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The thought behind a new Fund for Downtown Programming makes sense -- but the fund needs to have a better track record than the previous program did.
A city fund has been needed to help get new events off the ground or to secure the type of talent to make an event the sort of regional draw that can fill hotels, restaurants and shops during times when downtown tends to be quiet.
Crystal Surdyk, Jamestown development director, said the city will be able to be more flexible regarding where events can happen with the new program. That's good in theory, but some of the projects that were given money under the Downtown Revitalization Initiative program didn't have the type of bang that should be expected from a program of this size.
The original Downtown Revitalization Initiative Fund for Downtown Programming had some noticeable successes - a gospel festival downtown brought hundreds of people as did a performance of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performing the music of rock band Queen. Such events served their intended purpose. But others were niche events that didn't really pay off in traffic downtown.
Downtown events are important to bring people downtown, particularly on weekends and evenings. In our opinion, the city should learn from what didn't work with the previous downtown events fund. Existing events applying for money must make sure they are making a significant addition to their program, not just keeping the status quo. Ideally, the fund is used to create a robust series of events that drive traffic on a regular basis. And, in our opinion, event organizers should do their best to partner with hotels and restaurants so that the downtown business community can capitalize on a new audience.