About ADP

Mission Statement: To increase cleanliness, occupancy rates, investment values and lease income; to decrease crime and increase safety; to stimulate economic growth, civic engagement, and development; and, to improve the quality of life in downtown Anchorage.

Vision: Downtown is essential to the success of Anchorage

Core Purpose: To assure a vibrant, safe & clean downtown

Core Values:

• Stewardship
• One Voice
• Partnership
• Service
• Everyone’s downtown

First Objective in Articles of Incorporation: To pursue, without pecuniary profit, and in the most cost-effective manner, planning and operating activities to improve the cleanliness, attractiveness, marketability, and safety of Downtown Anchorage. 

Anchorage’s Downtown Improvement District spans 122 square blocks from 1st to 9th Avenue and from Gambell Street to L Street.

In 1996, downtown property owners successfully petitioned the Assembly to establish the Downtown Improvement District (DID). The District is funded through an assessment of 1.5 mills ($1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value) collected by the Municipality. This applies to all properties except government-owned (city, state, federal), churches, nonprofit religious, charitable or educational organizations, and owner-occupied single-family homes.

The DID was created to improve downtown’s cleanliness, reduce crime, boost property values, increase occupancy and lease rates, and stimulate economic development—ultimately enhancing quality of life downtown. While exemptions for government and nonprofit properties reduce total assessments by more than 33%, several exempt property owners with major holdings contribute a fee-in-lieu of assessment. These contributions are critical to ADP’s financial sustainability and ability to deliver services throughout the District.

Anchorage’s Downtown Improvement District was the first in Alaska, although thousands of others exist in the United States and throughout the world. In 2010, the DID was expanded to include the two western-most blocks from I past L Street.

ADP is governed by a Board of Directors. Any voting member or designated representative is eligible to seek election to the Board. Directors are active ADP members who are elected annually at the regular annual meeting of the membership. One owner of each assessed downtown property (as determined by parcel number) and one representative from each active voluntary business membership has one vote in ADP’s annual elections. Per ADP’s Bylaws, the Board Chair may appoint up to five voting members, who must stand for election for a full term at the next annual election. ADP also has up to eight non-voting ex-officio members who serve on the Board. ADP holds regular board meetings five times per year and keeps correct and complete minutes of membership meetings and the proceedings of its Board of Directors.

In addition, ADP hosts an Annual Meeting of the membership on a date in each year designated by the Board of Directors. The annual membership meeting is usually held in early December, and mailed notices are sent to all current members (notice is also sent out through newsletters and the website).