By Staff
As Downtown Washington on the Waterfront reorganizes itself and works to redefine its mission, here is something to remember.
Downtown Washington on the Waterfront’s stated mission, according to its Web site, is to “serve as a facilitator and catalyst to renew, restore, rebuild and revitalize the downtown business district, improve economic conditions, lessen the burden of government and combat community deterioration.”
Downtown Washington on the Waterfront, in its fourth year of existence, has had problems carrying out its mission. There’s been little renewing, restoring, rebuilding and revitalizing the downtown business district. Part of the problem is that Downtown Washington on the Waterfront has been through two executive directors and one interim director in its four years of existence. It’s hard for the Downtown Washington on the Waterfront ship to get anywhere when there’s a new captain on the bridge at almost every change of the watch.
To be sure, Downtown Washington on the Waterfront is responsible for a recently completed parking study of the city’s central business district. It organizes and presents Pickin’ on the Pamlico, which in two years has become a signature event in Washington. It organizes and presents the Farmers Market and Saturday Market. It organizes and presents the flotilla during the Christmas season. Downtown Washington on the Waterfront helped facilitate the drafting of a proposed waterfront/harbor management plan for the city.
Those are all admirable accomplishments. But Downtown Washington on the Waterfront was established to do much more. It’s been given city taxpayers’ money to do much more.
As Downtown Washington on the Waterfront reorganizes itself, one of its main goals should be identifying and promoting a vision for downtown Washington that will allow the organization to carry out its mission. That may not be easy because there are some people and organizations convinced Downtown Washington on the Waterfront has done little to help improve the city’s central business district.
Last May, DWOW came under fire from some downtown merchants and others for not spending taxpayers’ money wisely. They said Downtown Washington on the Waterfront failed to use that money to accomplish its mission.
When he spoke to the City Council on Monday, DWOW President Ross Hamory explained how the nonprofit organization is reshaping its organizational structure so it can better carry out its mission. From what Hamory had to say, it appears other groups with interests in what happens downtown want to help Downtown Washington on the Waterfront accomplish its mission and do away with the polarization that occurred among some of those groups.
Downtown Washington on the Waterfront’s members and volunteers are the reason the organization has had its successes such as the flotilla, parking study and proposed harbor management plan. Those dedicated members and hard-working volunteers can help put Downtown Washington on the Waterfront on the path to accomplishing its mission.
By accomplishing its mission, Downtown Washington on the Waterfront will help make Washington a better place. Hamory and other Downtown Washington on the Waterfront leaders must bring the vision for downtown into focus and turn that vision into action. That action must result in Downtown Washington on the Waterfront leaders being able say: “Mission accomplished.”
Downtown Washington on the Waterfront’s future and Washington’s future depend on that mission being accomplished.