About Paducah Renaissance Alliance
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605 Broadway
Paducah, KY 42001
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ph: 270.444.8649
fx: 270.441.7263
em: info@paducahalliance.org
The Paducah Renaissance Alliance (PRA), a national Main Street program, serves to develop and enrich Paducah's Renaissance Area. The Renaissance Area is made up of the LowerTown Arts District, the historic downtown and the riverfront development project.
PRA's Mission Statement:
PRA is a charitable, 501(c) (3) organization which serves to better the community of Paducah, KY.
- PRA partners with business owners, property owners and our great citizens through historic preservation and effective marketing.
- PRA maximizes the potential of our unique Renaissance District by focusing on business recruitment and retention.
- PRA believes that promotion of the Renaissance District, paired with the exciting Riverfront Development, will make Paducah a thriving, vibrant, and attractive destination, benefiting the entire community.
PRA is supported through charitable contributions from private citizens, businesses, and other civic organizations who desire to see the Renaissance Area continue to thrive as an historic district, and premier arts and entertainment attraction.
The City of Paducah provides generous support to the organization through funding and various city support services. In addition to this, PRA coordinates fundraising events including an annual membership drive, Old Market Days, commemorative brick sales, vending space at the Downtown Farmer's Market, Wall to Wall Mural merchandise sales and various other events held throughout the year.
Benefits of Membership.
- Membership provides networking opportunities, and allows participation in professional educational seminars, special events and promotions in the Renaissance Area, and previews of upcoming projects such as the Riverfront Development project.
- PRA provides members with a voice to the Mayor's Office, the City Commission, and other city organizations.
- PRA members are proactively engaged with government agencies to tackle issues pertaining to downtown, the LowerTown Arts District and riverfront development, including creative design, land & building use, signage, lighting, parking, public safety, streetscape improvements and transportation issues.
- Members are informed in advance of street closures due to construction and community events such as festivals.
- Members have access to PRA's media contacts, marketing services, e-mail updates, monthly e-newsletters, discounts at Porter Paints and Hannan Supply Company, as well as a complete library of props used for retail window displays.
Our Approach
The organization utilizes a four-point approach to developing and retaining the historic integrity and significance of the Renaissance Area. The four-point approach includes economic restructuring, promotion, design, and organization.
- Economic Restructuring strengthens a community's existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base. PRA helps sharpen the competitiveness of existing business owners and recruits compatible new businesses and new economic uses to build a commercial district that responds to today's consumers' needs. Converting unused or underused commercial space into economically productive property also helps boost the profitability of the district. Coincidentally, the four points correspond with the four forces of real estate value, which are social, political, physical, and economic.
- Promotion sells a positive image of the commercial district and encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, and invest in the Renaissance Area. By marketing the district's unique characteristics to residents, investors, business owners, and visitors, an effective promotional strategy forges a positive image through advertising, retail promotional activity, special events, and marketing campaigns carried out by local volunteers. These activities improve consumer and investor confidence in the Renaissance Area and encourage commercial activity and investment in the area.
- Design means getting the Renaissance Area into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets such as historic buildings and pedestrian-oriented streets is just part of the story. An inviting atmosphere, created through attractive window displays, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights, and landscaping, conveys a positive visual message about the Renaissance Area and what it has to offer. Design activities also include instilling good maintenance practices in the Renaissance Area, enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long term planning.
- Organization involves getting everyone working toward the same goal and assembling the appropriate human and financial resources to implement an effective revitalization program. A governing board and standing committees make up the fundamental organizational structure of the volunteer-driven program. Volunteers are coordinated and supported by a paid program director as well. This structure not only divides the workload and clearly delineates responsibilities, but also builds consensus and cooperation among the various stakeholders.
*A more complete description of the Four Points Approach can be found at www.nationalmainstreet.org
PRA Staff
Steve Doolittle
Downtown Development Director
sdoolittle@paducahalliance.org
Monica Bilak
Development Manager
Jessica Perkins
Marketing Manager
jessica.perkins@paducahalliance.org
Susan Gibson
Office Manager
PRA Board of Directors
Bruce Brockenborough
Board Chair
Executive Committee Chair
Hannan Supply Company
Keith Wilke
Vice Chair
Banterra Bank
Chris Yarber
Treasurer
City of Paducah
Patience Renzulli
Secretary
A Dog in the Garden
Sharon Poat
Member at Large
Design Committee Chair
Susan Ybarzabal
Organization Committee Chair
US Bank
Keyth Kahrs
Leaping Trout Studio
Maurie McGarvey
Paducah Bank
Valerie Pollard
Market Square Coffee Company
Allan Rhodes
Etcetera Coffee House
Chuck Tate
Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center
Karen Utz
Philosophy Gallery
Mary Hammond
Ex-Officio
Paducah-McCracken County Convention and Visitors Bureau
PRDA Board of Directors
Joe Framptom
Chairman of the Board
Paducah Bank
George Sirk
Vice-Chair
Sirk Realty
Bruce Brockenborough
Secretary-Treasurer
Hannan Supply Company
Joe Dempsey
TVA
Ronnie James
James Marine, Inc
Gayle Kaler
City Commissioner
Meredith Schroeder
American Quilter's Society
