Programs & Advocacy

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At Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd., we envision downtown as a vibrant, welcoming and cultural place for businesses, workers, residents and visitors. It is a consistently unique and diverse experience with something for everyone. It is a place that connects businesses and provides accessible sidewalks free from snow and ice year-round! Creating and maintaining an inviting, clean and safe downtown takes commitment and passion. Through a combination of public policy advocacy, research, place making and direct services, we are creating a healthy, vibrant downtown.

Creating programs and initiatives that increase the vibrancy of our community is something we do year-round. This brings new visitors into downtown while stimulating economic development of our downtown businesses and creating an enjoyable place full of a variety of activities for residents of our community.

We take pride that no other neighborhood in or around Anchorage can provide a more unique and diverse experience, on a consistent basis.

Sponsor a Trash Can Downtown!
Help adorn our city by sponsoring a NEW Trash Can in downtown Anchorage! We are looking for sponsors to help pay for the decoration and upkeep of each container for a total of 2 years. We have the ability to take each artist’s work or photography and create a wrap that can be replaced if tarnished or destroyed. Each Trash Can will showcase your very own artwork or support the work of a local artist! Decorating each can will help beautify the sidewalks of Downtown Anchorage and showcase our city in a unique way. We look forward to working with you! Read more to view the sponsorship packet.

If you’re interested in sponsoring or need assistance with artwork, please contact Jennifer Adams at jen.ancartist@gmail.com.

For additional information, please contact us at info@anchoragedowntown.org.

Click HERE to view a PDF of the sponsorship packet.

Winter City Lighting

Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. and our downtown partner organizations have identified increased lighting as a key issue in improving public safety in Anchorage, especially in the dark winter months and when there is little snow to reflect existing light. Adding exterior lights to businesses and residences is an easy and effective way to increase safety and walkability of the city during the wintertime. In addition, the extra light creates an inviting atmosphere into business storefronts encouraging shoppers and locals to visit and shop at our small, local businesses.

The City of Lights is a longtime tradition in Anchorage, starting in 1994, where residents and business owners were encouraged to display white lights on their buildings throughout the winter, while light poles on streets and sidewalks were wrapped with lights to enhance visibility and holiday spirit on major thoroughfares. In recent years the program was cut because of budget constraints.

In 2020, to safely celebrate the season as a community, our annual Holiday Tree Lighting event moved to a month-long light up activation: Light Up Downtown. Proudly sponsored by ConocoPhillips-Alaska, and generously supported by Kendall Toyota of Anchorage, Alaska Airlines, Chugach Electric, Beacon Media, Anchorage Parks and Recreation, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Gage Tree Services, Alaska Concert Association, and iHeartMedia Inc., Light Up Downtown symbolizes our community coming together to find the light in a difficult time.

Mural Creation

Hope Wall Mural Project

In summer 2021, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. partnered with renowned Alaskan artist, Steve Gordon, to create an original, community-painted mural in downtown Anchorage. After the initial design was created by Gordon, members of the community were invited to Town Square Park to help paint the mural. Like a giant paint by number, volunteer painters filled in four-foot square sections of mural fabric with artists supervising the painting tables. After the panels were completed, Gordon and his Dream Team of volunteers mounted the panels on the western wall of the Hafling Building on the corner of 7th Avenue and E Street for all of Anchorage to enjoy.

In the words of the artist, Steve Gordon: “The explosion of botanical life that emerges in Alaska once the snow of winter has been burned away by the returning sun seemed an apt metaphor for the return of life post-Covid. Hope is an internal resource that sustains people during times of trial like a worldwide pandemic. The gathering together of all the different wildflowers shows the beauty that exists in our diversity as people from all walks of life gather together. The ribbons the birds carry to the light express the shared hopes of the community. What five words most express your core ideals? What kind of person would you like to become? What are your hopes for Anchorage? “The Hope Wall” is a reminder to the community of what we are for.” These thoughts were gathered from the community and were incorporated into the mural.

Learn more about the unique process of a community paint by number and the extensive community involvement in this project. 

 

4th Avenue Theatre Facade

The 4th Avenue Theatre is the iconic downtown building, located in the heart of historic 4th Avenue. The Theatre lacked a tenant and fell victim to vandalism in 2019. In order to help put a brighter face on this icon of downtown, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. worked with local photographers and the University of Alaska to compile historic photos of the Theatre and 4th Avenue that could be blown up into larger than life murals covering the previously boarded-up doors and windows.

The finished mural project, printed and co-sponsored by Graphic Works, is already a huge hit along 4th Avenue. Sponsors of the mural project include: Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd., Peach Investments LLC, Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, Polar Bear Gifts, Anchorage City Trolley Tours, and MA’s Gourmet Dogs.

Facade Improvements

As a core value, Anchorage Downtown Partnership assists Downtown property owners to help improve the cleanliness and outward appearance of downtown; to help decrease crime; to increase occupancy rates, investment values and lease income; and to generally stimulate economic development and improve the quality of life in downtown.

We supports the concept that design, brand and outward appearance of our community impacts our visitors view of whether downtown Anchorage is a vibrant, unique and welcoming neighborhood. We encourage our downtown stakeholders to take pride in their buildings and Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. is always looking for grants and partnerships to assist property owners to keep their facades up to date, clean and welcoming.

We provide supplemental services such as graffiti removal to assist property and business owners in keeping their storefronts clean and kept.

We provide recommendations for exterior lighting to create a safer environment for downtown businesses, residents and visitors.

