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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Megan Hartzell, Director of Communications 
PHONE : 316.573.6365
EMAIL : megan@downtownwichita.org
 
DOWNTOWN WICHITA RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL PINNACLE AWARD

IDA Presents Awards Recognizing Innovative Achievement in Urban Place Management

Wichita, KS – September 22, 2020 – The International Downtown Association (IDA) has recognized the Downtown Wichita organization with the Downtown Achievement Pinnacle Award for its work and initiatives related to the implementation of Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita in the category of Planning, Design and Infrastructure. Each year, IDA recognizes outstanding projects as winners of the Downtown Achievement Awards, which identify improvements to urban centers by dedicated organizations around the globe. The industry’s highest recognition, the Pinnacle Award, represents the most creative and inspiring innovations in urban place management. 

Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita was adopted in 2010 to serve as a 15-year community vision and blueprint for the development of downtown Wichita, Kansas. Extensive public input coupled with market-based research provided a critical platform for the development of the plan. Key investments from the public sector in infrastructure, transportation, streetscape and parks have been a catalyst for private sector development, resulting in the transformation of Wichita’s urban core. 

Project Downtown has driven a number of key outcomes over the past decade:

  • Over $1 billion of investment in the downtown district 
  • Residential units have doubled, adding 1,228 new units and 21 new properties
  • 3 new hotels completed, totaling 375 new hotel rooms
  • Over 445K SF of retail space added (39% increase) in the Central Business District (CBD)
  • The CBD has shown a 14% increase in occupied office space and 23% increase in lease rates

“The transformation that has taken place in our urban center is remarkable and is a direct result of focused efforts by the public and private sectors and the community carrying out the vision set forth in Project Downtown. We are honored to receive this Pinnacle Award and look forward to the next five years of implementing the plan,” said Jeff Fluhr, president of Downtown Wichita.

Washington, DC-based IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. Downtown Wichita is the urban place management organization representing the interests of stakeholders in downtown Wichita, Kansas.

“Downtown Wichita’s innovative project received the IDA Pinnacle Award for setting the new standard for improving cities worldwide,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “Project Downtown has made an impact on its city and the people who live, work and play in the community, and demonstrates the continued commitment to champion livable, vital and thriving urban centers.” 

IDA’s members have a proven track record of creating collaborative public-private partnerships to tackle weighty issues. More than 2,500 downtown management districts exist in cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Place management organizations affect significant change in every major metropolitan area throughout North America in an industry that is growing rapidly around the globe. Place management work touches every discipline of city building, including economic development, leadership, marketing, events, public space management, policy, planning and infrastructure.

The 2020 Downtown Achievement Awards are sponsored by Grow with Google. Additional information on the Pinnacle award winners can be found online at downtown.org in early October.

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IDA Media Contact:  
Allison Shashok 
Director of Membership & Marketing
International Downtown Association 
(202) 798-5926 
allison@downtown.org  

About Downtown Wichita
Downtown Wichita is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that amplifies the energy, capital, and growth of 
downtown by empowering residents, visitors, and businesses to explore the possibilities of our city’s core. 
Downtown Wichita is an affiliate of the Greater Wichita Partnership. Learn more at downtownwichita.org.

About IDA
IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. Our members are city builders and downtown champions who bring urban centers to life, bridging the gap between the public and private sectors. We represent an industry of more than 2,500 place management organizations, employing 100,000 people throughout North America and growing rapidly around the world. Founded in 1954, IDA is a resource center for ideas and innovative best practices in urban place management. For more information, visit www.downtown.org.