2022 to 2023 Highlights of Downtown Improvement District
Green & Clean
- Hired full-time gardener fall of 2021
- Designed and replanted over 60 sidewalk beds across Downtown
- Purchased a new 2021 Kubota Utility vehicle with attachments: rotary broom & blade
- Purchased a new used 2015 Polaris Ranger 900EPS
- Created and implemented an online inventory of the sidewalk beds in Downtown with additional information on responsible maintainer party
- 7 tree stumps removed
- 1 Kentucky Coffee Tree planted
- Hired additional clean team personnel fall of 2022
- Purchased of 10 new iron trashcans in the Old Market historic district. 18 plastic trashcans were purchased offered to businesses
- Implemented MaintainX a software platform to track work orders for crew
- 5 dog stations added within Downtown
- Building relationship with Keep Omaha Beautiful
- 9 new cigarette towers purchased along with being awarded 10 through a grant
Activation
- Designed and printed postcards with QR code to event newsletter and maps in hotels, visitor centers, businesses
- Designed and printed Downtown Art Gallery Rack cards for Visitor’s center and galleries
- Held an online Community Forum regarding Downtown Improvements
- Engaged Downtown residents with an informational mailer and invitation to a social held by Old Market Association
- Raised funds with an online auction and applied for grants to maintain Holiday Lights in the Old Market
- Social Media Webinar held for busy business owners
Security
- Extended Holiday lighting during the winter time for increase safety during Daylight Savings
- MECA’s security head joined committee for updates from The RiverFront
- City of Omaha’s Homeless Coordinator joined committee
- Applied for grants to coordinate an effort to improve lighting in alleyways with an Alleyway Lighting Pilot Project
- Hosted a Homelessness Information Security Forum in early 2021 with plans to host a follow up with City Coordinator
- Created daily reports for our Lion’s Gate Security officers to fill out to collect data and see trends
Advocacy
- Applied for CIP funds through City for alley resurfacing ($700K) and tree work ($30k)
- Publicizing a public restroom being built in Gene Leahy Mall at The Riverfront
- Invited the City sidewalk inspector to walk the district and encourage property owners to repair sidewalks; the City moved forward with correcting sidewalks that haven't been fixed yet
- Implemented a resource page on OldMarket.com
- Cut down on some operating expenses - Internet, IT extended support, website support
- Utilized an electronic online voting system to conduct the board elections for 2023 – 2027 seats
Foundation
- Retainer for grant writer
- Awarded Grants:
- America in Bloom - $15,000 for replanting downtown flower beds
- Keep America Beautiful – 10 Cigarette towers
- Grants applied for:
- Visitor’s Incentive Fund for Holiday Lights
- Mayor’s Neighborhood Grant for trees
- Omaha Community Foundation for Alleyway Lighting Pilot Project
- Storz Foundation for art wraps on utility boxes
- Burlington Capital for tree bed guards
- OPPD Greener Together for tree guards
- Quadratec “Energize the Environment” Grant for trees and tree guards
- Bloomberg Public Art Challenge for Imagine OmahART 16th art wraps on utility boxes