Streetscape Update!



In an effort to assist River District businesses this holiday season, major construction work on the 300 block of Main Street will come to a halt after December 7^th and will not resume until after the New Year. Street parking and a two-way traffic pattern will be re-established on this block. Also, sidewalk access to every business will be available. During this time, crews will relocate to North Union Street for sidewalk improvements that will be confined to the block located between Main Street and Spring Street.

We ask that citizens continue to make a conscious effort to support the locally-owned businesses in the River District and help them have a very successful holiday season!

Click here for update map!

Main Street is Open for Business!

The City of Danville asks citizens to make a conscious effort to support local business. The construction on Main Street is taking longer than expected, but the businesses remain open and sidewalks are clear. Please use the parking highlighted in green the linked document, and access the 300 block sidewalk from Market Street and Memorial Drive. Thank you!

A Note to our River District Neighbors

To our River District Neighbors:

As you are all aware, we are experiencing some disruption and inconvenience as a result of the improvements being made to Main Street and its associated sidewalks.  Business volume for our merchants in the block from Memorial Drive to Market Street is down because of these conditions.  As we approach the holiday season, we are asking all of our neighbors in the River District to make a special effort to support Vintages by the Dan, 316 Cibo, and Deja Voo by making purchases whenever possible from these retailers.  Virginia Bank and Trust is open and anxious to serve its customers.

Whatever you can do to ease the pain for these merchants will be returned many times over by helping to maintain ongoing businesses in the River District.

My personal best wishes for a happy and successful Holiday Season.

Sincerely, 

Corrie M. Teague

Project Manager, Office of Economic Development

City of Danville

wans-shoppe

wans-shoppe

2012 River District Holiday Poker Run

Thanks to all who came out to support River District businesses during the Holiday Poker Run! Also, a BIG thank you to the businesses who participated in this event - The Attic Hound, Clement & Wheatley, Rippe's, Commonwealth Silver, The Watch Doctor, and Mark B. Holland, P.C.!

Check out the Young Professionals Group Facebook page to view more images from this event! 

Support Your Local Businesses this Holiday Season by Participating in the River District Holiday Poker Run!

Date: Thursday, November 15, 2012

Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Visit participating businesses in the River District between 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. for food and fellowship . . . and receive one playing card per business.

When you "show your hand" at the "dealer's table" (which will be located at Clement & Wheatley), your 'poker hand' will then be entered into a drawing for a door prize - The best hand wins!   Poker hands must be turned in by 7:30 p.m. to qualify for prizes.

Click here to RSVP or you can sign up with the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce at chamber@dpchamber.org or (434) 836-6990 !

Participating Businesses

   

Rippe's, Rippe's Furs, Rippe's Shoes, Rippe's Woman

559 Main Street

The Attic Hound

531 Main Street

Clement & Wheatley

 549 Main Street

Commonwealth Silver & Goldsmiths

601 Main Street

The Watch Doctor

603 Main Street

Mark B. Holland, P.C.

641 Main Street

While there is no specific order to visit the participating businesses, the Poker Run's last stop is at Clement & Wheatley where participants will "show their hand" to be eligible for prizes.

After the Poker Run...

You don't have to leave downtown Danville. Stay for dinner at 316 Cibo or Jake's on Main.

Sponsored by:

Young Professionals Committee

of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce

and

Downtown Danville Association 

Vintages by the Dan opens in River District

Robin Jones opened Vintages by the Dan in the former Gourmet Frog location a little more than a month ago and has been steadily increasing the inventory of fine wines and craft beers in the store.

Click here to read this Work It, SoVa article!

River District fountain concepts ready for review

Design ideas for the centerpiece fountain in Danville’s River District Gateway Plaza, at the corner of Main and Craghead streets, have been submitted and will be available for review and comment by the public on Tuesday.

Click here to access this Register & Bee article.

IMPORTANT STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT UPDATE

The streetscape contractor is planning to mill the asphalt on the first block of Main Street between Memorial Drive and Market Street on Friday, September 21, 2012. There will be no parking available along either side of the street on this block. Cones and barricades will be placed that will limit the movement of traffic through this block of Main Street. When the milling is complete, the first phase of sidewalk construction will begin on the west side of the block and on-street parking will be available on the opposite side.  

Thank you for your patience during this process!

Open houses scheduled next week for citizen input on Downtowner site

The city of Danville and the Downtown Danville Association will hold a series of open houses next week to solicit additional input into the future use of the site formerly occupied by the Downtowner Motor Inn.

Open houses will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21. All three events will be held at 527 Main St., which formerly operated as River City General Store and Taylor’s Hardware.