Space Activation for Parks & Public Spaces: Anchorage Downtown Placemaking

Anchorage Downtown Placemaking works to bring positive energy and use to downtown’s parks and public spaces. The program facilitates collaborative use of these spaces through inspiration, coordination and reducing existing barriers to entry. Together with partnering organizations, Anchorage Downtown Placemaking allows space activation programming to more easily fill the downtown parks: Town Square and Peratrovich Park, as well as other empty public spaces in downtown: alleyways, vacant store fronts, street corners, etc. Anchorage Downtown Placemaking packages together rental equipment, venue space, and assistance with permitting and marketing to make it easy and efficient for your business or organization to host an event downtown. The program also includes the organization of weekly community programming throughout the summer, offering fitness classes, theater and dance lessons, and more.

During the first two summers of the program, over 150 small scale events were held in Town Square Park and Peratrovich Park, including regular weekly fitness classes, concerts, theater performances, buskers, art displays and more!

Graffiti & Sticker Removal
One of the most effective ways to combat graffiti is to photograph the graffiti, report it to the police, and then remove it immediately. Our goal within the Downtown Improvement District is to have graffiti removed within 24 hours of its appearance.

Working in close cooperation with the Anchorage Police Department, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. Security & Maintenance Ambassadors are trained to spot and report graffiti. We also encourage downtown property owners, business owners, and residents to assist in keeping downtown graffiti-free. If you see graffiti, we encourage you to follow the process outlined below.

  • As soon as you see Graffiti on or around your property, please call our Maintenance Ambassadors at (907) 277-0141 (or leave a message) and provide:
    • Your Name and Company/Business
    • A phone number where you can be reached
    • Exact location of the Graffiti
  • Once ADP receives the call, a maintenance ambassador will be dispatched to take a picture of the Graffiti.
  • Once we have the picture of the Graffiti, we will file a complaint with the Anchorage Police department on your behalf.
  • Also, at that time a maintenance ambassador will be assigned to remove the graffiti within 24 business hours.
  • We will attempt to remove the Graffiti with our Graffiti removal products. If unsuccessful we will ask the Property manager/owner to get us matching paint and we will paint over the Graffiti. Note: we prefer paint that has been supplied by the property or business owner, but we will try to match our paint as close as possible if directed to from the property/business owner.

Thank you for helping us keep downtown Anchorage Clean, Safe, & Vital.

Security & Maintenance Ambassadors

Security Ambassadors

As the “eyes and ears” of Downtown, Security Ambassadors (SAs) serve and assist local businesses and our thousands of visitors as they patrol the streets.

Security Ambassadors provide a helping hand by assisting emergency services personnel with traffic accidents, intervening with youth at risk, and by providing helpful directions.

Working closely with Anchorage Police and other emergency response services, the Security Ambassadors have become a vital part of making downtown Anchorage a better – and safer – place.

Maintenance Ambassadors

The Maintenance Team provides supplemental services for downtown Anchorage within the approximately 126 blocks of the DID. You can see them on the street picking up trash, responding to graffiti, or at one of the many events that take place throughout downtown.

Maintenance Ambassadors provide services designed to:

  • Maintain a clean, attractive and orderly downtown.
  • Ensure downtown Anchorage as the best place to live, work, shop, and play.
  • Provide assistance for public space maintenance issues.
  • Serve as Ambassadors of downtown for visitors, residents, businesses, and property owners.
  • Partner with public entities in enhancing our community-based quality of life.

Maintenance Ambassadors are easily recognizable in their orange work wear and work 7 days a week to enhance cleanliness and aid in snow removal within the DID. The entire DID is cleaned daily on foot, or with various maintenance equipment, including trucks, RTVs, tractors, Sweepsters, Honda four-wheelers, and numerous other walk-behind sweepers, snowblowers and vacuums.

Maintenance Ambassadors also utilize Community Work Service workers to maximize both perceptions of and actual cleaning in the DID. In addition, a partnership with the Veterans’ Industries and Assets, Inc. allows Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. to reintegrate veterans into the work force, and to provide an avenue for Alaskans with disabilities to solve their employment needs and live independently.

Economic Development
Anchorage Downtown Partnership monitors the pulse of downtown Anchorage by tracking demographics, vacancy rates, and development activity to help you understand the market. Armed with small business experience, our team understands different perspectives and has the know-how to get things done. Anchorage Downtown Partnership is honored to be a partner in what keeps our city and downtown a special place people want to be: welcoming, clean, safe, vibrant, inclusive, and buzzing with the energy of opportunity and innovation.

To learn more about specific tools and resources available, head to Economic Development.

Marketing for Downtown

Downtown is only as good as the people who come to play, shop, dine and enjoy!

Part of Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s efforts into keeping downtown Anchorage vibrant is to market downtown and create marketing promotions to assist our member businesses.

The downtown marketing committee operates off of a marketing plan that was developed to help market different areas of downtown from parking to dining to tourism.

Experience is marketing. We also rely on those who visit and enjoy our community to assist with marketing through social media. This requires the marketing and creation of hashtags and marketing outlets to assist our visitors to use already created social media tags and hashtags.

Downtown Image
Welcoming, vibrant, and cultural is downtown Anchorage’s brand. All of the programs and services we provide aid in our mission and promise to the downtown members to keep downtown clean, safe, and vital. These efforts all impact our downtown image to those who come to visit, live, dine, work, shop, and play in our community.

Also associated with this image are marketing programs and the creation of a new brand for downtown that Anchorage Downtown Partnership has been working on.