Meet the New Downtown Pensacola Cleaning Ambassadors
Posted: May 7, 2019 3:07 PMUpdated: May 7, 2019 3:07 PM
You may have noticed two new individuals dressed in bright green DIB "Clean Ambassador" shirts and jackets. Lori and Jeremy are diligently working along downtown sidewalks and streets, stopping often to assist visitors (and injured baby birds, just ask Lori). Lori and Jeremy recently joined the DIB after being hired locally through StreetPlus, a 25-year-old cleaning, maintenance and hospitality service company that maintains more than 70 business improvement districts in the U.S. Each completed an extensive, 80-hour “Ambassador Academy” training program that included tracks on topics such as emergency response, cultural diversity and extreme customer service, and a session on the history, culture and current events of Downtown Pensacola. Their responsibilities include a wide range of tasks including litter collection, sidewalk cleaning, graffiti removal, pressure-washing and landscaping. But that’s not all; Lori and Jeremy are friendly with engaging and outgoing personalities and their extensive training also makes them great guides for Downtown Pensacola ready to offer directions and share information about attractions, events and other fun activities available in the district. If you happen to meet them on the sidewalk, be sure to say hello!The #RepastAndPresent Giveaway!
Posted: May 7, 2019 2:01 PMUpdated: May 13, 2019 1:29 PM
Friends of Downtown will award two tickets for Repast 2019 to one lucky winner in a new contest that launched May 5. To enter, post a photo of your favorite piece of Downtown Pensacola history on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #RepastAndPresent. At the end of the contest period, one winner will be randomly picked and awarded two tickets for the third annual Repast farm-to-table dinner on May 19 in beautiful downtown Pensacola, a $250 value.Here’s How to Enter:1. Take a photo of your favorite piece of Downtown Pensacola history2. Post the photo on Facebook or Instagram with the Hashtag #RepastAndPresentOfficial Rules and RegulationsEntries must be shared by midnight, May 12, 2019. Winner will be announced by May 14, 2019 and will receive two tickets to the Repast 2019 event.NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. OPEN TO US RESIDENTS, AGE 18 AND OVER. ELIGIBILITY: You must be eighteen or over to enter and win, and a legal resident currently living in the US. Employees and their immediate families of the Friends of Downtown (FOD) or its vendors, committees or board are not eligible. Only two tickets will be awarded to one winner. By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules, and agree to release the Sponsors and Administrators from any and all liability for injuries, losses or damages of any kind resulting from participation in this drawing. TIMING: All entries must be received between 12:00 a.m. CST on May 5, 2019 and 11:59 p.m. CST on May 12, 2019 to be eligible to win a prize. ENTRY: Enter by sharing a photo of your favorite piece of Pensacola history on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #RepastAndPresent, or by mailing a 3x5" postcard with your name, address and phone number clearly printed, to: Friends of Downtown Pensacola, 226 S. Palafox Place, Ste. 106, Pensacola, FL 32502. GENERAL CONDITIONS: Void where prohibited. Illegible, unintelligible or incomplete entries or responses will be disqualified. FOD, Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for any lost, misdirected, stolen or undelivered entries. FOD, Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for technical, network, electronic, computer, hardware or software failures of any kind, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in or downloading any materials in the giveaway. In the event that technical or other circumstances compromise this drawing, FOD reserves the right to cancel the contest, and select winners for prizes from all eligible entries received prior to the cancellation. FOD, Sponsors and Administrators are not responsible for typographical errors in the contest site or these rules. FOD reserves the right to share entry information with Sponsors and Administrators.RELEASE OF LIABILITY: By participating in this promotion, you release Friends of Downtown (FOD) and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, employees, directors, agents, advertising agencies and all others associated with the development and execution of this Sweepstakes from and against any and all injury, loss or damage caused or claimed to be caused by your participation in the Sweepstakes and/or the acceptance, awarding, receipt, use and/or misuse of the prize, and you agree that these entities are not responsible for the condition of your purchases, nor any warranty, representation or guarantee, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to the promotion and/or the awarding of any prize. By entering, you further agree that (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Sweepstakes, or any prizes awarded shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the sweepstakes, but in no event attorney’s fees; and (iii) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any reward for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses.WINNER SELECTION: The prize winner will be selected through a random drawing of all eligible entries. All drawings