Organize the downtown community and advocate its interests.
The Downtown Tempe Community is the official organization of commercial and civic stakeholders of downtown Tempe. Recognized for this role by the City of Tempe and Arizona State University, our responsibility is to serve as a forum for the development of a "consensus of ideas" of the stakeholders and to advocate that consensus. The Downtown Tempe Community holds an important role with our independent partners in the Rio Salado, Papago Park Center, Papago Salado Association, north Tempe neighborhoods and others, that defines our area as a center of quality development in the metropolitan region.
Help make the Mill Avenue District a safer place.
Working with the City of Tempe's Public Works Department, Police Department and City Attorney, we seek to create the reality and meet the expectation of safety for all of our citizens. Through our Downtown Ambassador Program and private security contractor, we serve as crowd watchers and crime reporters for the police. We work with the City through our baseline services agreement to ensure that the maintenance and care of the physical place is conducive to safety. Planning with the City Attorney, we seek ordinances that advance our "Fixing Broken Windows" strategy of order and civility in the public space. Working with our private property owners, we seek cooperation on interdependent security issues. The Downtown Tempe Community will work with our partners and independently to address issues of safety in the downtown.
Work to develop excellent and convenient access to the downtown.
The Downtown Tempe Community continues to work with our partners at the City of Tempe, Arizona State University, ADOT and the Maricopa Association of Governments to develop the downtown as a pedestrian-dominated regional transportation center. We work towards improved city-wide and regional bus transit service, local circulators like the FLASH service and its extensions, and improved automobile access and information systems. We are assisting in the planning of a local and regional light-rail system that will center in downtown Tempe. The Downtown Tempe Community, with our City of Tempe, and private sector partner, takes the leadership role in the effective management and development of parking. We work to ensure there is adequate, accessible, universally-validated public parking throughout the downtown.
Be a leader in the growth of the downtown economy.
The Downtown Tempe Community envisions a development strategy that strengthens the Mill Avenue District and our surrounding environment's employment base, residential opportunities, arts and cultural offerings, hospitality and convention facilities, and reputation as a location for corporate headquarters. This strategy will build an independent downtown economy that is less vulnerable to economic cycles, outside competitors, and other events. The Downtown Tempe Community continues to seek out unique retailers, restaurants and other businesses that support differentiating ourselves from other destinations in the metropolitan region.
Create and market an image for the Mill Avenue District.
The Downtown Tempe Community is responsible for articulating a positive image with an incredible collection of unique assets that define downtown Tempe. In the short term, we continue to focus our marketing efforts on our "captured", or primary, customer markets consisting of ASU students, ASU faculty and staff, downtown workers, nearby residents and workers. The near future will have us focus on targeting niche markets within these captured markets, primarily at Rio Salado and at Papago Park Center. Working with the Insight Bowl, ASU and other event producers, we will use special events, sports and cultural activities to market the District to a regional audience. Working with our partners at the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau, we support efforts in marketing the District to the visitor and convention market.
Plan for the future of the Mill Avenue District.
The Downtown Tempe Community will be supportive of our partners in planning for the Mill Avenue District and its surrounding environment. Advocating a quality, pedestrian-dominated urban design, we will seek out development that fits downtown Tempe. We will encourage higher density and vertical development that is compatible with the intimate human scale that defines our District, meets our self-sustaining economic goals, supports our transportation vision and has a unique balance of mixed uses.
Experience and Events - making magic happen.
The Downtown Tempe Community makes recommendations for future planning by developing policy and strategic goals to create a unique and culturally vibrant experience, making the Mill Avenue District the center of entertainment in the Valley. In an effort to inspire creative solutions to downtown vibrancy and enhance economics year-round, we recruit event professionals who work regularly with downtown stakeholder constituencies. We present not only events, but also foster magical, leading-edge experiential projects, making us leaders in the Mill Avenue District event Management.