Each quarter, the Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts prepare a report that highlights new investment in Downtown Columbus. When the fourth quarter report was released in early February, the SIDs hosted a special event for SID business members offering an in-depth look at the report and featuring expert speakers offering further analysis. The SIDs received extensive earned media when the report was released. Prominent coverage included The Columbus Dispatch, 10TV, WCBE and Columbus Underground. In addition, some reports tied the economic development results to stories regarding Columbus’ run to the final three cities under consideration for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

This project illustrates the collaborative nature of the SIDs’ staff, whose varied areas of expertise combined in an outstanding report that brought heightened attention to the development and improvements happening downtown. Marc Conte, Deputy Director of Research, Planning & Facilities, Kacey Brankamp, Business Recruiter and Josh Vidmar, Research Intern, worked together on facts and figures for the report and completed a first draft. Melissa Fast, Marketing Director, honed the copy and worked with a designer on the print and digital publications. She then pitched news stories to area media. Lisa Defendiefer, Deputy Director of Operations and Advocacy, coordinated building access for TV media.

Brankamp and Michelle Chippas, Development Director, then planned and executed the Business Member event. First Look: Downtown Development Update was held on February 4 with 50 attendees. Conte spoke on the state of downtown development. Brian Irwin, Director of Client Services at Xcelligent, offered analysis of the office market data, and Ricky Day of the Day Companies spoke about his company’s redevelopment projects, particularly in the Gay and High Street areas.

The collaboration among staff ensured not only that the event, report and coverage was exemplary, but that the SIDs were positioned as the go-to source for downtown information and expertise.