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Downtown Spokane Partnership reports steady Q1 activity; foot traffic flat, clean‑and‑safe teams log thousands of contacts
Summary
The Downtown Spokane Partnership reported Q1 results including more than two million visitors to the Business Improvement District, six new businesses opened, continued clean‑and‑safe operations with thousands of security and outreach contacts, and a planned end to a South Downtown supplemental cleaning contract in June.
The Downtown Spokane Partnership (DSP) told the committee Monday that downtown activity in the first quarter remained driven by events and promotions, with overall visitation largely steady year‑over‑year and a continued emphasis on clean‑and‑safe services for businesses and visitors.
Why it matters: Downtown foot traffic and business openings or closings affect retail sales, jobs and public‑space management; DSP emphasized event partnerships — from restaurant week to NCAA tournaments — as a key driver of visitor activity and business revenue.
Emily Cameron, president and CEO of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, said the BID covers about 80 blocks of the central business district, includes just over 500 properties and roughly 800 business tenants. For Q1 the DSP reported six business openings in the district and about seven ground‑floor retail closures. Cameron noted the group’s annual meeting and election of a rate‑payer advisory board in February and the public‑nominated “Best in BID” awards that profile downtown businesses.
The BID recorded more than 2,000,000 visitors in the first three months of the year; Cameron said visitation is down “about 0.3%” compared with the same period last year but that March remains a pivotal month because of sports events that draw substantial out‑of‑area visitors. DSP highlighted partnerships for NCAA events that created eight local fan sites, and said some participating bars and restaurants reported nearly double typical sales for the weekend.
On clean‑and‑safe operations, DSP reported ambassador and clean‑team activity: the ambassadors logged roughly 3,000 security contacts in Q1, responded to more than 200 calls for service and public assistance, recorded about 700 interactions with downtown businesses, and conducted 907 wellness checks; staff reported roughly 19% of individuals encountered accepted services or referrals. The clean team collected more than 1,500 bags of garbage and removed about 2,500 pieces of cardboard; staff also reported removal of approximately 735 graffiti tags and the placement and maintenance of 250 garden planters and more than 50 hanging baskets for the summer months.
Cameron said a supplemental cleaning contract serving South Downtown is scheduled to end in June (the contract began in September 2024). The team surveyed local property and business owners and said about 76% reported seeing a positive change in the serviced area, which the DSP defined as west of Bernard, south of the railroad viaduct, between Third and Fourth avenues.
DSP said it has focused on small grant programs and workshops — including BECU philanthropy grants that supported outdoor patio activation and small business workshops on merchandising and event leverage — and on digital outreach through its social media channels. Cameron urged continued support for small, independently owned downtown businesses, noting national survey results that many small‑business respondents lack confidence about their future and that local owners are struggling with economics and public‑space safety concerns.
Ending: Cameron asked the committee and councilmembers to continue partnering on activations, grant programs and outreach to sustain downtown businesses and to prioritize event and placemaking strategies that drive visitors into downtown businesses.