Click here for more information.

You're Invited to the Upcoming DDA Mixer!!



Memorial Drive Detour at Main Street & Craghead Street

Click here to view map of detour.

You're Invited to the Downtower Block Party!!

Opinion Poll - Downtowner Site

This is an exciting time for the River District. As many of you know, a strategy is being executed for the redevelopment of the River District. The Phase I Main Street Streetscape work will start in September and Phase II will take place next calendar year.  Community input has been vital along every step of the way.  Yet to be addressed is the new space being created by the demolition of the former Downtowner Motor Inn, which had been vacant for many years. That's where we need your help.

The Downtown Danville Association, Danville Regional Foundation, Danville Industrial Development Authority and City of Danville are conducting a community opinion poll to engage the community in making plans for the site. We want to hear from you. 

We ask that you please take the time to offer your opinion. This survey should take about 5 minutes and is anonymous.  The link is provided below.  Please forward this link to your contacts, friends and associates.  You can also access the link through the City of Danville website, located on the River District Development Project page.

Thank you for your time and interest in Danville.

 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Downtowner

David Parrish

Deputy City Manager

City of Danville, Virginia

PO Box 3300

Office (434) 799-5100

North Union Street Closure

What is "Intellitouch"?

Much like a crazy professor who never stops inventing, Toyota has some new projects they've been working on (and this time, it's slightly less ridiculous than the "mood sensing" technology they introduced earlier this year). 

They're calling their first new application "Intellitouch", and describing it as an electronic touch-sensitive controller. While it's not exactly known what it'll do at this point, the bloggers over at Car and Driver have predicted it's going to be an interactive dashboard system where you can touch and see information in front of you. From the looks of it, they're designing it to be somewhat similar in vein to Ford's MyFordTouch and Cadillac's Cue system, but with many more enhanced features.

Toyota also filed a trademark application for "eBin", which are storage containers for electronic devices that would allow inductive charging. Or in less technical jargon, the ability to wirelessly charge an electronic device! The thought of being able to drop my cell phone onto a special "charging mat" and then see the battery start to regenerate is pretty exciting. Especially since I'm the kind of person that hates having tons of wires connecting to and from my smartphone when I'm in the car.

What do you think about these new projects Toyota is working on? Should they become standard features in all newer cars once they're released?

Should I Buy or Lease a New Car?

Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You're faced with the task of getting a new vehicle. Do you buy, or lease? Many people are confused by the idea of leasing a car- some tend to think they could never do it, that it is only an option for business owners. But that isn't the case! In 2011, roughly 25% of vehicle sales involved leases, according to Jesse Toprak, the vice president of Truecar.com. When it comes to deciding between ownership or leasing, each has their own unique benefits and it simply boils down to which suits your needs better.

What is a lease and when should you consider one? 

By leasing a car, you are basically agreeing to rent it for a set duration of time, usually somewhere in the ballpark of several years. At the end of the lease, you can switch to an entirely different and brand new vehicle, or in some cases, you have the option of paying off your current lease and owning the car. With a lease, your monthly payments are going to be much lower as well, sometimes as much as 30-60% than if you were financing a car with the intent of owning it. For example, at the time of this writing, a 2012 Toyota Corolla can be leased for $159 a month (depending on your down payment, though it is generally lower than if you were to purchase a car) and the lease comes with two years of ToyotaCare, which covers most of the maintenance your car will need, as well as complimentary 24 hr roadside assistance. 

If you like the idea of getting a new car every few years, want lower monthly payments, and not have to worry about large repair bills, leasing is definitely an option to consider in your search.

When is buying a car a better alternative?

If the thought of always having a car payment doesn't suit you, you are better off purchasing in the long run. It's also a good idea if you drive a lot, as a lease may end up more expensive than ownership. This is because with a lease, there are generally mileage restrictions on the amount you can travel per year. For Toyota, it's around 12,000, with a cost of 15 cents per mile after. When it comes to overall cost, don't forget to factor in insurance as well- a leased car will in most cases be more expensive to insure, though it is also dependent on the age and driving history of the individual. Of course, with ownership, you also get the freedom to do whatever you want with your car. Feel like modifying it? Adding giant speakers? Selling it? Go right ahead.

Final thoughts:

• Go with a lease if you want a lower monthly payment, enjoy the thought of driving the newest cars every few years, and not having to worry about regular maintenance.
• Be sure to check out and stay current with available lease specials- some are much better than others, but only offered for specific vehicles.
• It is better to buy a car if you drive more than 12,000 miles a year and are wanting an investment for the long run.

