2018 New Year’s Resolutions From Downtown Arcadia

DAIA Board Members pose in front of the prototype for 20 new bike racks coming soon to the Downtown Arcadia commercial district
– Photo by MJ Finstrom, HUTDogs

Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association Board of Directors

Happy New Year and welcome to the 2018 kick-off edition of our Highlighting Downtown Arcadia column, a twice monthly update from the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association (DAIA) on district activities and events.  For this week’s column, let’s gaze into our crystal ball and see what the DAIA has planned for the coming year.

First up, beautification efforts and sidewalk improvements.  We are happy to announce that 20 new bike racks are in production and scheduled for installation this spring.  The green colored racks will feature a central custom “Downtown Arcadia” logo.  Racks will be spread out evenly through the district on both Huntington Drive and First Avenue.  Another beautification effort we are hoping to implement in 2018 is year-round decorative lighting.  The holiday lights look really great and so why not have something similar year round. Finally, the DAIA is exploring district-wide sidewalk pressure washing to help beautify the area. If feasible, this could be done done periodically on First Ave and Huntington Drive.

Next up in our 2018 preview are Downtown Arcadia events.  The annual Patriotic Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday June 30^th.  Exact location is being finalized. Festivities will include live music, food trucks, activities for kids, and other patriotic fun.  In October, the annual Downtown Arcadia Halloween event will be back with costumes, trick-or-treating, and prizes.  Then in December, the annual holiday market will be back with indie vendors and artisanal wares. Please let us know your thoughts and any ideas you have to improve these events in 2018.  We are always accepting new volunteers as well to help plan and staff the festivities.

Third up on our preview is marketing initiatives for the year.  The DAIA will continue production and distribution of promotional Downtown Arcadia maps to nearby hotels, community hubs, and events. Volunteers will be at each Downtown Arcadia event handing out district branded promotional items.  MJ Finstrom of HUTdogs will continue her fabulous digital (and other) marketing efforts for the area. We also hope to continue this twice monthly “Highlighting Downtown Arcadia” column in the Arcadia Weekly on district happenings.

Finally for 2018, the DAIA will continue our business attraction and retention efforts.  This includes advocating on behalf of existing downtown businesses and property owners. Secondarily, helping bring new businesses to the area to fill vacancies – preferably those that will attract additional patrons to the area to shop at other businesses.  Also, promoting and supporting new mixed-use development near the Metro Gold Line Station is an important advocacy goal.

When January 2019 rolls around in 12 months, we hope to look back on 2018 with a sense of accomplishment and progress for Downtown Arcadia.  If you are interested in getting involved with the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association, we would love to have you as part of the team.  Contact Donna Choi at donna@downtownarcadia.org for more info.

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