Tag Archives: dmd

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) is once again teaming up with Downtown El Paso’s historic Sacred Heart Church for the Fifth Annual Segundo Barrio Backpack and School Supply Drive.

The DMD is challenging the public to join together in collecting school supplies and/or money over the next few weeks to support local school children and help ensure they are prepared to start a new school year.

“Witnessing the excitement of hundreds of children receiving their backpacks is a memorable experience. We need the generosity of the public and our partners to help our local children prepare for the upcoming school year. The DMD is always grateful for being able to support the students in El Segundo Barrio and neighboring communities,” said Joe Gudenrath, DMD Executive Director.

Last year, because the community’s generosity, over 1,100 backpacks filled with school supplies were collected and presented to local children in need. This year, organizers hope to exceed that number.

This is how to help:

• Collect school supplies listed on the attached list between now and Friday, August 2nd. Monetary donations will also be accepted by the Downtown Management District. (Click Here to make a contribution online)
• On or before August 2nd, deliver the school supplies to the Downtown Management District Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. The DMD office is located at 201 E. Main Street, Suite 107. Call ahead and we’ll be able to assist you – (915) 400-2294.
• Volunteer to assist in the distribution of backpacks on Saturday, August 10, 2019. Please call (915) 400-2294 or e-mail acarreon@elpasodmd.org

School supplies needed:

• Backpack
• Pencils
• Pens (black ink)
• Notebooks (spiral, wide-ruled)
• Folders (2 pocket, clasps)
• Lined loose leaf paper (wide-ruled)
• Color pencils
• Markers
• Scissors
• Erasers
• Pencil Sharpener
• Ruler
• Glue stick
• Books

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) is once again releasing their annual downtown survey!  Public input is a crucial component in shaping Downtown El Paso and the ongoing efforts of the DMD.

“This being our fifth annual survey, we are really starting to dial in what the public is looking for and not looking for, in addition to always paying attention to new trends in public opinion. We strongly value the opinions of the public and take their voices into consideration when maintaining or establishing downtown programs and services,” said DMD Executive Director Joe Gudenrath.

During the month of July, the DMD encourages downtown property owners, business owners, employees, visitors and the general public to take its online survey and share their opinion on the current conditions of the downtown, the performance of the DMD and future priorities for the area.

Participants can register themselves into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate/card to a downtown business within the DMD boundaries.

The information gained from this brief, unscientific survey will be used by the DMD to better measure its performance and provide guidance on what is important to its stakeholders and the entire El Paso community.  Past survey results have contributed to the creation of the DMD’s Downtown Ambassador Program and additional grant programs including the Downtown Mural Grant Program.

The online survey is available in English and Spanish. For those without online access, hardcopies can be obtained at the DMD offices located at 201 East Main Suite 107, or by calling (915) 400-2294.

The survey can be accessed by visiting DowntownElPaso.com and clicking on the slider, the “About DMD section” or directly at Downtown Survey.

The Downtown Management District and muralist, Martin Zubia, are looking for a home for Zubia’s latest mural project. The mural, funded by a combination of local grants, needs the right downtown façade to showcase the art.

“Murals are starting to become a defining feature of our downtown and the DMD is excited to work with such an accomplished artist to offer this opportunity to a DMD property owner. The impact of beautification and culturally relevant art is a hard to measure, but is instantly felt,” said DMD Executive Director, Joe Gudenrath.

While property owners will have to comply with grant requirements, they would essentially be receiving a free mural with no additional out of pocket costs expected of them.

The proposed 600 square foot mural features a modern day interpretation of Fray Garcia de San Francisco, founder of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission at the Pass of the North in 1659 (El Paso, Texas and C. Juarez, Chihuahua), in addition to other elements of iconography.

The art will be created with the constantly evolving medium of spray paints, with supplies provided by local business, Kalavera Culture Shop.

The $7,000 project is being funded by grants obtained from the El Paso Downtown Management District and City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department’s Artist Incubator Program.

The Downtown Management District (DMD) Board of Directors approved the Downtown Mural Grant application by Martin Zubia on June 27, 2019, and was awarded up to $3,500 for the project.

The Downtown Mural Grant Program provides funding to existing business and/or property owners to establish or restore murals within the DMD boundaries. All proposed mural projects will be reviewed by a panel of local art professionals to determine the quality, suitability, and appropriateness of the proposed mural, and make a recommendation to the Grant Review Committee.

The Mural Grant Program is one of four downtown grant programs offered by the DMD, such as Iconic Signage and Lighting Program, Pedestrian Corridor Improvement Grant Program, and the Commercial Façade Improvement Program.

