A Note From PDC’s Executive Director

We hope everyone is staying healthy and safe in this crazy mixed-up time. We understand that things are still changing, and we are all learning how to respond in the best way possible to be of assistance to our local businesses and non-profit partners. The priority for Monday, becomes irrelevant by Friday. And by the next Monday, you have new priorities.

As individuals, we all have a role – whether it’s helping a neighbor in need, making a contribution to our local food pantry, or supporting and promoting our favorite small businesses. As organizations, our role is evolving, as we are expected to instantly learn new programs, regulations, even as they are changing and evolving. We’re learning to be adaptable, and the benefit that has to those we serve. We at PDC want to use this moment to remind our membership that we’re here to help where we can. We’re here to lend an ear, point you in the (hopefully) right direction, or offer helpful advice – please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone of us.

Now, more than ever it seems like the roles we play in our communities are being recognized. That our local Main Street and Elm Street programs are seen as the convener, the conduit, the bridge that unites the private, public and non-profit sectors in our communities. That you are all seen as the glue, and without that glue, we are left with separate, disparate parts. This is your time to shine, and shine you are! We are hearing from many of you with your stories of ingenuity and resourcefulness – of innovative partnerships and creative solutions. This is our time to reinvent what the future holds.

We need some assistance from all of you. There are a few quick items that we are asking for you to provide for us, some immediately, some in the next few weeks.

• First of all, we are asking for you to tell us what you’ve identified as your Transformation Strategies – The National Main Street Center’s Main Street Approach is focused on market-driven and asset-based transformation strategies that form the foundation of your revitalization effort’s vision statement. These transformation strategies should be serving as the basis for your five-year action plan, your marketing efforts, and your business development, retention and recruitment efforts. Please complete this quick survey and return it to katietyson@padowntown.org.
• Secondly, we are asking all of you to keep a list of the things that you wished you would have had in place or at your fingertips during this crisis. Some of these items can be remedied immediately, and you may already be taking action, but some may be related to longer term planning, that may not be able to be remedied immediately. Just hold on to this list – we will be requesting it in the future.
• Thirdly, please fill-out this excel sheet to list out any of your local businesses who applied for the DCED Working Capital Access (CWCA) Program loan.
• If you haven’t done so already, we are asking that each and every DCED Designated and PDC Recognized program completes a Manager’s Salary Survey.
• For anyone who may be interested in being part of PDC’s Recovery and Resiliency Task Force – it is not too late. If you are interested, and you have not signed up yet, please email juliefitzpatrick@padowntown.org. We anticipate that we will collectively consider questions and strategies including, but not limited to the following: How can we best help you once businesses and downtowns can all be open again? Campaigns such as: “Open Again for Businesses” – “Dining Downtown” – “Celebrating Connectedness”- direct marketing; graphic design to communities; assistance to local governments – physical improvements, café ordinances, public spaces, parking moratorium; dealing with vacancies; lingering reluctance to go out for a while; etc.

Thank you to all of you for going above and beyond in your own communities!

We will get through this – and it’s my hope that we will be stronger and more united than ever before.

In solidarity,

Julie