Vision
Downtown Fairbanks is a vital and attractive center of business and community.
Mission
To maintain the vitality of and improve the overall quality of life in downtown Fairbanks, while at the same time to identify and fill critical social service gaps, lessening the burdens of government.
Summary:
The Downtown Association of Fairbanks Community Services (DAFCS) encourages downtown’s improvement to benefit the Fairbanks community, advocates for city services and public and private investment downtown, and hosts major community events.
Activities in 2024:
- Tackled Dangerous Buildings + Incentives — the situation at the Alaska Motor Inn and other dangerous buildings harming commercial and residential neighborhoods called into question the city’s capacity to encourage something to grow in its place. We encouraged the city to add a ‘blight’ definition and remedies to city code. We supported the city’s budgeting to increase staffing to carry out certain powers through the Building Department. We will continue to support the thought process – and probably an eventual ordinance – to incentivize residential renovations and new construction.
- Reinforced downtown as a destination. Downtown is a destination unto itself, and we try to be its minor orchestrator. In late 2023, we supported an important change to the bed tax formula that creates a source of revenue for the City of Fairbanks to spend on security, economic development and tourism. We advocated for seasonal and year-round police presence, connected motor coach companies to downtown businesses and helped motor coach companies navigate every summer’s construction-related road closures.
- Hosted the 42nd annual Midnight Sun Festival on June 20th with presenting sponsor TOTE Maritime.
- Pursued structural changes from the adopted downtown plan, Fairbanks2040. The first successful initiative from the downtown plan was to lower the parking requirements in the Central Business District, which lowers site costs for new construction. Also, we steadily encouraged and sought to prolong a city thought process on how the City shares its chartered Economic Development Power with the Borough. Being a shared power, it’s possible that neither government wields it and certain that to use it well requires coordination between governments and across departments. The city took the time to see what’s possible with this “new-found” power and stipulated that the Interior’s ARDOR (Economic Development Organization) becomes active.
- Hosted the 13th Annual Solstice Fireworks Downtown as the finale to the Winter Solstice Festival with presenting sponsor Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.
- Watched powerlessly as the City’s ESP contractor serially failed to meet their staffing requirements and then ceased altogether in April. We paid toward the city’s small incurred costs through this period, but thereafter suspended all fundraising for a non-existent program, while we joined in talks with the City and others to restore a program addressing the intensive needs of chronically inebriated people.
- Held two major gatherings of the membership – the Summer Planning meeting in April and the Annual Meeting in November.
- We kept you informed. We aimed to and e-news is our primary means. We’re always interested in feedback.
Governance:
DAFCS continues to be led by a board of directors invested in downtown with the community’s best interest at heart. They are always interested to learn what your business or downtown needs to grow. Board meetings fall on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 3-5 PM in Usibelli conference room at 100 Cushman Street, Suite 210, and are open to the membership (or anyone with advanced notice).
Board members serving in 2024: Chris Miller, President; Buki Wright, Vice President, Christine Luper, Secretary; Steve Johnson, Treasurer; and members Frank Eagle, Jackson Fox, Dave Hayden, Sarah Hollister, Ron Johnson, Chad Roberts, Sue Sprinkle and Meghan Heim; elected “from the floor” of our Annual Meeting on November 29th were our newest board members Rylieh Bodyfelt and Meredith Maple.