Fort Collins DBA signs off; future of events uncertain
FORT COLLINS — Longtime Fort Collins business advocacy and marketing group Downtown Business Association has shut down.
The DBA board voted in March to close down after 40 years as a primary driver of both business district marketing and events in the downtown.
“On March 22, the Downtown Business Association passed a unanimous vote by the board of directors in favor of the dissolution of the Downtown Business Association,” said Ty Fulcher, former president of the board, in a written statement. Fulcher is the owner of a couple of downtown businesses: Social, and Union Bar and Soda Fountain.
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“While being assured of the Downtown Development Association’s strong leadership, financial stability, and long-term plans to support downtown and its businesses, there is a lack of needed revenue to restart and sustain the DBA. We thank everyone for the years of support and look forward to the vibrant future of downtown.”
The DBA was a supporter and founder of multiple downtown events — 75-days worth of festivals and events each year according to its website — which suffered during pandemic shutdowns. According to published reports, the organization received a pandemic related Payroll Protection Plan loan but returned it.
When contacted, Fulcher was eager to put the organization in the rear view mirror; he referred calls to the Downtown Development Association, which he acknowledged, “they don’t want to be an event organization.”
Calls to the DDA about what, if anything, it will pick up were not returned.
