January 30, 2024 |
Photo – Night view of Rawlins downtown – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Rawlins Downtown Development Authority recently provided the city council with an end of year update.
Since 1991, the Rawlins Downtown Development Authority has worked to revitalize the city’s shopping district by focusing on attracting and marketing small businesses. In 2006, Pam Thayer became the executive director of Rawlins DDA Mainstreet. In her time as director, Thayer has received several awards for her work promoting the city’s downtown shopping district, including the 2011 Supervisor of the Year award and the 2012 Small Business Champion.
At the January 16th Rawlins city council meeting, Executive Director Thayer provided a report detailing her organization’s accomplishments in 2023. Thayer said the long-awaited opening of the outdoor splash pad at Depot Park was a success.
Thayer said DDA Mainstreet sponsored fewer events in 2023. However, Thayer said due to a staffing shortage, the DDA board of directors chose to focus on a smaller number of events.
Thayer said eight new businesses opened in the city’s downtown shopping district last year. The DDA executive director said 79 businesses are now operating in downtown Rawlins.
Thayer said her organization raised $69,500 through fundraising and grants in 2023. Thayer said the money is exclusively used to host promotional events and pay for downtown improvements.
Thayer said DDA Mainstreet volunteers donated 3,988 hours to her organization. While the number of volunteer hours did not break the record, Thayer said DDA Mainstreet still saved roughly $100,000 in labor costs.
Thayer said Rawlins DDA Mainstreet relies on the hard work and dedication of its volunteer staff.
Thayer said one of the most effective promotional tools at her disposal is the DDA Mainstreet website. The executive director said 6,488 people visited downtownrawlins.org last year. Thayer said in 2022, the DDA Mainstreet website received approximately half as many visits, at 3,081.
Thayer said 45 small businesses took advantage of DDA Mainstreet’s Business Innovation Hub in 2023. The executive director said a lack of staffing limited the number of businesses she could help.
Thayer talked about the Gems of the Downtown program. Now in its second year, Gems of the Downtown is an annual investment program that allows donors to support specific DDA Mainstreet projects. Thayer said Gems of the Downtown raised $70,000 in 2023. The executive director said she’ll provide an itemized report to the council at a later date.
In her presentation, Thayer said DDA Mainstreet continued its downtown beautification program in 2023 with the community banner project and flowerpot decorations.
Thayer also mentioned the downtown lighting project that was completed in the beginning of December. Color-changing LED lights were installed on all the light poles in the city’s downtown business district. Mayor Terry Weickum said the lights were his personal favorite project DDA Mainstreet has done.
Thayer also said HF Sinclair generously donated a side-by-side UTV to her organization last year.