will be conducted and judged by Friends of Downtown (FOD), whose decisions and interpretations of these Official Rules shall apply and be final. Winner will be notified by email or phone within one day of contest end date. If winner does not respond by the time indicated in the award email, FOD reserves the right to randomly select an alternate winner from the names of all entries that did not win a prize.PRIZE: Two tickets to Repast 2019. Tickets have no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash. Friends of Downtown reserves the right to change or replace the prize at any time with a prize of equal or greater value. The prize is not transferable, assignable nor redeemable for cash. All Federal, State and Local laws and regulations apply. Winners will be responsible for all Federal, State or other applicable taxes in connection with the receipt of prizes.OFFICIAL RULES AND WINNERS LIST: For a copy of these Official Rules, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Friends of Downtown Pensacola, 226 South Palafox Place, Suite 106, Pensacola, FL 32502. For information about the prize-winner, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Friends of Downtown Pensacola, 226 South Palafox Place, Suite 106, Pensacola, FL 32502. All requests for a confirmed prize-winner must be received no later than 45 days after the above-mentioned end date of the contest.Pensacola Named One of Country's Best Small Business Cities
Posted: May 6, 2019 5:45 PMUpdated: May 6, 2019 5:45 PM
Pensacola was recently named one of the 25 best small cities in the country to start a business in 2019. Go.Verizon.com compiled its annual list based on data and qualifying factors that include education, travel time to work, population, income per capita, broadband access, loans per capita and tax scores. The Go.Verizon.com team gathered data from nearly 300 cities across the country, focusing on certain factors that would categorize them as “small." These elements also indicated the financial climate of each city and an overview of its demographics.Pensacola came in at the number 17 spot. "Though it is true that when it comes to places rich with business growth and opportunity, small cities don’t generally come first to mind. But avoiding the chaos and competition of large cities and planting your roots in a quieter, yet equally industrious, pocket of the country puts your business in a uniquely advantageous position," Verizon said on its website."Florida's Greatest Place" Just Keeps Getting Better—DIB Announces Latest Projects and Enhancements
Posted: Mar 14, 2019 6:16 PMUpdated: May 6, 2019 5:46 PM
Parking dollars from City-owned lots and spaces managed by the Downtown Improvement Board are being used to launch several new projects that will make "Florida's Greatest Place" even cleaner, safer and more vibrant, DIB executive director Lissa Dees announced recently. The DIB has hired a “cleaning ambassador” team, completed the installation of LED lights atop the Jefferson St. Garage and recently begun removing worn out parking meters on downtown streets. The changes are the latest on a long list of district-wide maintenance and improvement projects funded by parking revenues collected by the DIB. DIB Clean AmbassadorsYou may have seen them in their green DIB “Clean Ambassador” shirts: three individuals diligently working along downtown sidewalks and streets, stopping to assist visitors when needed. They were hired locally through StreetPlus, a 25-year-old cleaning, maintenance and hospitality service company that maintains more than 70 business improvement districts in the U.S. Each completed an extensive, 80-hour “Ambassador Academy” training program that included tracks on topics such as emergency response, cultural diversity and extreme customer service, and a session on the history, culture and current events of Downtown Pensacola. Lighting Up the Jefferson St. Garage The top floor of the Jefferson St. Parking Garage is much brighter now thanks to the installation of new LED lights, a project that was recently completed by the DIB. The DIB plans to begin landscaping and pressure-washing the area around the garage, as well as painting three of its exterior walls, in advance of a planned alleyway “makeover” of the unused space behind the garage. “The safety and appearance of the garage and the surrounding area are important to downtown visitors and to us,” said Dees, “And we love the challenge of turning an asset such as a parking garage alleyway into a creative public space we can all enjoy.” Goodbye, Guard Shack. Goodbye, Broken Meters.A number of other improvement projects are currently in the works by the DIB, designed to create a better experience for people who live or visit downtown. The guard shack standing at the entrance of the Jefferson St. Garage is scheduled to be demolished on Saturday, March 30, making way for public art and friendly way-finding signs. The DIB has also set a plan into motion to remove all of the broken and out-of-service parking meters from downtown streets, a labor-intensive project that is expected to be completed before summer, said Dees.[PHOTO CREDIT: LAURA BOGAN]New App, Friendly Signs, Sidewalk Decals and a "Street Team" Are Ready to Help You Park Downtown
Posted: Jan 31, 2019 11:41 PMUpdated: Mar 14, 2019 8:38 PM
On Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) will launch a new mobile app, Passport Parking, for downtown parkers, along with improved parking signs, sidewalk decals, printed info cards and a street team ready to assist drivers at DIB-managed parking spaces. They are all part of a long list of customer-driven improvements that began last fall when the DIB moved away from paying an out-of-state company to manage its parking system. Through its partnership with Passport Parking—a well-established company employed by cities all over the world—DIB will offer the app to downtown visitors who park in DIB-managed parking spots including those inside the Jefferson St. Garage. Integrating with the DIB’s existing software, Passport Parking’s dashboard will provide DIB parking ambassadors and management with real-time access to data—critical information when customers need assistance. The new app will cut costs for downtown parkers as well: the price to start a parking session decreases from 32 cents to 18 cents. And, unlike the previous app, there is no repeat charge when a parking session is extended. The free Passport Parking app is available on the Apple and GooglePlay stores. LOOK FOR THE TEAL SIGNS FOR DIB-MANAGED PARKINGThe DIB manages only a portion of the public parking spaces located downtown: the rest are controlled by organizations and private business owners who determine their own rates and enforcement policies, which can vary widely from those of the DIB. Nearly one-third of all DIB-managed spaces are free, with a two-hour limit imposed to ensure fair and equitable availability. The cost to park downtown in the remaining DIB-managed parking spaces will not change: 50 cents per hour for on-street spaces and inside the North Palafox and Tarragona St. parking lots, and $1 for three hours inside the Jefferson St. Garage, and all DIB parking is free on Sundays*. To help parkers easily identify DIB parking, the organization is re-branding its signage in a consistent color, teal blue.*Excluding special event pricing. NO MORE DASHBOARD RECEIPTS—BUT HAVE YOUR TAG NUMBER HANDYWith or without using the Passport Parking app, it’s no longer necessary for visitors to return to their vehicles to put a receipt on the dashboard. However, when paying to park from a pay station, they will need their tag number. The DIB recommends taking a phone picture of the tag or writing the number down somewhere handy. A DIB “parking street team” will be giving out wallet cards for this purpose on Friday and at its next parking info workshop on Feb. 19th at 8am at Jewelers Trade Shop. *When using the Passport Parking app, visitors key in their tag number just once, when they set up their profile. As downtown Pensacola continues to thrive and prosper, identifying solutions for increased parking demands will continue. Lissa Dees, DIB executive director, said that feedback and suggestions from downtown merchants and property owners, DIB board and parking committee members, parking ambassadors and citizens are driving the evolution of the parking that DIB manages. “When a visitor parks at a teal DIB parking sign, they should expect the very best parking experience possible,” she said, “And we are committed to delivering it.” Dees said it is the DIB’s mission to provide the lowest parking prices, offer multiple payment options and a convenient app, maintain a policy against booting and towing and support Pensacola by hiring local and keeping parking dollars in the community. “After all,” she said, “We live and work here every day, too.” DIB PARKING: WHAT IS CHANGINGA new app, Passport Parking, will provide a convenient new way for visitors to pay to park in DIB-managed parking lots, on-street parking spaces and inside the Jefferson St. Garage. Pay machines and meters may still be used, if desired. The Passport Parking app costs 18 cents per session, plus the price of parking. There is no charge to extend a session. Users can download the app from Google or Apple stores, set up their profile with tag number and conveniently pay for parking whenever they are downtown. The Premium Parking app will no longer work at DIB-managed parking spaces. Downtown parkers no longer need to display a receipt on their dashboard. Parkers will need to enter their tag number when they pay for parking at a pay machine. DIB parking will be designated by teal parking signs with zone numbers posted. A new web page with a parking directory, including handicapped parking spaces, may be found at downtownpensacola.com/parking. A special “parking street team” will be out on Friday and next week to offer assistance and hand out parking info cards. DIB PARKING: THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOWThe DIB manages only a portion of the public parking available in downtown Pensacola. The rest is controlled by organizations and private businesses that establish their own prices and rules. When you park in a DIB parking spot under a teal sign, your parking dollars stay in the community. Parking dollars have recently paid for safer LED lighting inside the Jefferson St. Garage, stairwell and elevator cleaning and maintenance, handicapped striping, “smart” meters, directional signs and other improvements. The DIB never boots and never tows. DIB parking costs less than any other parking option downtown, and one third of DIB’s parking spaces are free, 2-hour parking, all day every day. More information about DIB parking can be found at www.downtownpensacola.com/parking.