To enhance the economic and cultural vitality of historic downtown Ellensburg

Preservation based revitalization of Ellensburg Washington's historic downtown using  the Main Street Four-Point Approach™  a comprehensive revitalization strategy based on local needs and opportunities with emphasis in the four distinct areas of Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion, and Organization

Activities we’re working on right now include: 

Monthly Brown Bag Business Basics workshop series
Raising funds for two new sculpture art bike racks
Developing a building code compliance template for rehabilitating historic buildings
Providing start up assistance for new ecommerce software company Tallee.com 
Planning our discover Downtown celebration. Recruiting entrepreneurs and historic preservation developers

For more information visit us at www.ellensburgdowntown.org or subscribe to our blog at www.myspace.com/ellensburgdowntown

2000: Committee Formed as Part of the Chamber of Commerce.
2003: Accepted as an Affiliate Main Street Program by the State of Washington.
2005: Hired First Executive Director.
2006: Created the Art Bike Rack project
2007: Launched the Brown Bag Business Basics
2007: 1st Annual Festival of Trees and Silver Bells Gala, a Benefit for Our Downtown.
2007: Launched MySpace Page.
2007: Installed First 2 Art Bike Racks.
2007: Received State Designation as a  Main Street Program.
2008: Received National Accreditation as a Main Street Program.
2008: Brown Bag Business Basics and Myspace Page Received Excellence in Downtown Revitalization Awards
2008:  Completed a 15 month Kids Art Calendar, our first project funded in part from supporters at change.org
2009 developed a model building code application for historic buildings
2009 1st Emerging Entrepreneur Symposium
2009 Recieved two Excelence in Downtown Revitalization Awards for work with Tallee.com and CWU

"Located in the heart of the beautiful Kittitas Valley and in the center of Washington State, historic Ellensburg is a wonderfully restored Victorian town that’s home to both Central Washington University and some of the best fly fishing in the Northwest. Approximately 110 miles east of Seattle, the town was established in 1868 as a trading post for early settlers, and following a devastating fire on July 4, 1889, Ellensburg rose from the ashes and was rebuilt in 6 brick blocks. Today, that charming downtown historic district has been lovingly preserved and offers a wide variety of eclectic antique shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants that reflect the town’s frontier heritage."  See full story at Preservation Nation

 Ellensburg Downtown Association Featured as a Nationwide Success Story   The efforts of the Ellensburg Downtown Association are being featured as one of 23 nation-wide success stories in a business and community development workbook being written by Brian Cole of Baker City, Oregon.   The author of the workbook, Brian Cole, indicates that he has selected the downtown development work in Ellensburg, Washington as a showcase of a successful downtown development strategy using the National Main Street approach.   Cole indicates chose to feature the work of the Ellensburg Downtown Association because he is familiar with the work of Timothy Bishop and his work with t Main Street programs throughout the Northwest including Ellensburg Washington, Walla Walla Washington, and in Baker City Oregon.  Cole is set to release the workbook nationwide in the spring of 2009.  For more information contact author Brian Cole