About The ADA

The Albany Downtown Association 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:

• Business Recruitment
• Enhanced Downtown Albany Social Media Presence
• Downtown 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 Main Street’s comprehensive 4-point approach to revitalization.

Design Committee

Downtown Albany leads in beautifying. Our Design Committee oversees enhancements like our Downtown Parklets, Winter Snowflake Project and the Summer Flower Basket Program. Other projects include wayfinding signs, on-street trash receptacles, public art, special cleanup days and parking lot landscape.

Economic Vitality Committee

The Albany Downtown Association strengthens Downtown by helping business owners with technical assistance and information through our Economic Vitality Committee. 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.

Outreach Committee

A successful Downtown is all about partnerships. Our Outreach Committee oversees communications with business and property owners, employees and the public through our website and other avenues. They update policies and plan the budget for the fiscal year. They work with volunteers and plan 1st Friday activities and our Mixology Madness fundraiser.

Promotion Committee

Annual events produced by our Promotions Committee include sidewalk sales, Downtown Restaurant Week, Movies at Monteith, Halloween Trick-or-Treat, Downtown Unwrapped, Small Business Saturday, Free Holiday Movie and the Downtown Twice Around Christmas Parade and Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. We also partner with other organizations on Downtown events like the Albany Taps & Caps, Wine Walk, Antiques in the Streets and Craft Brew Smackdown. Other promotional activities and materials are our monthly newsletter dining & shopping brochures, traditional and social media marketing & advertising and this website which includes a Downtown business directory.

Check out our Volunteer Brochure

Downtown Albany has had an impressive track record in revitalization for more than 40 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 supporting the upcoming Waterfont 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.