Toyota's 200 Million Milestone

Here's a nice little trivia question if you ever want to stump your friends- what was Toyota called before they were Toyota? When they give up out of confusion, put on your best grin and tell them it was Toyoda. They'll likely give you a look like you're crazy.

It's true though! The car company was originally created by Kiichiro Toyoda, and his family decided to change the company name in 1936 from a "d" to a "t" because it sounded better, and when written on paper, was considered to be luckier in Japanese culture. During this time, the first vehicle they produced was the G1 Truck. Interestingly enough, Kiichiro had traveled to Britain and the United States to study vehicles, and is said to have been inspired by Ford and the engines of similar Chevrolet vehicles.

Now, almost 77 years later, Toyota is celebrating the production of their 200th million vehicle worldwide. From the G1 to the Corolla, Camry, and Tundra, they've come quite a long way (the Corolla has even been crowned the best selling vehicle of all time, beating out every other passenger car or truck).
75% of those 200 million cars were made in Japan, though when Toyota hits their next milestone of 300 or 400 million cars, that percentage is likely to change. They've been making a big push to start producing more vehicles in American and European markets, which is great in the long run. We as consumers will certainly benefit- less cost on parts used to manufacture the cars, and less distance traveled to get them to dealerships means cheaper prices for all of us.

How long do you think it will take for Toyota to produce another 200 million vehicles?

5 Things That No Radio Ad Should Do

If you live in St. Louis and listen to the radio on a daily basis during your commute, you probably hear a bunch of different commercials from various businesses (local or afar). Now, if you're like me, you also want to bang your head on your steering wheel when you hear the ear splitting sound effects that some of these employ. Without further ado, here are the five most annoying things that get my hand reaching to change the station. Have you heard all of 'em? See for yourself-

1. Loud weights being dropped / gavels hitting blocks/ the sound of metal clanking:

Giving us a headache every half second in between what you're trying to say generally isn't a great way to keep people interested. Unless you're trying to sell ibuprofen.

2.  Police sirens or the sound of alarms going off:

Your sale might be so good it's criminal, but every time I hear police sirens, I have to do a double take and make sure there's not actually a police officer nearby trying to pass through traffic.

3. When the GM/CEO of a company voices every commercial in the same repetitive, monotone way:

             It's good to be consistent. It's not so good to be dull to the point of inducing yawns. In the internet world, it is the equivalent of a wall of text, akin to the thought of Ben Stein reading a short novel to you while you're locked in an empty room. This is the kind of stuff that puts you asleep at the wheel, and as we know, drowsy driving is never fun.

4. Mentioning the number you should call more than a few times:

The way this usually works is, it'll be a conversation between two or more people, and some guy will keep asking what the number to call is. We're not just talking once or twice, it'll literally be every few seconds. These types of commercials are usually guilty of #3 as well. What's that number again?!

5. Jingles designed to specifically get on your nerves:

I have nothing against La Bamba. It's a catchy song. But when you try to mimic it or parody it by adding in your own lyrics to tell people to come to your business, it usually doesn't end well. Imagine the song, then imagine instead of "La La La La La Bamba", you hear an awkward voice singing "You should be buying from us!"

What sounds or effects drive you crazy when you hear radio commercials in the car? Or do you skip 'em by using satellite radio or iHeartRadio with Entune?

River District strategy tops best practices in 17 states

Danville’s success in redeveloping the River District as a place to live, work, shop and play and in involving the community throughout the process has garnered an award for best practices from a regional economic development group that represents 17 southern states.

The city won the award from Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) in competition with other communities with a population of 40,001 to 100,000. Danville’s population is about 43,000.

Click here to access the full media release.

Ready For a Redesigned RAV4?

You can run, but you can't hide. Even with heavy camouflage! Not too long ago, a prototype RAV4 was spotted as it was being test driven over in Europe. What's Toyota got up their sleeve for this new version?

From the folks over at AutoBlog, rumor has it that the RAV4 will sport design elements from the newest version of the Camry. Consider this: the third generation RAV4 was released in 2005, making it seven years since the vehicle has seen a major redesign (it did receive a slight refresh in 2009). In the car world, that's quite the lifespan. Thus, it's no surprise that Toyota is diligently working to give the car a makeover. Expect the interior to be updated significantly with the latest technology and Toyota innovations, such as Entune. The wheelbase is also supposed to be slightly longer than before, which would free up more interior room.

Are you more excited to see a redesigned RAV4 for 2013, or the electric version of the RAV4 that was developed with Tesla? Both are still awaiting official release dates in the midwest, but I'll keep you posted if I hear anything!

