For small businesses and visitors alike, downtown Danville is an important, and some would say historic part of Danville, offering the charm of old buildings as well as the ease of walkable shopping. But maintaining and revitalizing the downtown district is hard work.
Enter Downtown Danville, Inc. — a non-profit organization made up of small business owners who operate downtown and work with the City of Danville to promote “a vibrant business, residential and entertainment district while serving as a catalyst for economic, social and cultural enrichment,” according to their website.
The DDI board welcomed incoming executive director, Kim Kuchenbrod at their board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, replacing former director Annie Monyok.
With several years of experience in the economic development and workforce development sectors, Kuchenbrod brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. She hopes to revitalize the downtown district, she says, and add on to the good work that has already been completed in recent years.
For now, Kuchenbrod says, her key goal is to develop relationships with downtown business owners.
“I want to understand what their needs are and make sure that their voice is being heard by the city council,” Kuchenbrod said.
Moving forward, she is hoping to come up with more ways to draw people downtown, she says, in hopes of helping people, even those further out in the county, and understand what she calls “the value of downtown.”
“Malls are great, but downtown areas have very unique shops. They have cafes, they have coffee shops with it that you’re not going to find them in a mall,” Kuchenbrod said. “And just getting outside and looking at the green spaces and participating. The City of Danville’s done a phenomenal job with their Friday events that’s really bringing people downtown, so it has a ton of potential. We just need to tap into it.”