The maximum mural grant available is $10,000 and each grant dollar must be matched by a private investment dollar (1:1 ratio).

Property owners within the DMD interested in taking advantage of this program should contact Terry Mais, at 915-400-2294 or tmais@elpasodmd.org.

Property owners have until July 12^th to express interest in this opportunity.  Final determination for building applicants will be done by the artist.

Once again, the Downtown Management District (DMD) Welcome Ambassador Program will be placing friendly ambassadors, armed with warm smiles and highly identifiable purple shirts, in key areas of downtown to assist visitors on weekends and during events.

Ambassadors will be back in time for the busy summer season to greet the public and guide them through an ever-evolving downtown experience.

“The DMD is happy to provide this service if it means a more satisfying downtown experience. Our ambassadors understand that sometimes it’s not easy to know the ‘what and the where,’ in downtown, so a little assistance is welcome. Just look for the smiles and purple shirts!” said DMD Executive Director, Joe Gudenrath.

More specifically, the program places friendly, identifiable, knowledgeable and trained ambassadors in public downtown spaces to greet visitors, answer questions, provide maps, and assist people as needed.

The DMD implemented the program in 2016 as a response to a growing downtown, an increase in visitors and the desire to help make the downtown experience a positive one.

Downtown Ambassadors roaming around the El Centro Shopping District and the Las Plazas Arts District during the following times:

• Friday Nights: 4:30pm to 8:30pm
• Saturdays: 11:30am to 8pm
• Sundays: 12pm to 4pm

From May 8-10^th, the Downtown Management District and five great downtown restaurants are teaming up for the Downtown Eat Authentico! Restaurant Crawl, presented by TFCU.

“Based on feedback from the public, and by popular demand we chose to make this a spring and fall event, not just once a year,” said DMD Executive Director Joe Gudenrath.

Attendees will get a five-course meal, with each course at one of the five different downtown restaurants. Spots are limited and may sell out, so we recommend tickets be purchased early to reserve your spots in the crawl.

Participating restaurants and dishes include:

• B-17 Bombers Oyster Pub, serving an appetizer of Shrimp Tacos (Shrimp and fresh pico de gallo on corn tortillas) & Oyster Shooter (shucked California coast oyster with house-made cocktail sauce, lime juice and spices).
• Taft Diaz serving an appetizer of Tempura Artichoke Taco (marinated enoki mushrooms, salsa macha – epazote aioli).
• Elemi Restaurant serving an entrée called Quesadilla Del Momento (heirloom maiz tortilla, local asadero cheese, seasonal ingredients, and avocado).
• Park Tavern serving an entrée of Chicken Picatta (angel hair pasta with pan seared chicken and lemon caper sauce).
• Rockstar Burger Bar serving a dessert named Rockstar Fried Cheesecake (creamy fried cheesecake towers drizzled in strawberry scrappers).

Tickets can now be purchased at DowntownElPaso.com at $40 for crawls on Wednesday and Thursday and $45 for crawls on Friday.

The Downtown Management District (DMD) will be hosting the Second Annual Downtown Running of the Bulls 5k and fun run, and are adding a contest to this year’s event.

The run is presented by Corona Premier, and will take place on October 20

This year the DMD will have a naming contest inviting the public to help name all eight (8) bulls.

Via a Wednesday news release, officials announced, “Each bull has been carefully recruited for their willingness to relocate and participate in our fun run, but they refuse to use their real names for fear of public backlash in the event of an unforeseen goring. We’re asking the public to help us find new names!”

DMD officials be giving away free tickets to the run, and all it takes to qualify for a chance to win is participation.  Participants need to comment on the upcoming posts asking for a name suggestion, on both their Instagram and Facebook pages with a suggested name for that particular bull.

“Suggesting a name in the comments sections will automatically enter participants for a chance to win a free ticket to the run…our bulls are proud professionals so be kind with the pseudonyms, please,” officials added.

The contest will run from September 27^th to October 2^nd, with all names announced on October 3^rd, in addition to the winners of the run tickets.

Registration is open online; runners and walkers of all ages are welcome to run among the bulls with participation tokens now being given in addition to medals for top finishing runners in seven (7) age brackets and three (3) fastest teams.

Registration for $30 includes a “build your own” breakfast burrito from Porkie’s BBQ, an exclusive draw string bag, t-shirt, and access to the activity zone, following the run.

The DMD is actively seeking volunteers interested in participating in the Running of the Bulls. Volunteers will have an opportunity to support downtown in a fun event and will receive a free t-shirt, and meal for their efforts. Interested volunteers should call the DMD at (915) 400-2294

To register for the event visit the webpage or follow the Facebook event page.

