Economic Vitality Committee
Economic Vitality strengthens a community’s existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base.
The Main Street organization helps sharpen the competitiveness of existing business owners, helps to foster entrepreneurial start-ups and expansions, and recruits compatible new businesses and new economic uses to build a commercial district to create jobs and to respond to today’s consumers’ needs. Converting unused or underused commercial space into economically productive property also helps boost the profitability and sales tax revenue of the district.
Responsibilities
Building up local economies by expanding the role entrepreneurs and innovation play downtown.
Strengthening existing businesses and recruiting new ones
Infrastructure reuse—finding new economic uses for traditional Main Street buildings.
Developing financial incentives and capital for business improvement and retail operations layout
Source: 2020 Revised Main Street Guide
Click image to access full work plan.
Members
Tess Goulet, Goodfellow Bros.
Kirstin Larsen, City of Wenatchee
Cory Wray, Mercantile
Tyler Witthuhn, Swenson Say Faget Engineers
Marc Hart, King Pizza
Kari Johnson, Laura Mounter Real Estate
Kevin Vitulli, Banner Bank
Russell Speidel, Speidel Bentsen Law
Hal Signett, Mountain Chick Floral
Brooke Lammert, Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority
Travis Hornby, Pybus Public Market
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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If you would like to be considered for a position on the WDA Board of Directors, please apply via the link below.