A Message to City Businesses from the DDA Chair

January 22, 2025

Greetings Avondale Estates Businesses,

My name is Dave Deiters, and I am the Chair of the Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority (DDA). My wife Susie and I have lived in the same house on Clarendon Avenue since 1991. Recently, both of our children and their families moved to Avondale as well. Like many of you, I love our city and am quite vested in its long-term well-being – which is dependent on a healthy, thriving downtown.

The DDA and the Downtown Master Plan

The residential side of Avondale Estates was carefully designed by George Willis, Avondale Estates’ founder.  He was just beginning to work on a design for the Central Business District (CBD) when he passed away.  About 10 years ago, the city developed a Downtown Master Plan (DMP) which set the vision for our CBD’s development, which we had never before had. I joined the DDA eight years ago, in large part to help achieve the vision of this plan.

We are making progress.

Implementing this plan is not a short-term undertaking. It has required planning, investment and a lot of work on infrastructure-type projects that don’t yield immediate results–but they DO yield the creation of a more attractive downtown for businesses and their customers.

Working Through Transformation

The Complete Streets Project on U.S. 278 (E. College Avenue/N. Avondale Road) is a critical piece of our long-term strategy. The benefits are obvious: a more attractive, landscaped “Main Street” with wide sidewalks, a bike lane and most importantly (at least to this grandpa) multiple safe crosswalks connecting the residential part of our city to the downtown which will encourage more residential foot-traffic in our businesses.

We understand this important project has been disruptive for our businesses and your customers and some of you have experienced a hit in customer visits and revenue. It is important to me personally and my fellow board members to support our existing businesses not just now but on an ongoing basis.

So, What is the DDA Doing for our Businesses?

• Regular Construction Updates: We anticipated this disruption and have worked hard to communicate with our businesses to help them prepare.

• “We’re Open” Campaign: We invested in “We’re Open” signs to remind customers that our downtown is open for business despite the construction.

• Shop Local Throw Down: We launched the Shop Local Throw Down competition, encouraging residents to go out of their way to support our business now when they are most needed. We continually remind our residents that supporting our businesses is the most important thing they can do to ensure the businesses well-being.

• Funding for the Zine: The DDA helped fund the Avondale Estates Business Association’s production of the high-quality publication The Verge, which highlights businesses, arts and events in Avondale Estates. This publication is fresh off the press and available in the businesses.

• A Dedicated Marketing Professional: We added a full-time marketing professional to our staff whose sole job is to promote our downtown and its businesses. She is amplifying their messages through social media and running citywide promotions with the single objective of driving customers into our city and our businesses.

• Microgrants for Businesses: Effective January 2025, we are funding and launching a microgrant program for our businesses. This program will allow our business owners to quickly obtain up to $2,000 to invest in their businesses. Learn about the MICROGRANTS PROGRAM and how to APPLY.

Programs to drive customers to our businesses are the only real and tangible way we can help. We cannot legally help with normal operating expenses, although I hope your landlords (the property owners) recognize this short-term difficulty and are willing to grant some rent relief, similar to what some did in the COVID era.

We want our business owners to be here to enjoy the benefits of this important undertaking and thrive long-term in our more beautiful, pedestrian-friendly, and inviting downtown.

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to celebrating with each of you when we cut the ribbon.

Dave Deiters

Chair of the Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority (DDA)