The results are in for the Downtown Management District (DMD) fourth annual downtown survey conducted during the entire month of July, 2018.

“We value what our stakeholders and the general public thinks of the DMD and downtown. I’m pleased to see that the community continues to recognize the progress being made. It’s vital we don’t take this support for granted, and that we keep our finger on the pulse of the public so we can continue to improve our programs and aid in the prosperity of our downtown. This survey offers the kind of insightful criticism and positive feedback that is crucial to the course we set in the coming year.” said DMD Executive Director, Joe Gudenrath.

According to the data, a growing percentage  of respondents favor the direction downtown is headed and have witnessed improvement over the last 12 months.

“The DMD thanks all who participated including our winner of the $100 gift certificate to Anson 11, Jimena Aguirre,” said Gudenrath, adding, “We will always keep the views of the public in mind as we continue our efforts to breathe more life into our downtown through our programs and advocacy.”

The online survey was distributed via local media, social media, flyers, direct mail and e-mail.

Regarding the Current Conditions of Downtown El Paso:

• 83% of respondents say Downtown is Progressing (up 8% from 2017)
• 76% of respondents say their Perception of Downtown has Improved over the last 12 months (up 10% from 2017)
• Among Downtown Visitors, 57% came for Events (up 2% from 2017)
• Of those events attracting people, Theater Events were the main driver (27%)

Regarding the future of downtown, the public’s top 3 priorities are:

1. Parking
2. Safety/Security
3. Family Friendly Atmosphere and Businesses

Regarding the DMD’s Performance and Services:

• 92% of respondents gave the DMD a passing grade (“C” or better)
  • “A” = 20% (up 2%)
  • “B” = 53% (up 3%)
  • “C” = 19% (down 3%)
  • “D” = 2% (down 3%)
  • “F” = 2% (down 2%)

• 54-60% of respondents favored DMD expansion in 3 areas of service:
  • Advocacy and Planning (60%)
  • Economic Development & Grants (56%)
  • Marketing & Promotions (54%)

The fifteen (15) question online survey, made available in both English and Spanish, garnered 694 total respondents.

The DMD utilizes the unscientific, online survey to gauge the opinions of downtown property owners, business owners, employees, visitors and the general public on the present conditions of downtown, future needs, and the performance of the DMD itself.

The results of this survey were shared with the DMD Board at its August 23^rd.

The Downtown Management District and five locally-owned downtown restaurants are teaming up to provide El Pasoans an exclusive dining opportunity.

The Downtown Eat Authentico Restaurant Crawl is back, and will once again provide participants with a five-course meal served at five different downtown restaurants (one course per restaurant).

The event will take place on September 26th, 27th and 28th.

Groups of 10 will start their crawl at 6pm and 7pm on all three nights, with an additional crawl starting at 8pm on Friday, September 28th.

The Eat Authentico Restaurant Crawl is a ticketed event and only 70 tickets over the three days are available.

Each crawl will be limited to 10 people per time period. Tickets for the Wednesday and Thursday crawls are $40 with tickets to the Friday crawls priced at $45 and all tickets are available at downtownelpaso.com.

The menu and walking tour will include the following:

*There will be no menu item substitutions or special menu alternatives, such as vegan options.

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) wants to highlight the growing business opportunities within Downtown El Paso through a new initiative called Start Up Downtown.

This initiative will kick-off with the first annual Start Up Downtown 1 to 1 Business Seminar, Workshop and Tour on Saturday, September 15^th starting at 10am at the El Paso Community Foundation Room, 333 North Oregon Street.

According to DMD officials, Start Up Downtown is “a new initiative of the Downtown Management District to reestablish Downtown El Paso as the City’s foremost location for investment, entrepreneurship and opportunity for all types, sizes and forms of business.”

The initiative brings together the resources and expertise of numerous economic development partners including the Downtown Management District, City of El Paso Economic Development Department, El Paso County the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Business Border Center, the Small Business Development Center Network, the Minority Business Development Agency, and others.

These resources will be available to existing and potential downtown businesses and property owners.  This event is free to the public and those interested can register at www.downtownelpaso.com.

3 Areas of Focus

1. Business Services

Utilizing many existing services the DMD already provides, we increase our outreach to existing businesses and property owners to help provide them with information and resources to operate in our ever-changing world and take advantage of the new opportunities emerging in our resurging downtown.

Business Services includes grants, marketing, web/social media coaching, business development, and available property listings.

2. Connections and Information

When determining where to locate your office or establish a business, information and understanding about the area is critical. Basic demographic information currently exists for properties and businesses within Downtown El Paso. We will supplement that content with information gained from additional research, surveys and on the street analysis.