Music and Millennials

Staying trendy is key when it comes to movies, entertainment, and technology.

My friends used to talk about going out and picking up the latest album from their favorite artist. There was a time when having a cd collection was something you showed off, with big binders full of discs for your friends to browse through as you drove somewhere. I remember when Outkast's double album, Speakerboxx/The Love Below came out. Even if you weren't a huge fan of hip hop, you bought that cd and made sure everyone could see it. Now? Not so much. Step into your nearest Best Buy and the music section is but a fraction of what it once was 10 years ago. Today, where digital downloads reign supreme, most of us require an auxiliary port in our car so we can listen or stream music from our smartphones and mp3 players.

Well, after reading a LA Times article on the habits of millennials and their declining taste in older movies, I imagine the same has happened with their preference for the ways in which they listen to music while driving.

As Neal Gabler puts it in the article- "Young people, so-called millennials, don't seem to think of movies as art the way so many boomers did. They think of them as fashion, and like fashion, movies have to be new and cool to warrant attention."

He compares the newest Spiderman movie to the one that came out a decade ago with Tobey Maguire, saying that Maguire's version is ancient in comparison (doesn't that make you feel old?)

As far as Toyota goes, they've taken steps to make sure people's spidey senses are still tingling with their cars. We often focus on safety features, but with my generation, convenience and trendiness are key. Starting with the 2012 Corolla, Toyota listened to customer feedback and finally added much needed USB and auxiliary ports to all models of the car, giving drivers music options other than the cd player. Nice! Entune is also starting to become more widely available on most newer Toyota vehicles as well. It combines a bunch of useful applications, such as Bing, iHeart radio, and data services (so you can find restaurants, weather, traffic, and other useful info all on the fly).

I think we're going to see a whole lot more connectivity between cars, drivers, and smartphones in the next year or two. We might not perfect something as crazy as the self driving car that soon, but hands free entertainment options for drivers are going to become a lot more accessible and available. How long do you think it will be before cd players go the way of the 8 track and cassette players, and are no longer featured in cars? 

Detour removed for demolition of Downtowner

The detour of Main and Union streets that allowed for demolition of the former Downtowner Motor Inn has been removed, and cleanup of the debris is under way.

Normal traffic patterns were restored Monday morning.

Debris and a rear wall that is left standing are all that remains of the building. Additional engineering is being performed before the wall is removed. In the interim, the crew will shift its focus to cleaning up the site from last week’s demolition.

Demolition of the building started on July 6, with a detour of two blocks of Main Street and the closure of Union Street from Main to Spring streets to allow for the demolition.

Demolition contractor D. H. Griffin Wrecking Co. of Greensboro, N.C., used an excavator that had a 95-foot arm with a muncher attached at the end to crush the building’s concrete.

The company will remain on site until demolition and cleanup are complete.

The One Toyota Ad You Have to See

There have certainly been some interesting videos from Toyota this year. From the "how did they think of that?" department comes the series of ads featuring the Prius c and a spoof of the game of Life. They also made an original song to promote their 100 Cars for Good initiative. As a social media guy, one of the spots I really like is the Venza ad where the girl talks about setting up Facebook profiles for her parents and how they've already got 19 friends. Have you seen it? Or would you prefer an endorsement from your favorite childhood celebrity? Fear not, they recruited both BILL NYE and WINNIE COOPER from The Wonder Years to educate you on the Prius.

However, my favorite from Toyota's repertoire of Youtube content this year is the futuristic video they created below. Ever seen the movie Idiocracy? If you haven't, the gist of the film is that a man is sent to the future, where he finds that despite advances in technology, people have actually become less intelligent over time (a brilliant concept, if you ask me. Mike Judge is a genius).
The same principle applies to this alternate reality where a couple set off to work in the morning. I won't spoil any details, but the story behind it all is "a world without hybrids".

What is your favorite video from Toyota? Leave us a comment or tweet it to @LouFuszToyota with your thoughts! 

IDA to Turn Building Into Parking

 

The Industrial Development Authority purchased the former Acree's Warehouse and they intend to turn into a parking garage.

 

Click here to view this WSET report.

Detour extended for demolition of Downtowner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2012

 

Detour extended for demolition of Downtowner A detour of two blocks of Main Street downtown will be extended through Monday, July 16, to allow for the continued demolition of the former Downtowner Motor Inn.

The excessive heat and late afternoon and early evening storms marked by heavy precipitation, wind, thunder and lightning have delayed the demolition crew. More storms are anticipated today and the remainder of the week.

