IDA Presents Downtown Achievement Awards to St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership

The International Downtown Association (IDA) recognized the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership with the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence for its work related to the 2020 Downtown Development Guide. IDA tasked a jury of peer professionals to review, deliberate and evaluate all entries in the 2020 Downtown Achievement Awards. The Award of Excellence acknowledges an excellent response to an industry challenge demonstrating application of prosperous and inclusive place management. 

The 2020 Downtown Development Guide was considered in the category of Economic Development which IDA identifies as one of the seven professional urban place management practice areas. This category features unique organizational approaches in the areas of business recruitment and retention, market analysis and research, nighttime economy, incubators, and co-working spaces.

“The 2020 Downtown Development Guide catalogues what we’re doing right now as a community and sets the stage for what we are working towards over the next 10 years,” said Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. 

“Like many other urban centers, St. Petersburg has seen a renaissance of growth and vibrancy during the last decade. St. Petersburg has seen significant growth in residential development and exponential growth in the experiential dining and retail sectors. The Guide created the context for future office development. Additionally, the Guide has become a primary sales tool for other local economic development organization, innovation center, city and county economic development staff and elected officials,” he said. 

“The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership has shown expert application of professional urban place management principles with their project, the 2020 Downtown Development Guide,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “The 2020 Downtown Development Guide should serve as a model example to all member communities within IDA.”  

Washington, DC-based IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership is the urban place management organization representing the interests of property owners in Downtown St. Petersburg.

About IDA

The International Downtown Association is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. Our members are city builders and downtown champions who bring urban centers to life, bridging the gap between the public and private sectors. We represent an industry of more than 2,500 place management organizations, employing 100,000 people throughout North America and growing rapidly around the world. Founded in 1954, IDA is a resource center for ideas and innovative best practices in urban place management. For more information, visit downtown.org. 

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