunteer of the Year A board member since 2018 and our 2021-2022 DEA Board Secretary, Jordan Stephens is our 2022 Volunteer of the Year.

Jordan is an attorney at Anderson Hunter Law Firm, specializing in municipal and employment law. Her expertise and dedication to the organization have been invaluable as we’ve grown over the last few years - Jordan volunteered more than 50 hours this year alone!

fundraising The Downtown Everett Partners, our 501(c)(3) partner organization, raised $25,000 to support the Downtown Flower Program and Holiday Lighting Program in 2022.

grants DEA was able to secure funding through the Everett Forward Grant, Snohomish County Historic Preservation Grant, WA Main Street photography grant, and City of Everett lodging tax grant this year. Grant funds supported the Storefront Enhancement Program, Historic Masonry Walking Tour, a new Downtown Everett photo library, and Salty Sea Days.

office updates An effort several years in the making, DEA launched a new retirement benefit for all staff in 2022, helping to ensure our compensation remains competitive in the current job market.

In April, we grew our organizational capacity with the hiring of Stephanie Prothero as Office Coordinator. Stephanie served as Chair of our Organization Committee prior to joining our staff and spent more than a decade working for the Downtown Alameda Business Association.

Our entire administrative staff, plus Clean Team Supervisor Cody MacDougall, were able to attend the International Downtown Association (IDA) conference in Vancouver, BC in the spring to learn best practices from other IDA communities. A group of DEA staff and volunteers also attended RevitalizeWA, the WA Main Street annual conference, in Wenatchee in the fall.

promotion events We introduced several new events in 2022, starting with a spring Sip & Shop in early June where attendees enjoyed tasting wines while exploring downtown boutiques. In July, we revived the tradition of Salty Sea Days with a block party featuring a beer garden, live music, and familyfriendly activities. With support from the Downtown Everett Partners (DEP), Downtown Trickor-Treating returned bigger than ever with a street festival and trick-or-treating at downtown businesses. We hosted a second Sip & Shop focused on Wintertide shopping, nearly doubling attendance from the first event.

DEA also provided support for other City of Everett and partner events through marketing, cleaning services, tabling, and business outreach. DEA sponsored Fisherman’s Village Music Festival (co-presenting the Night Market), Cruzin’ 2 Colby, Everett 3on3, Going All City, and Upper Left Beer Fest & Food Truck Festival.

website Our new website, designed by local agency Mill Town Creative, launched in April 2022. With a more community- and visitor-focused design, our new web presence promotes not just DEA, but Downtown Everett as a whole.

our digital community • • • •

Social followers: 5,250 Social reach: 99,000 Newsletter: 3,000 Website views/month: 6,000

2022 finances revenue: $983,738

expenses: $922,197 16%

13%

49%

60%

22%

32%

DID

DID

Everpark Garage

Everpark Garage

Main Street Tax Credit Donations

DEA Programming

Donations & Sponsorship (3%)

Marketing & Events (3%)

Grant Income (1%) Other (1%)

everpark garage DEA worked with the City of Everett on a number of facility upgrades at Everpark Garage. The stairwells received a deep clean and anti-graffiti coating, reducing the amount of labor required to remove future graffiti. New doors and equipment were installed to begin preparations for the upcoming garage automation project. parking garage occupancy by monthly permit sales 105% 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 75%

Jan

Feb

Mar 2019

Apr

May 2020

June

July

Aug 2021

Sep

Oct 2022

Nov

Dec

clean team services In an effort to provide further clarity in the Downtown Improvement District annual billing process, DEA staff created invoice cover sheets to help each property owner identify the properties associated with each invoice received. Additionally, we introduced a new rack card explaining the DID services provided for new business and property owners.

The Clean Team cleaned or removed a total of 2,477 tags in 2022, a more than 20% increase over the 1,937 tags removed in 2021. The crew completed 543 biohazard responses this year and returned 198 shopping carts to stores throughout Everett. Down from previous years, the Clean Team disposed of 7,206 total bags of trash and 754 bags of recycling.

600

avg. bags of trash emptied per month

vs. 657/month average in 2019 vs. 730/month average in 2020 vs. 686/month average in 2021

206

avg. graffiti tags cleaned or removed per month

vs. 125/month average in 2019 vs. 170/month average in 2020 vs. 164/month average in 2021

26th St

Everett Ave

California St

Hewitt Ave

Wall St

Pacific Ave

W.

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2022 donors main street tax credit incentive program participants Aeromech Incorporated Anderson Hunter Law Firm Bayside Floor Supply Blume Keeney Burkett’s Coastal Community Bank Erickson Furniture Co Funko Gaffney Construction Harmsen LLC Heritage Bank Judd & Black

KRKO/KXA North Sound Media Narrative Coffee & Consulting Peoples Bank Perteet, Inc. Port of Everett Priceless Granite Puget Sound Energy Screenprinting NW Thompson Financial Services Toggle’s Bottle Shop Wolfe Plumbing

downtown everett partners donors Visionary - $5,000+ Skotdal Real Estate Influencer - $1,000-2,499 Everett Garden Club Dan Gaffney ETJ, LLC Perteet Inc. Proliance Surgeons Everett Bone & Joint Moss Adams Partner - $500-999 FASTSIGNS Everett OAC Services Jordan Stephens & Matthew Dougherty Friend - $25-99 William McFerren Lynn Nixon Patrick VanderWeyst Kari Quaas 1812 Building, LLC Suzanna McCarthy Snohomish County Public Defenders Association Andrea Tucker-Ernst Elizabeth Dunsire

Catalyst - $2,500-4,999 Patrick Hall Lamoureux Real Estate Steward - $100-499 Patrice Doerr Dan & Amy Eernissee Anne Taylor Liz Stenning Susan & Dallas Carleton Cecile & Simon Stenning Judy Rettenmeir Kim & Bill Conn Scott & Kippy Murphy Sky Carver Paula Rhyne Carrie Saad Tracy Yang Ann Tarleton Clint Bright The Shields Law Firm Corey Margolis Corey Hert Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi Karlee Deatherage Paul Popelka

board of directors Patrick Hall

Dan Eernissee

Jordan Stephens

Craig Skotdal

Bereket Abraha

Dan Gaffney

Lacey Harper

Danielle Lothrop

Corey Margolis

Kern McGee

Maxwell Mooney

Holly Burkett-Pohland

Paul Popelka

Erica Weir

Board President Board Vice President Everett Historical Commission City of Everett Board Treasurer Skotdal Real Estate Snohomish County Perteet, Inc.

Historic Everett

Columbia Bank

Toggle’s Bottle Shop

Narrative Coffee

Board Secretary Anderson Hunter Law Moss Adams

Angel of the Winds Arena Burkett’s

Village Theatre

ratepayer advisory council Lang Nelson

Dan Eernissee

Alan Dorway

Amanda Massena

Jim Staniford

Tia Winch

Co-Chair BlueSteal LLC

Skotdal Real Estate

Co-Chair City of Everett Vintage Cafe

First Presbyterian Church

Imagine Children’s Museum

staff Liz Stenning

Madison Vazquez

Dana Oliver

Stephanie Prothero

Keith Becker

Cody MacDougall

Executive Director liz@downtowneverettwa.org Program Director dana@downtowneverettwa.org Everpark Garage Manager keith@downtowneverettwa.org

downtowneverettwa.org 425-258-0700 1511 26th St Everett, WA 98201 @dteverett

Marketing Manager madison@downtowneverettwa.org Office Coordinator stephanie@downtowneverettwa.org Clean Team Field Supervisor cody@downtowneverettwa.org