BOSTON–The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID) announced at its Annual Meeting a slate of new and updated initiatives and programs aimed to reinvigorate the neighborhood as a destination for living, working, shopping, dining and visiting.
Reflecting a mission to offer an inclusive and engaged experience for everyone, the organization announced a fresh name and identity: the Downtown Boston Alliance (DBA).
“Our new name aligns better with our ambitious agenda of developing a post-pandemic
Downtown neighborhood that reflects the innovative energy and equitable economic
opportunity of the Boston of today and tomorrow,” said Alliance President Michael J.
Nichols, who starts his third year leading the group. “Downtown Boston advocates are truly an Alliance of like-minded people dedicated to making the area a destination that’s both inviting and accessible to residents, business owners, tourists, and shoppers alike.”
Nichols says the name change is part of a broader effort to ensure the group, and the area it represents, are visible and relatable to an audience from the regional business community and beyond.
At the meeting, Nichols and the DBA staff recapped a vibrant year that began last fall with the launch of the $2 million “Level Up Downtown” economic development initiative, and saw reduced storefront vacancy rates, increased foot traffic each month, the opening of numerous retail and restaurant businesses, and a broad array of large-scale events — from buzz-worthy public art to packed block parties — that brought international attention and millions of visitors to the neighborhood.
Nichols also previewed events and activities poised to continue the neighborhood’s upward
trajectory:
Business Development and Growth
Nichols said the Alliance will enhance attention to the growth and support of business and
business-friendly activities in 2025.
● In its first year, “Level Up Downtown” brought numerous new retail businesses into
neighborhood storefronts, including four thriving shops in partnership with the City of
Boston’s S.P.A.C.E. Grants program. Nichols says the effort is expected to add as many as
five more lease-signings before the end of the year for 2025 store openings.
● The Alliance team is working with the City of Boston to host a summit of real estate brokers
focused on accelerating property development and tenant diversity in the downtown
corridor.
● The Alliance will commission a visioning study for the future of Winter Street, the heavily
used pedestrian corridor between Park Street and Washington Street.
● Also planned is an early 2025 start of a Requests for Proposals process aimed at
welcoming new event activations in and near Downtown Crossing intended to attract new
audiences eager for unique activities that enrich the downtown landscape and enhance
business for retail, event, and restaurant establishments.
Community Initiatives
Nichols announced a plan to transform the ground-floor of a vacant retail storefront on Winter Street into a visitor and community events center, set to open in 2025.
● An extension of the organization’s successful “Third Space” initiative, and with the support of Mayor Michelle Wu’s emphasis on new nightlife opportunities in the city, the center will provide a public venue for arts events, performances, community markets, and more.
● Planned for a 2025 opening, the space will host pop-up events through the winter and
spring. An example of how the space may be used can be found in a current pop-up art
exhibition being offered by the BID on Winter Street, featuring the work of local artists
Michael Talbot and Kevin Nguyen from the’ Artists For Humanity Artists Fellowship
program.
Enhanced Holiday and Seasonal Programming
The Alliance plans to add significant oomph to its 2024/25 winter programming, including
interactive experiences for families and all visitors, and marking the Alliance’s continued
commitment to make downtown a premier destination for cultural and holiday events.
● The Alliance will announce a new seasonal destination activity this week, called “Holiday
Kingdom.” In addition to the neighborhood’s annual wreaths, lighting, and streetscape
decorations, the display features twelve newly commissioned, larger-than-life decorations
along Washington and Summer Streets that are expected to inspire a child-like awe for
seasonal shoppers, diners, and visitors.
● In January, the Alliance will bring back “WINTERACTIVE,” the curated art experience that
last year inspired more than 650,000 visitors to its bold, eye-catching and thought-provoking installations. Approximately 20 artworks will be spread throughout
Downtown for “WINTERACTIVE,” including several never-before-seen-in-America pieces
sure to delight visitors to Boston this winter.
New Name, New Look and Feel
The Alliance has been working for more than a year on its new name, as well as a renewed
presence in the neighborhood. Nichols says the rebranding was developed in collaboration
with Boston-based creative agency Proverb; it includes an updated logo, colors and
modernized fonts, all of which were designed to bring a fresh look to the Alliance’s
public-facing image.
Visitors to downtown Boston will notice changes right away, with newly designed uniforms for the Alliance’s team of onstreet ambassadors, and revised designs on signage, pushcarts, support vehicles, trash cans, and other infrastructure visible throughout the neighborhood to be unveiled today.
The Downtown Boston Alliance held its Annual members meeting on the 31st floor of One
Boston Place, in a raw space with expansive views of all parts of the district and the city
beyond. Nichols says the location was both centrally located and symbolic.
“Just like the vision we have for the Alliance going forward, this spot represents the promise of downtown, proving that there is physical and aspirational space available for the next generation of climate technologists, artists, startup businesses, and anyone else with a vision for the city and its people,” he says.
Nichols noted that the Alliance recently received a five-year commitment renewal from its
members in 2023, ensuring that the group is supported in its efforts to lead a new era of
growth, community-building, and cultural enrichment.
With a forward-looking new identity, expanded programming, and a slate of new initiatives, Nichols says the Downtown Boston Alliance will continue to shape downtown Boston as a vibrant destination for all.
