O’Fallon Downtown District set to add new coordinator position for new direction

With spring about to be in full swing and COVID-19 restrictions dropping, the O’Fallon Downtown District hopes to regain its momentum as a hub for community events.

To make those plans happen, the city and the O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce are teaming up for the next step: Hiring a Downtown District Coordinator.

The O’Fallon City Council could approve the new position and the joint agreement at its Monday, March 21, meeting, after the parks and recreation committee moved it forward Monday, March 14.

Andrew Dallner, director of parks and recreation, explained the revitalized district’s development has grown beyond the merchants’ committee’s ability to coordinate special events and the city’s Vine Street Market at the O’Fallon Station needs more than a part-time coordinator.

“It’s become evident that having a centralized person is needed,” Dallner said, recommending city employee Sarah Burton assume the duties.

She is the city horticulturist and Vine Street Market coordinator and spearheaded the farmers market’s creation.

The parks and recreation department oversees O’Fallon Station rentals and the Vine Street Market. Since its opening in 2019, the number and quality of vendors has exceeded expectations.

The position will be a city employee — but jointly funded — and the chamber will contribute $6,000 of the coordinator’s salary by May 1 each year.

Chamber Director Debbie Arell-Martinez said a solid relationship already is in place with parks and recreation, and they began talks last fall about part-time help.

“The Downtown District has been looking for some time to hire someone to focus on event planning. It makes perfect sense to pool resources to have one focal point to coordinate events. Downtown District businesses are growing and so are the events held,” Arell-Martinez said. “We are excited to solidify this partnership and see what the future brings.”

Growth in Past Five Years

A major success story and a point of community pride, the Downtown District has focused on increased commerce and activities to become a regional destination.

Foot traffic has increased and so has its visibility. The cooperative effort has been an example of merchants working together. After years of little attention and investment, a Downtown Business Committee formed in fall 2018 to promote downtown better and see what ideas could work. Their goal was to create a coordinated strategy and the transformation is evident.

Key initiatives included the city commissioning a downtown action plan and established a Tax Increment Financing district for the area. Then, through the Destination O’Fallon economic development initiative in 2016, O’Fallon Station was constructed for $1.5 million.

Designed to create a central gathering place in the heart of the community, city leaders hoped the pavilion would make downtown attractive to residents and visitors. It opened for limited events in the 2018 holiday season, but officially was ready in spring 2019.

Funding, other additions

It was funded through an increased hotel-motel tax. In November 2016, the council approved a rate hike to increase the hotel-motel tax from 5% to 9%, with the additional 4% of revenue funding the downtown and Family Sports Park expansion projects. Overall, the improvements totaled around $9.5 million.

The city added more than 125 paved and lighted parking spaces downtown to help with the parking demand and installed holiday lighting to help encourage new events during the Christmas season.

Walter Denton, city administrator, and Grant Litteken, assistant city administrator, serve as the city’s liaisons to the downtown committee.

In 2019, sales tax collected downtown during the past eight years had increased by 177% and the food and beverage tax collected increased by 134%.

Sarah Burton will be new coordinator

Dallner said instead of hiring and training a new person, Burton is the right fit to assume those duties. A full-time employee, Burton’s other job duties will be adjusted and assigned to others. The position and Burton will be officially approved Monday, March 21.

“Sarah has done a great job. She has built relationships with the downtown merchants, and she will be a great addition, taking the lead on the community events. Rearranging her duties will free her up to take on these roles,” Dallner said.

The new role will include duties as a special event planner — to collaborate, organize, supervise, and execute 12 community events to help awareness efforts, manage them and assigned individuals as well as coordinate volunteers.

The coordinator will direct marketing and advertising plans, assist with social media content, and build relationships with the downtown district, chamber, and local businesses and community.

Implementing ideas and events that drive traffic to the downtown area, work with the O’Fallon police and fire departments on emergency protocols for events and assist with budgeting and authorize spending are also part of the job description.

Dallner said the coordinator would take care of submitting the special event forms to the city, oversee vendor stall assignments, traffic flow routes and event timelines.

More about Vine Street Market

Vine Street Market runs from May to October, and such additions as the Winter Market and Micro-Markets not in season have been successful. Micro Markets, from 9 a.m. to noon, were scheduled for March 12 and 26 and April 9 and 30 this year — all Saturdays — with the fourth season of the full market beginning Saturday, May 14.

The market specializes in handmade and homegrown products from within a 100-mile radius.

Last fall, Burton said they would be expanding the market footprint to offer a wider variety of vendors, a kids activity area, a variety of demonstrations, and more food trucks.

“We hope to bring an even better market to the community,” she said.

Success Story

In November 2019, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments presented one of its Outstanding Local Government Achievement) Awards to the city, O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce and the downtown district.

Representatives from the three civic endeavors received the Exemplary Collaboration, Partnership or Regional Initiative Award.

At that time, Mayor Herb Roach acknowledged the residents for their support and people working together for the betterment of the city.

“O’Fallon’s downtown is really special, and it continues to get better and better,” he said.

“We’ve had some neat things happen and we’re going to have a lot of cool stuff coming up,” said Jon Greenstreet, owner of the Bike Surgeon and one of the downtown committee leaders.

Rebounding After Coronavirus Pandemic Shutdown

After canceling most events in fall 2020, merchants were eager to entice shoppers, diners, and revelers to return downtown in 2021. The first Chalk-It-Up art festival took place in June, they scheduled Super Summer Saturdays including a Bike Crawl and Caboose Open House, and festive autumn activities, such as the Wizards and Witches event and Halloween Pub Crawl, attracted good crowds.

Several new storefronts and food places opened: Gears at Bike Surgeon, Birch Market, Boarding House Bistro and Saddleback Chocolates among them.

A St. Patrick’s Grub Crawl is set for 5-8 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Participating businesses include:

• Boarding House Bistro, 212 E. State St.
• 1st Street Lounge, 119 W. First Street
• Gears, 201 E. State St.
• Gia’s Pizza, 102 W. State St.
• Hemingway’s Zen Garden, 123 E. First St.
• Mandy’s Place, 108 E. State St.
• Peel Wood Fired Pizza, 104 S. Cherry St.
• American Legion, 109 N. Penn St.
• VFW Post 805, 221 W. First St.

A Bunny Hop Shop is set for Saturday, April 9.

More information can be found at www.ofallondowntowndistrict.com.

This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 5:03 PM.