August 26, 2008

 

Dave Corliss

City Manager of Lawrence Kansas

City Hall

6 East 6th Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

 

Dave –

 

I am writing today about an opportunity to strengthen Lawrence’s reputation as a community that is desirable to live, work and play in, and to expand our reach as a regional destination for tourism.  I am convinced that through our efforts to make Lawrence a fun and fulfilling place to live, we will ultimately become more attractive to future employers and economic development opportunities of all kinds.

 

With that goal in mind, an effort is underway to produce the 3rd annual Get Downtown street festival in Downtown Lawrence.  The date for the event will be October 3rd and 4th, and the proposed location is New Hampshire Street between 8th and 9th streets. The event is free to the public. 

 

Originally organized by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and supported by the City of Lawrence and private donations, the first two years of Get Downtown attracted three to five thousand people to Downtown Lawrence.  This year, in an effort to expand on that success, a not for profit corporation named Just Like Lawrence, Inc. has been formed for the purpose of coordinating and producing this event and future arts and entertainment events with the cooperation and support of the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Downtown Lawrence, Inc.  The event will add a second day, significantly increase the lineup of musical talent, expand local and regional marketing efforts, and offer entertainment activities for children such as inflatables, rock climbing walls, etc.  Our objective is to at least double last year’s attendance.

 

With that goal in mind, Just Like Lawrence, Inc. requests $20,000 in financial support from the City of Lawrence to help us produce this event and seed the future success of this effort.  This amount represents approximately 30% of the total budget of the event, with the balance to be generated through sponsorships, private support and vending revenue.

 

Communities similar to Lawrence are experiencing dramatic success with downtown music and cultural events.  Austin TX, Columbia MO, and Ft Collins CO are just a few examples of cities with downtown festivals annually attracting between 70,000 and 100,000 attendees.  These events generate good will, local commerce and tax revenue.  In fact, Columbia’s “Roots Blues and Barbecue” festival was so successful in its first year, that the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau of Columbia committed $100,000 in support for this year’s event.   

 

 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.  I look forward to speaking with you.

 

Thank you,

 

Jason Edmonds

Board Member

Just Like Lawrence, Inc.

 

Cc:          Brett Mosiman

                Judy Billings

                Cathy Lewis

                Jane Pennington