Dbq Main St Review & Preview DUBUQUE
2001 Calendar Year Review
&'02/03 Preview
DESIGN
Facade Renovations
Building Rehabilitations
New Construction Projects
Real Estate Sales
Public Improvement Projects
Total Reported Investments
2001 2000
$133,630 $150,860
$3,430,900 $3,200,645
$1,800,000 $11,000,000
$6,143,990 $6,033,133
$682,316 $745,600
$12,190,836 $21,130,238
After the three charter downtown banks joined with Premier in improving the Dubuque Main Street Low
Interest Loan Pool, by including purchase price (with a required rehabilitation clause) in 2000, the four
-banks re-upped the ante in September 2001. Main Street Iowa also joined with the Iowa Finance
Authority and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) to offer a new program tied to the rate the FI{LB
lends to its best banks. This new low interest program gives downtown property owners a new alternative
sometimes more attractive than our local program.
In 2001 Main Street continued work on our Upper Level Living/reuse/facade focus, with twelve one
-on-one design assistance visitations by our Des Moines architect. A new rehabilitation packet was
also introduced.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT
New Businesses
· · Relocation to Main Street District
· .~ Space Expansion
Relocation within Main Street District
Moved Out of Main Street District
Businesses Closed
Net Businesses to District
24 22
5 3
6 12
10 17
-18 -22
-10 -22
+1 -19
Net Gain (Loss) in Employees to District +294 +88
After two years of net losses, downtown saw a small, but positive net gain in businesses. With the
momentum of the Riverfront, the reorganization of our central likely has turned the comer and the right
mix of businesses seems to be evolving. Also evidence of the "right mix" is the fact that in 2001 we
experienced very strong employment gains in a nationally down year. Now completely offsetting the
t999 losses due to the relocation of Advanced Data Corn and the Gannon Center, the city center saw a
net gain of 294 employees. This was obviously based on business expansion, not in our net increase of
one business.
ORGANIZATION
Dubuque Main Street Ltd. realized another record number of volunteer hours by individuals representing
a wide range of businesses and organizations. With Vision Downtown work, volunteer hours totaled 4079
in 2001, up again from a record 3404 in 2000.
909 Main Street * Suite 22LL, Fischer Building · Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Phone: 563-588-4400 ° Fax: 563-588-0654 ° E-mail:dbqmainst@mwci.net
Main Street assumed a leading role in the organization of the Vision Downtown process, including planning,
funding and the securing of the consultant and keynote speaker. The organization saw downtown Dubuque
projects receive state Main Street and preservation awards for upper floor rehabilitation, business/financial
assistance pro,am, public improvement project, and volunteerism.
On behalf of the City, Main Street continues to manage both the Farmer's Market and the Town Clock
Plaza. Farmers' Market had increased vendor participation again in 2001, and Main Street was able to
secure a small Iowa Department of Agriculture grant to increase promotion and close one block of Iowa
Street on Saturdays in response market patrons and management's request.
Main Street also currently has representation on the following "committees:" The City,s Economic
Development Team; the Comprehensive Downto~vn Plan Task Fome and two subcommittees (emerging
from the Housing Action Conference); the City's Affordable, Owner-Occupied Housing Task Fome and
its Downtown Upper Level Living Subcommittee; the City's Event Protocol Task Force; the Plaza
design committee; the Enterprise Zone Commission; the City's Parking Advisory and Citizens with
Disabilities Parking Review Committees; Clarke College's Dubuque: Everyone's Neighborhood
Workforce Education & Development Taskforce; the Chamber's Directional Signage Committee, the
Convention & Visitors Bureau's Advisory Board and Festivals Committee; the Volunteer Recruitment
Partnership with the 365 Citizen's Network; and the Dubuque Cultural Alliance.
We have also successfully introduced our program to build a relationship with youth throughout
Dubuque, already hosting tours and speakers for local schools.