With the support of property owners, we’ll maintain a list of available properties. Lastly, we continue to expose El Pasoans to local businesses through our ongoing promotions and events.

3. 1 to 1 Business Seminar, Workshop & Tour

The concept which started it all was the need for an event to connect entrepreneurs with the information, expertise and opportunity that exists in Downtown El Paso. On Saturday, September 15^th the DMD and its partner agencies will host the first annual Start Up Downtown 1 to 1 Business Seminar, Workshop & Tour.

Entrepreneurs will be invited to this free event (registration at online) to learn about downtown’s changing economy and hear from current downtown business owners.  From there, they will be able to speak 1 to 1 with a variety of service providers who cater to small business development. Business development and service professionals will be on hand to start conversations.

Lastly, attendees will be invited to tour available spaces that day and speak to brokers about future relationships. The overall goal of this event is to expose the public to opportunities downtown and to plant the seeds for future investment.

Event Schedule

9:30am – 10am           Check-in & Registration

10am – 10:15am         Networking

10:15 – 11am              Seminar

Speakers Include: Joe Gudenrath, DMD; Mel Maese, Pizza Joint; Miguel Diaz, Hotel Indigo; Johnny Escalante, One:One; Emily Beardmore, El Paso Live; and Paul Kortenaar, El Paso children’s museum.

11am – 1pm                Workshop

Participants Include: Ghostlight Creative; Lift Fund; Devo Design & Construction; Downtown Management District; City of El Paso Economic Development; Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce; El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Small Business Development Center; El Paso Inc.; Event Creators; Women’s Business Border Center; and Minority Business Development Agency.

12pm – 3pm                Tour

Available properties include: 416 N. Stanton St.; 501 S. Campbell; 300 E. Main; 304 S. Stanton St.; 100 N. Stanton St.; 401 E. Main; 909 Texas Ave.; 500 N. Oregon; and 109 N. Oregon.

In early June, the Downtown Management District (DMD) challenged local musicians to compose an original song in any genre that was inspired by Downtown El Paso (DTEP).

The song finalists were posted on the contest voting page and the public was encouraged to vote with a ‘LIKE’ for one or more of their favorite songs.

After a few weeks of voting, El Pasoans selected their winners.

First Place and winner of a $300 Gift Certificate to Café Central and a music video produced by Sir Realistic Productions goes to RC Manor for his song, “Sun City Lovin’”. 

Second Place and winner of $150 Gift Certificate to Anson 11 goes to Sebastian Garcia, for his song, “Paper Border Cutout”.

Third Place and winner of a $50 Gift Certificate to Park Tavern goes to Joseph Martinez for his song, “Love My City”.

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) is once again asking for public input about Downtown El Paso and the ongoing efforts of the DMD to improve the heart of the city.

The survey, now in its fourth year, is a crucial component in shaping DMD’s direction and focus when it comes to the downtown area.

“This will be our fourth public survey, and we expect the community will continue to update us on what is important to them in downtown and how we can improve as an organization. This process should always include the opinions of not only our stakeholders but the general public as well. The strength of a downtown impacts the entire community and our downtown should reflect that,” said DMD Executive Director Joe Gudenrath.

During the month of July, the DMD encourages downtown property owners, business owners, employees, visitors and the general public to take its online survey and then share their opinion on the current conditions of downtown, the performance of the DMD and future priorities for the area.

The survey can be accessed by visiting DowntownElPaso.com and clicking on the slider, the “About DMD section” or directly at Downtown Survey.

Participants can also register for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate/card to a downtown business within the DMD boundaries.

The information gained from this brief, unscientific survey will be used by the DMD to better measure its performance and provide guidance on what is important to its stakeholders and the entire El Paso community.

Past survey results have contributed to the creation of the DMD’s Downtown Ambassador Program and additional grant programs including the Downtown Mural Grant Program.

The online survey is available in English and Spanish. For those without online access, hard copies can be obtained at the DMD offices located at 201 East Main. Suite 107, or by calling (915) 400-2294.

Musically-inclined El Pasoans now have a chance to serenade Downtown El Paso (DTEP) via an original song in any genre of music, as a group, band, or solo, as long as your song expresses something positive about DTEP.

In a Friday morning news release, DMD Officials shared, “We invite any and all musicians to create something timeless and endearing to celebrate our downtown.”

“Winners will be chosen by a voting public, so gather your biggest supporters or earn new ones with your musical chops,” officials added

Winners will have their song distributed online through our DTEP social channels and win gift cards to some of DTEP’s best restaurants including Café Central, Anson 11, and Park Tavern.

