The amount of positive, daily feedback received from a wide spectrum of employees, business owners, residents, and visitors assures us that our services are making downtown better and more attractive for all to come and experience. A survey of downtown employees (after just three months of DID services) highlighted a 25% improvement in the perception of downtown's cleanliness, and a 14% improvement in how safe people felt. We won't rest on our early success. We will keep looking for ways to make downtown better. SOme of our exciting initiatives are highlghted in this newsletter.
A Greener Downtown
Greater Minneapolis is internationally known for its tree?lined streets and beautiful outdoor amenities, and DID is bringing more of that same green into downtown. We’ve started along the heavily pedestrian streets of Nicollet, Hennepin, First Ave N and 5th, 7th, and 9th Streets, and in future years, we’ll develop more locations for permanent plantings. Our design team (Damon Farber Associates, Tangletown Gardens, and Arteka Companies) has developed a master plan, showing how DID, public, private, and nonprofit entities must work together to soften the gray edges of downtown and make our City a more vibrant and inviting place to be. Let’s all focus on our role for making downtown green – storefronts, parking lots, new development, and public infrastructure projects ? all contribute to the downtown environment. DID has a 20 year vision, and it is inspiring. Look for the full 20 year greening plan on our website later this year.
Want to green but don’t know how? Let DID be a resource for you! Contact Beth Shogren with questions or comments. We are currently developing a resource guide for property owners that will provide inspiration, ideas, sources, and specifications to help you. Look for that by year’s end – just in time to think about 2011!
THANKS! Generous contributions to the greening program enable DID to do more! The following companies sponsored Nicollet Mall planters this year: Brookfield Properties, Inland/IDS, Xcel Energy, and The 614 Company.
WOW! Several donors responded to a call to beautify Peavey Plaza: Ameriprise Financial, Brookfield Properties, HGA Architects, James Dayton Design, Julia Dayton, Sam Grabarski, The Minneapolis Foundation, Minneapolis Parks Foundation, Pohlad Family Foundation, Tangletown Gardens, and US Bank.
CHEERS to the following organizations and individuals that have planted and maintained the 3rd Avenue medians, which make that corridor a beautiful place to walk, bike, or drive: Accenture, Ameriprise Financial, David Valentini and Deb Unger, Tangletown Gardens, and Ryan Companies.
KUDOS to those doing an exceptional job of beautifying their properties this year: The Local, Block E, Masa, Seven, Vincent, Brits,Dakota, Target Corporation, Ryan Companies, 5th Street Towers Marquette Plaza, Ameriprise Financial, Hines Companies, Orchestra Hall, David Valentini & Deb Unger, Hennepin County The Loring Greenway Association, US Bancorp Center, Thrivent, US Bank Plaza,and many, many others.
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