PROMOTION
As always, promotion remains a strength of Dubuque Main Street. Main Street manages such diverse
projects as Dubuque & All That Jazz (stretching our boundaries with another all-time record-breaking
crowd in 2001), The Historic Old Main Event (obtaining a small grant from the Iowa Department of
Cultural Affairs, enabling us to transform this family gathering into a heritage festival), The Downtown
Business PM, Farmers' Market, the Downtown Cleanup, the Savor the Flavors of Downtown Sidewalk
Sale, Downtown Banners, and Christmas Decorations.
Main Street served in a key capacity on the City's Event Protocol task force, leading to a more efficient
plaoning process for public events and more community-minded requiremems for event organizers, Main
Street also assists with the organization of Taste of Dubuque, Dubuquefest, Riverfest, the Cable Car
Square Chili Cook-off, the Cable Car Square Candle Walk, Rock-the-Clock, the Mitlenium Ball,
Summerfest, and other downtown parades and events.
While Dubuque Main Street will continue to develop areas already considered successful, the following
points will receive particular attention in the next year:
1) Main Street will assume an even larger role than it did for Vision Downtown, as the vision becomes a
Comprehensive Plan in 2002/2003.
2)
In conjunction with our current commitment to assist property owners in rehabilitating their upper level
living space and to a~act entities to the area to fill those vacancies, the Main Street director will work
with City Building & Housing staff, as well as representatives fi.om the private sector, through the City's
Affordable, Owner-Occupied Housing Task Force, to develop pro,ams to enhance downtown housing
oppommities. This project may include a pilot condo project and other assistance pro,ams. Promoting of
the upper level living space will become a major focus as soon as city staff and the Main Street board feel
there is a significant supply of mixed-market space available. -,
3)
4)
S)
6)
7)
8)
9)
As it premiered in September 2001, Dubuque Main Street Ltd. will once again promote our low interest
loan program, including both a rehabilitation and purchase price component, as we have bank
commitments through the end of 2002. Main Street will also promote the new statewide upper level
rehab loan program recently introduced by the Federal Home Loan Bank.
Main Street will continue its reinvigorated commitment to micro recruiting small businesses (1-15
employees) to our five districts. Our focus will be on specialty retailers and technology business, as is the
trend nationwide.
Main Street will also explore establishing a "library" of resources consistent with the Main Street
mission/the four points (books, periodicals, reports, audio and video tapes, etc.) for business and building
owners/managers to borrow. We have the ability to be a stronger resource in the future. This goal should
also include encouraging stakeholders to use and complete projects through our complimc~ntary design
assistance program.
The Upper Main Street area will continue to be the number one district to receive additional attention
from the Main Street director in fiscal 2003, to determine if we can facilitate bringing this diverse
neighborhood together for improvement projects.
With our effort to increase volunteerism a success, we will now push to diversify and broaden this
generous base in order to bring new businesses and organizations into specific projects. Specifically, we
have entered a partnership with the Dubuque 365 Citizens Network, the Dubuque County Historical
Society, and others in enhancing the quality of life component of living and ~vork/ng in Dubuque in
creating a community involvement database.
Additional work will be done to refine and expand our "youth-focus" program, designed for enhancement
of the next generation's appreciation of Dubuque's history. We have purchased technological equipment
to help us virtually bring history, design, and rehabilitation into the classrooms and clubrooms of
Dubuque. This is another way to assist other local programming in keeping our human resource here, and
if the youth leave Dubuque for advanced education, helping to instill a desire to come back "home" to
work.
.With the help of the above-mentioned grant, Main Street will enhance publicity and the number of special
events for Farmers' Market in an attempt to strengthen the value of the merchants' time and monetary
investmants. We will solidify parmerships with the "brick and mortar" private sector to expand
promotion and participation in the market, and we will close Iowa Street from 12th to 13th Streets on
Saturdays for safety and convenience.
During the coming year, Dubuque Main Street will maintain a presence on planning and evaluation
groups for as many downtown programs as possible, as is documented in the organizational retrospective
of the year 200 I.