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Downtown Pullman Association wins Main Street designation, urges B&O tax donations to fund revitalization
Summary
Downtown Pullman Association (DPA) reported Main Street designation, recent grants and events, and urged businesses and donors to use Washington's B&O tax credit to support downtown revitalization; DPA outlined grants and projects completed since 2021.
The Downtown Pullman Association reported that Pullman is now a designated Main Street community and outlined recent projects, grants and a fundraising appeal that uses Washington’s business & occupation (B&O) tax credit program to fund downtown revitalization.
Bobby Reiter, DPA executive director, told the council the DPA — formed in 2021 — has raised about $500,000 through grants and donations (the figure excludes B&O tax contributions), completed 11 exterior building improvements, hosted 14 promotions and seven collaborations, and documented roughly 675–700 volunteer hours annually. Reiter said the association is working with partners including the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, Washington State University programs, Pullman Civic Trust, and the Port of Whitman.
Reiter said the state Main Street B&O tax credit enables businesses to direct a portion of their B&O tax to a certified downtown organization; DPA gave an example: a $1,000 donation yields a $750 tax credit on the donor’s B&O tax the following year (i.e., $250 net cost while depositing $1,000 toward downtown projects). Reiter said businesses can donate up to $66,333 this year under current program caps and urged local entities to take advantage of the opportunity by Oct. 31.
DPA highlighted several funded projects: a $50,000 T‑Mobile hometown grant (plus $5,000 from Vista Foundation) purchased movable plaza furniture and decorative lighting; a USDA-funded project ($74,000 grant, $103,000 total project cost) upgraded two downtown sites and installed storm improvements for flood-prone alleys; microgrants helped small businesses with exterior improvements; and a mural project raised roughly $40,000. DPA also reported programs such as Market on Main (farmers market), Lentil Fest and the Crimson & Grey Pub Crawl that generated foot traffic and direct support for downtown businesses.
Council members praised DPA work and encouraged regional collaboration; DPA said it pursued regional partnerships and would like to host Main Street trainings locally. No council action or funding commitment was made at this presentation, but DPA requested continued city support for downtown activation and urged local businesses to use the B&O credit program.