First place will have a music video produced to their song by Sir Realistic Productions and posted to the Downtown El Paso Youtube Channel.

• Second Place Winner-$150 Gift Card to Anson 11
• Third Place Winner-$50 Gift Card to Park Tavern

Submissions (audiofiles) will be accepted via Dropbox or Google Drive links and e-mailed to rvasquez@elpasodmd.org.  Official rules are online, as is the Crescendo Parental Consent Form for Minors wanting to submit; all they have to do is Sign and e-mail to rvasquez@elpasodmd.org or drop off 201 East Main Ste. 107)

DEADLINE for Submissions is midnight, June 29, 2018. Winners will be announced in the July 5th edition of the INSIDER Newsletter; (Click here to subscribe)

With the summer event season now if full swing, Downtown Ambassadors adorned in purple shirts will now be active on weekends, and event times to assist downtown visitors.

“Since the inception of the program we have learned that greeting visitors to our downtown with a smile goes a long way. Our ambassadors have been trained to assist in providing directions, information, recommendations, and a helping hand. The feeling visitors have when they visit is what they remember, so look for those smiles and purple shirts,” said DMD Executive Director, Joe Gudenrath.

The Downtown Welcome Ambassador Program places friendly, identifiable, knowledgeable and trained ambassadors in public downtown spaces to greet visitors, answer questions, provide maps, and assist people as needed.

The Downtown Management District (DMD) implemented the program in 2016 as a response to a growing downtown and the desire to, as DMD officials say, “help in making the experience for visitors a positive one.”

For more information, visit the DMD’s Website.

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) is proud to announce that Executive Director, Joe Gudenrath, has been identified by the International Downtown Association (IDA) as emerging leader within his professional field.

Gudenrath was among 30 of the industries brightest professionals for the IDA’s 2018 Emerging Leaders Fellowship program.

“I’m committed to helping make Downtown El Paso the pride of our region and an example of a strong community for the nation to take notice of,” said DMD Executive Director Joe Gudenrath. “I’m confident this experience will arm us with additional tools to continue our work and I look forward to sharing our experiences with others.”

The Emerging Leader Fellowship is a week-long experiential program bringing together a cohort of IDA professionals from within the urban district management industry. The fellows learn essential leadership and place management skills and gain practical tools in the areas of place-based economic development, the live-work-play experience, and public-private partnerships.

“Joe’s identification as an emerging leader is a compliment to both his professional qualities and the progress Downtown El Paso has made within recent years,” said DMD Board President Jon Law. “The nation is paying attention to what we are accomplishing and the people who are helping to make it happen.”

The program takes place June 17-22, 2018 in New York City featuring intensive instruction delivered by IDA partners at Baruch College, City University of New York, Times Square Alliance and Coro New York Leadership Center.

Professionals from several business improvement district (BID) organizations across the city provide technical in-the-field training. The event takes place at various locations throughout Manhattan with field visits provided by several local BID leaders.

“The International Downtown Association is looking to build the future of our industry, and these accomplished executives are the rising stars of our profession,” said David Downey, President and CEO of IDA. “With this program, we’re educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders.”

These leaders hail from 3 countries and 21 provinces and states, including Cape Town (South Africa), Calgary (Alberta), Honolulu, New York City, Anchorage, Sioux Falls, Sacramento, Houston, Denver and El Paso.

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) has developed a program to increase the number of bike racks in the downtown community to benefit the property and business owners in addition to cyclists.

“As Downtown El Paso becomes more bicycle friendly, we wanted to come up with a simple process that allows for the request and installation of bike racks within a relatively short amount of time,” said DMD Executive Director Joe Gudenrath. “This program eliminates the disincentive to the property/business owners and encourages the installation of much needed infrastructure.”

The process is simple. Property/business owners fill out the Bicycle Rack Request Form located on the DMD’s website, and submit it to the organization. The DMD and the City will inspect the site to determine compliance with City requirements in relation to the rack’s position on the sidewalk.

Once the site is approved, or an acceptable location is identified, the rack will be installed by the DMD. Maintenance of the racks will also be provided by the DMD. The entire process is expected to take less than 45 days.

The current process requires the property/business owner to apply for a special privilege permit for the placement of a bike rack on private property. Along with the permit, the applicant must purchase the rack, and pay an annual permit fee. Maintenance of the rack also falls on the permit applicant.

Distribution of bike racks under the new program will be based on a first-come, first-served basis of suitable locations.

Funds for this program are limited to approximately 20 racks, and once exhausted, the program will be on hold until additional funds are made available.