About
We believe downtown is a place for everyone.
The Wenatchee Downtown Association is a 501(c)3 organization in the heart of downtown Wenatchee with a mission to preserve, strengthen, and enrich Historic Downtown Wenatchee for all. We make significant investments into our community, spearheading projects that enhance the vibrancy and appeal of downtown Wenatchee. Our vision is to champion the vitality and diversity of new and existing businesses, honor our history, and ensure our Downtown is the pinnacle of experience and opportunity.
We participate in the Washington Main Street Program and Main Street America, under the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation, to preserve and revitalize our downtown district.
Core Values
Vitality (Economic & Social): We support a thriving downtown where businesses, residents, and visitors can grow and stay connected.
Preserve History: We protect and celebrate our downtown’s history to keep its unique character alive for future generations.
Welcoming & Inviting: We create a friendly, inclusive downtown where everyone feels valued and welcome.
Integrity: We lead with honesty and fairness, making decisions that serve our community’s best interests.
Communication: We keep our community informed and connected through open, clear, and respectful communication.
About Main Street
The Wenatchee Downtown Association has been a proud member of the Washington State Main Street Program since 1992.
The Main Street Approach is a community-driven, comprehensive program that is used to revitalize older, traditional business districts throughout the United States. It is a common-sense way to address the variety of issues and problems that face traditional business districts. The underlying premise of the Main Street approach is to encourage economic development within the context of historic preservation in ways appropriate to today's marketplace. The Main Street Approach advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, and the rebuilding of traditional commercial districts based on their unique assets: distinctive architecture, a pedestrian-friendly environment, personal service, local ownership, and a sense of community.
Get involved
The Wenatchee Downtown Association is constantly seeking volunteers to join us! If you're interested, we encourage you to explore our committee options, apply for a future board position, or contact us directly to learn more about other opportunities.
-
Outreach involves building a Main Street framework that is well represented by business and property owners, bankers, citizens, historic preservationists, entrepreneurs, public officials, chambers of commerce, and other local economic development organizations. Everyone must work together to renew downtown. A strong organization provides the structure and stability to build and maintain a long-term effort.
-
Promotion creates excitement and vibrancy downtown. Street festivals, parades, retail events, and image development campaigns are some of the ways Main Street provides education on what’s downtown and encourages customer traffic. Promotion involves marketing an enticing image to shoppers, investors, and visitors.
-
Design enhances the look and feel of the commercial district. Historic building rehabilitation, street and alley clean-up, landscaping, street furniture, signage, visual merchandising and lighting all improve the physical image of the downtown as a quality place to shop, work, walk, invest in, and live. Design improvements result in a reinvestment of public and private dollars to downtown.
-
Economic Vitality involves analyzing current market forces to develop long-term solutions. Recruiting new businesses, creatively converting unused space for new uses, and sharpening the competitiveness of Main Street’s traditional merchants are examples of economic vitality activities.
-
If you would like to be considered for a position on the WDA Board of Directors, please apply via the link below.