Annual Report for 2022
Downtown Association of Fairbanks
and the
Downtown Association of Fairbanks Community Services
The Downtown Association of Fairbanks formed in 1979 to serve its members as a 501c4 nonprofit corporation. The Downtown Association formed a subsidiary 501c3 corporation, the Downtown Association of Fairbanks Community Services in 2006 to address community needs in downtown’s revitalization. These corporations encourage downtown’s improvement to benefit the Fairbanks community, advocate for city services and public and private investment downtown, and host major community events like the Midnight Sun Festival and Solstice Fireworks Downtown. In a public health/public safety connection, the Downtown Association is an important funding partner with the City of Fairbanks to provide the Community Service Patrol program.
2022 ANNUAL REPORT
The last 12 months were devoted to recovering lost revenue streams such that the Downtown Association could continue operating. Membership dues rebounded some over 2020 – 2021 levels, gaming revenues stabilized and event revenues returned to pre-pandemic levels. The Downtown Association worked to improve the business climate and quality of life downtown in ways available to us, so that downtown is a vital, energetic, attractive center of business and community.
Activities in 2022:
- The Downtown Association held quarterly meetings with the mayor and department heads seeking policy and budgetary responses to improve snow removal and downtown security, support and consult on city’s Polaris demolition, enhance the city’s approach to other nuisance properties, and seek city’s engagement in the Borough’s economic development plan for downtown.
- continued to help the Borough write a new economic development plan for downtown (still awaiting release) and assembled a development tool (map of available lots downtown) to employ once the downtown plan is released;
- continued as a financial partner with the City of Fairbanks to field the Community Service Patrol so that downtown and the community have a better response to the intensive needs of chronically inebriated people found in public spaces;
- hosted the 40th Midnight Sun Festival on June 18th with presenting sponsor GoAlaska Media;
- hosted the 10th Solstice Fireworks Downtown with presenting sponsor Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Much effort was devoted to coordinating holiday events into a ‘Festival’ with partners Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, FNSB, Morris Thompson Center, Festival Fairbanks and the Yukon Quest; and
- dissolved one of two corporations mentioned in the introduction. The Board recommended to the membership and the membership endorsed the dissolution of the 501c4 Downtown Association of Fairbanks, founded in 1979, to reduce operating costs. The 501c3 Downtown Association of Fairbanks Community Services will carry on. The dissolution was effective 1/1/23. There remain a couple months of various “wind-up” activities before the full benefit of the one corporation is realized.