About The ADA

The Albany Downtown Association, otherwise known as Downtown Albany, is a private, non-profit membership organization dedicated to Albany’s downtown revitalization.

Our mission is:

“Promote the heart, vitality and uniqueness of Downtown Albany’s historic buildings and business.”

Our expanded purpose is to:

• Promote downtown Albany as the heart of the community
• Strengthen the economic viability by encouraging business diversity
• Enhance the unique physical characteristics of historic downtown Albany

To achieve its objectives, Albany Downtown Association is coordinated by a full time executive director, a board of directors, staff, volunteer committees, business owners, property owners, residents and community leaders.

Albany Downtown Association also administers ParkWise, a parking management program for downtown.

Downtown Albany strives to be in-tune with the downtown community’s needs.

In the works are:

• A Streetscape Plan for both private and public spaces
• Business Recruitment
• Progressive Business Assistance
• Downtown Albany Facebook page
• Retail Shopping Guide
• Downtown Dining Guide
• Downtown Historic District Tours
• Business and Customer Surveys

The Albany Downtown Association serves the downtown businesses and residents through a comprehensive approach to revitalization.

Promotional activities also include co-op advertising, shopping maps, a downtown business directory and this promotional website.

• Promotion
  Annual events produced by our Promotions Committee include sidewalk sales, Downtown Restaurant Week, Movies at Monteith, Halloween Trick-or-Treating, Downtown Unwrapped, Small Business Saturday, Free Holiday Movie and the Downtown Twice Around Holiday Parade and Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. We also partner with other organizations on Downtown events like the Wine Walk, Antiques in the Streets and Craft Brew Smackdown.
• Strengthening Downtown
  The Albany Downtown Association helps business owners with technical assistance and information through our Economic Development Comittee. Businesses have a voice at our quarterly merchant meetings. Other services include a monthly newsletter for members and workshops featuring retail experts. Downtown Albany co-sponsors a facade grant program with the City of Albany, advocates for downtown at the City Council and CARA and actively recruits new businesses.
• Enhancement
  Downtown Albany leads in beautifying. Our Design Committee oversees the Holiday Snowflake Project and the Summer Flower Basket Program. Other projects include way finding signs, on-street trash receptacles, public art, special cleanup days and parking lot landscape.

Downtown Albany has had an impressive track record in revitalization for more than 30 years.

Our recent accomplishments include:

• Rehabilitating more than 20 buildings since 1999, representing over $5 million of public and private reinvestment.
• Encouraging upper floor development.
• Creation of an Economic Improvement District to ensure base funding for Downtown Albany.
• Increased community visibility through summer flower baskets and holiday snowflakes, and advocating for an upcoming streetscape project.

The Albany Downtown Association’s Board of Directors works hard to make sure the program keeps true to its purpose while continuing to meet a variety of Downtown needs. The Board takes an active role in program planning and implementation, hosts Town Hall meetings, conducts membership drives and secures funding.