The Downtowners’
City Center Newsletter
October 4, 2012
What You Will Find…
□ 2nd ND Downtown Conference
□ Downtown Updates
□ Upcoming Events
□ Association News
2nd Annual ND Downtown Conference
Regional Event Oct 16-17
Nationally, cities are growing faster than suburbs, tech companies are looking to locate offices in urban centers and away from office parks, Millennials (a huge and upcoming generation in America) are overwhelmingly looking to live in Downtowns, city centers are usually the most tax efficient area of a city, and the #1 reason people are attached to their city are the social and culture opportunities presented to them there, not jobs, culture.
Downtowns are at the forefront of development nationwide, and in terms of demand ND is no exception. But how are we capitalizing?
Last year, Dawn and Kate at the Downtowners were looking for networking and urban education opportunities with other Downtown Stakeholders in the region to discuss planning ND Downtowns for this wave of demand. Problem, no such event existed. So they went with the ‘build it and they will come’ theory and organized the Inaugural ND Downtown Conference in November. Attendees from all sized cities with a variety of backgrounds all gathered together to educate themselves on Downtown trends, issues, and best practices from a panel of regional Downtown experts.
And so we gather again! The 2nd Annual ND Downtown Conference is Oct 16-17 inBismarckND. Attendees will learn about Downtown Masterplanning and Implementation, Civic and Economic Impact of Public Spaces, Downtown Management and Leadership, Parking and Transit for Downtowns, and Housing Development for Downtowns. Anyone is welcome to attend, last year city officials, developers, private property owners, architects, business owners, and every manner of Downtown Stakeholder was there. If you work, live, play, or support Downtown development, this is the conference for you. It’s the only one of its kind inNorth Dakota!
Come and network with Downtown Stakeholders in our region and learn about the impact Downtown revitalization is having across the nation and inNorth Dakota.
To download a registration form, see a detailed agenda, or learn about our speaker’s topics visit www.downtownbismarck.com. Registration is $100 for Downtowners members and $125 for non-members. Please contact the Downtowners inBismarck with any questions, see you there!
701-223-1958 – Kate@downtownbismarck.com
Downtown Updates
— At the September 25 Bismarck City Commission meeting, the city determined that the CORE Programs used for Downtown revitalization, can now be used again. What does this mean? Property and business owners can once again apply for the CORE Façade & Signage Grant for their property. Owners or developers looking to create housing in Downtown Bismarck can apply for the Housing Incentive Grant. There are also grants for Sidewalk Subsurface Infill and a Technical Assistance Bank. Please contactBismarck’s Downtown Planner Jason Tomanek or the Downtowners for more information.
— Fire Flour Pizza will be moving into a fixed location in Downtown Bismarck at 111 N 5th St. In the meantime, they will be doing some pizza sidewalk vending every Thursday in October in front of their 5th Street location and Fridays October 12, 19, 26. They plan on opening their fixed location store for take-out in late October and seating inside should open in November. www.fireflourpizza.com.
— Lucky Ducks Deli & Catering on 3rd Street is now hiring. Find out more on Facebook.
— Kittson & 3rd, a boutique in Grand Forks, is currently renovating one level of the former Downtown Furniture building on 4th St into a second location. Find out more about them on Facebook.
— Nicilyn’s, a boutique selling baby goods and kid’s goods, is now open at 111 S 5th St in the former Collector’s Universe space. Find out more about them on Facebook.
— The Bismarck Parking Authority is offering free evening parking in the 3rd and Main Ramp from 4pm to 2am daily through the end of the year. With all the new activity and nightlife in Downtown Bismarck, the ramps will allow the public to enjoy the city center and not have to look for street parking.
How the After Hour Complementary Parking Works: Use the entrance to the 3rd & Main Ramp on 3rd Street. Pull into the ramp and pull a time stamped ticket. The arm will raise and allow the car through to park. When exiting the ramp, simply use the hourly lane and deposit your ticket in the slot, the arm will already be raised to allow the cars to exit. There is no leeway on timing. If you enter at 3:59pm or exit at 2:01am, the customer will be charged the normal hourly rate.
Upcoming events
What’s Shakin Downtown…
Oct 4
1st Thursdays Alive After 5
DowntownBismarck
Oct 6
Comedian Kathleen Madigan
Belle Mehus
October 11-21
Dakota Stage Presents
Jekyll & Hyde
Oct 20
Bis-Man Symphony Presents
Brahm’s First
www.bismarckmandansymphony.org
Thru Oct 27
BAGA Presents
Fall Art Show
Nov 2
Dakota Stage Presents
Comedy Night
Downtowners’ Association News
Organization and member news …
Welcome to our Newest Members!
Accelerate Life Chiropractic & Action Jackson Comics
You can find all of our member’s information at: www.downtownbismarck.com
□ Member BDAC (Bismarck Downtown Artists Co-op) is hosting Freaky Friday’s @ BDAC in October. They’ll have scary movies, open mic night, Monster Musical Mash, October Artist Exhibit and member artist showcases throughout the month! Find them on Facebook for all the spooky details.
□ Member Lillians Shoppe is hosting Pink Out Saturday on October 13 in honor of women fighting cancer. Vivian the Pink Fire Truck will be parked outside Lillians on Saturday from noon-5pm . Come by and sign the truck! There will be a free will donation as well as pink treats and items to buy with a percentage of the proceeds going to Bismarck Cancer Center Foundation.
□ Member Steep Me a Cup of Tea will have a booking signing with author andMandan native Summer Joy Bracken on October 15.
□ Member cedesigns & Yarn Shoppe is hosting Runway Art in Motion at 7pm on November 15 at BAGA. Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door. Call 471-2131 for more information.
□Member Bismarck Public Library is gearing up for Teen Read Week October 14-20. Teens age 13-17 can get their library card fines of up to $10 waived or get a free replacement card at no charge. Call 355-1487 for more info.
□ As we head into October, that means postseason baseball is right around the corner! Member Starion Financial is going to gear up for the World Series with a cookout at Starion Financial in Downtown Bismarck (333 N 4th Street). Join them in the parking lot on October 11 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. They’ll have a lineup of free hot dogs, pop and chips along with a prize for one lucky winner!
Please send all member business news and events to: kate@downtownbismarck.com.
Check the Downtown Business Association’s websites for updated news and events www.downtownbismarck.com or www.bismarckribfest.com.
Please forward this on to people interested in Downtown news!