Arizona Downtown Alliance holds downtown & neighborhood revitalization forum in Phoenix, Jan. 16

PHOENIX - Jan. 14, 2014 - PRLog -- The Arizona Downtown Alliance will hold a community forum, “Downtown & Neighborhood Revitalization – Together We Can,” on Thursday, January 16 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, 1202 N. 3rd St. Organized by the Alliance and statewide and local partners, the event is free to individuals and organizations involved in downtown and neighborhood revitalization initiatives.

"Across the nation, historic downtowns, traditional business districts, and neighborhood commercial nodes are fast becoming a key component in a community’s overall economic and quality of life approach," said Jim McPherson, board president of the Arizona Preservation Foundation and one of the forum's organizers. "These traditional commercial areas in a city, town, or county provide small business start-ups, shopping, and dining choices; contribute to the character of the community; drive tourism; and most importantly foster a sense of place for residents."

During the presentation participants will have time to network with other metro Phoenix communities dealing with similar issues, begin to draft a roadmap of how their community can strengthen their own revitalization efforts, and confer with subject matter experts, including:

• David Crummey, Neighborhood Economic Development Corp., Mesa
• Greg Esser, Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp., Phoenix
• Jennifer Evans, Town of Florence
• Jon Froke, M.Ed., AICP, City of Glendale
• Lani Lott, Arizona Downtown Alliance
• Tim Sprague, Grand Avenue Merchants Association, Phoenix

Event partners include Arizona Downtown Alliance, Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, Arizona Preservation Foundation, City of Glendale, Grand Avenue Merchants Association, Local First Arizona, Neighborhood Economic Development Corp., Phoenix Center for the Arts, Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp., and Town of Florence.

To RSVP, email azdowntownalliance@gmail.com or call Jennifer Evans at 602-327-2385 or Lani Lott at 602-738-8381.

For more information about the Arizona Downtown Alliance, visit their website at http://azdowntown.wordpress.com/ or on Facebook.