During a recent government meeting, officials expressed a cautious optimism regarding the economic recovery of downtown areas, particularly in light of ongoing challenges faced by local businesses. The discussion highlighted the impact of small business support grants, which will be evaluated through surveys aimed at understanding their financial effects on recipients. However, officials noted the difficulty in collecting specific sales data due to privacy concerns.

A significant concern raised was the decline in revenue for businesses along 16th Street, with reports indicating an average drop of 30-35%. Some individual businesses are experiencing even steeper declines. The meeting also addressed the current state of office worker presence in downtown, revealing a stark contrast to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, approximately 86,000 office workers frequented the area daily, but projections for 2024 suggest this number has plummeted to around 51,000.

Officials acknowledged that the return of office workers to downtown is unlikely to return to previous levels in the near future. To mitigate this decline, they emphasized the need to attract different types of foot traffic, including local residents, regional visitors, and tourists. Strategies discussed included enhancing the residential population in the central business district and diversifying land use to create a more vibrant urban environment.

The meeting also touched on pedestrian traffic trends, which have mirrored national patterns of reduced office attendance. Officials underscored the importance of increasing daytime traffic and nightlife to revitalize the area. The anticipated reopening of the 16th Street Mall was noted as a potential catalyst for increased foot traffic, although officials acknowledged the challenge of disentangling the effects of the pandemic and ongoing construction on current visitor numbers.

Overall, the discussions underscored a multifaceted approach to revitalizing downtown, balancing immediate recovery efforts with long-term strategies to enhance urban livability and economic resilience.