Downtown Iowa City is for families, students, artists, tourists, business owners and everyone in between — and the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) is committed to keeping it that way.
As part of the nonprofit’s strategic plan, the organization has created two new leadership positions: director of economic vitality and director of the Iowa City Arts Alliance. The roles are designed to strengthen downtown’s economic and cultural ecosystem, ensuring the it remains vibrant and resilient.
“This is a pivotal time for downtown,” said Betsy Potter, executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District. “…Staying ahead of those conversations and knowing what the next five years has to come is important to making sure that downtown Iowa City stays vibrant and has the ongoing appeal not just for the college population, but the community overall.”
How will the alliance and the economic vitality help Iowa City?
The two positions are a result of a nearly yearlong planning process tied to the ICDD’s five-year strategic plan, which focuses on four priorities: organizational infrastructure, economic vitality, place management, and leadership, partnership and coordination.
The positions will help build on ICDD’s recent expansion of the Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), which now includes the Northside neighborhood and areas south of Court Street.
New Economic Vitality Director to boost downtown growth
The director of economic vitality will serve as a “downtown concierge” for people opening, transitioning, or investing in businesses.
“This position represents a major investment in the future of Downtown Iowa City,” Potter said. “As downtown continues to evolve and looks towards the next 10 years, we recognize the importance of having dedicated leadership focused on business attraction, retention, redevelopment opportunities, and building strong relationships that support a thriving and resilient economy in our city core.”
ICDD began accepting applications in April, and the new staff member is expected to join in August.
Arts alliance aims for greater collaboration across Iowa City
The director of the Iowa City Arts Alliance position was made public in June, with a full-time candidate expected to start in September. The role blossomed from a feasibility study about forming an arts alliance in Iowa City.
The study revealed that Iowa City needs to promote and support collaboration among arts nonprofits, for-profit arts organizations, The City of Iowa City, Think Iowa City, and other district partners.
“[The arts organizations in the community] are doing their daily work, but there isn’t one entity to drive forward the work that an arts alliance can do,” Potter said. “…Our hope [with this position] is to bring someone on to work with our existing committee and run the planning process for what this arts alliance could do, and how it can be impactful for our community.”
The director of the Iowa City Arts Alliance will not only connect and champion the many arts and organizations in the downtown district, but will also serve as a citywide arts ecosystem in the greater Iowa City corridor.
“[Iowa City’s] arts and culture entities are incredibly important, not just for access to the arts and culture; they are also a huge economic engine of our community,” Potter said.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City arts alliance, economic roles aim to boost downtown district
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
