We've Updated Our Strategic Plan With an Eye Towards a Vibrant Downtown

This year’s Strategic Plan update was perhaps the most important in our organization’s history.

Did you know that the Olympia Downtown Alliance has operated under an annually updated Strategic Plan since 2017? This year’s Strategic Plan update was perhaps the most important in our organization’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fall out that came with it has impacted our community in ways we’ve never experienced. That’s why we conducted a community-wide survey for our residents in addition to a survey for our downtown businesses in the wake of the first few months of the pandemic.

Our Mission is to act as a catalyst for a vibrant and thriving downtown through service to businesses and property owners, so it made sense to engage our stakeholders about their concerns. We also wanted to hear from the community members who keep the businesses alive and well by spending dollars locally. “This Strategic Plan has its roots in both the consumer survey and the business survey,” explains Todd Cutts, our executive director. “We’ve heard what they’re asking for, and we’re working bringing that to life through this strategic plan.”

The most noteworthy changes can be found in our Values and our Goals. Our goals include a clean, safe, and healthy downtown, imagemaking, advocacy, economic development, and financial health. As part of our plan refresh “Clean & Safe” became “Clean, Safe & Healthy.” Consumer survey responders indicated that the most impactful practice on the part of a business to make them feel comfortable was staff wearing facemasks, followed closely by limitations on customer capacity and outdoor options, among others. It is our goal to help downtown businesses meet the needs of their customers so the whole community can thrive.

Joining our Values of “Safety,” “Growth,” “Communication,” and “Service” is “Inclusion.” Although we have always embraced diversity in our community- and commerce-building efforts downtown, we felt it was important prioritize inclusion and to work to weave this value into all of our undertakings. Be on the lookout for more updates on the specific ways in which our organization, largely through the guidance of our committees. will propose moving into the fulfillment of our values and goals.

You’ll also find noteworthy changes in the language of our Vision, which in addition to identifying Olympia and Thurston County as “the heart of our region,” now embraces our diverse local flavor and our inclusive nature, and looks to our future while honoring our past. Our Vision serves as our north star, embodying our realized future state of downtown

To support the work of the Olympia Downtown Alliance, make a donation on our website. You can become a Friend of the Olympia Downtown Alliance with a membership. You can also keep an eye on our events calendar. If you’re interested in volunteering to work events, reach out to info@downtownolympia.org. We’re cooking up some fun, safe activities that will allow you and your family to get back downtown, so stay tuned!

Click here to view the strategic plan.