Travel will continue to be restricted to one lane of northbound traffic for motorists traveling along Main Street toward Memorial Drive and Craghead Street. Detour signs route southbound traffic from Main Street onto Market Street and then to Spring Street. Once on Spring Street, motorists are directed to Ridge Street, but Floyd Street remains open.

North Union Street from Main Street to Spring Street is closed.

Normal traffic patterns will be restored when the demolition crew deems the building is down to a safe and manageable level and can proceed with the demolition without an extended buffer.

D. H. Griffin Wrecking Co. of Greensboro, N.C., is the demolition contractor, and it is using an excavator that has a 95-foot arm with a muncher attached at the end. The muncher crushes the building’s concrete.

The city has a web cam set up that allows citizens to view the demolition on the city of Danville website. Go to
www.danville-va.gov, and then click on the Downtowner Demolition link on the left rail. The direct link is http://www.danville-va.gov/index.aspx?nid=1579.

Important Update about the Downtowner Demolition

River District 'not a pipe dream ... we're doing it'

By: Denice Thibodeau | GoDanRiver
Published: June 27, 2012 Updated: June 27, 2012 - 10:44 AM

 

Members of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce got an update on progress being made in the River District renovation project Wednesday morning at a breakfast meeting held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. 

“It’s not a pipe dream,” Deputy City Manager David Parrish said. “We’re doing it."

Click here to access the full article. 

Join us for an update about the Downtowner demolition on July 2nd!

You're Invited to a Major River District Announcement!

Southern States wins technology award

Photo from Work It, SoVa

Southern States Cooperative Inc. has been named the winner of the 2012 Information Technology Innovation Award for integrating the use of mobile handheld technology with its existing Benchmate Systems’ Computerized Maintenance Management System.

Click here to read this Work It, SoVa article.



Grant Opportunity for Small Businesses

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity has announced a funding opportunity available for top performing microbusiness clients.

Chase and LivingSocial are sponsoring "Mission: Small Business℠" a grant program awarding $3 million to small business owners nationwide.

The program, which will provide 12 individual grants of $250,000, was developed to provide small businesses with resources needed to make a positive impact on their business.

Mission: Small Business℠ invites small business owners who have been in business for at least two years and have less than 100 employees to apply for a grant for their business. Small business owners will be required to explain why their business is unique, outline a proposed plan for utilizing the grant to grow their business and describe how the business is involved with its community.

Business owners should click the "Register" button at www.missionsmallbusiness.com to submit their application. Consumers are encouraged to get involved by clicking the "Support" button on the same site and voting for their favorite registered small businesses. The voting period is open from May 7, 2012 through June 30, 2012.

At the end of the voting period, small business applicants that have received 250 votes will have their applications evaluated and grant recipients will be chosen. Grant recipients will be announced on or before September 15, 2012.

***Information above was taken from an email from The Association for Enterprise Opportunity.***

River District Restaurant Doing Well in First Year

Photo from the Jake's on Main Facebook Page.

Congrats to Jake and Connie Eckman for their first year anniversary (6/1) in the River District!!

Click here to view the recent WSET report about Jake's on Main!

Streetscape Improvement Plan Meeting - 6.5.2012

Thursday May 10, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Guatemalan Information Technology Company Relocates to Danville

Web Parts LLC has relocated its computer programming, applications and data center operation to Danville from Guatemala.  Web Parts enhances and promotes the use of Open Source Software allowing delivery of superior software products and services at substantial savings to businesses and consumers. The company will start with 10 positions, but it projects to provide 260 new jobs within three years.

The overall average wage of the jobs will be $65,000.

“We are hiring for several positions right now, especially several skilled computer programmers,” said Brad Mainland, who owns and operates the company with his wife, Priscila. “If you know anybody with good Java and PHP skills, please send them my way.”

The couple considered Michigan, Florida, West Virginia and Hawaii for their operation before choosing Danville as the place for their business. The capital investment for the project is $10 million.

The project would not have been possible without a $1 million Tobacco Commission Revitalization Opportunity Fund grant. The Tobacco Commission utilizes a formula to determine grant amounts. The number of jobs, wage levels and the company being involved in an information technology-related field helped build a case for a larger grant.

“The grant enables us to get started by purchasing computer and data center equipment,” Mainland said.

Mainland said he was impressed with the level of broadband infrastructure in Danville. “NDanville, Danville’s broadband network, provides me with extremely fast speeds for sending and receiving data, which is vital to the existence of my company. I am able to have two different providers for redundancy to ensure I am never completely down.”

Danville’s local network connects with the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, which today owns and manages more than 1,500 miles of fiber, connecting Virginia’s rural southern region to long-haul fiber stretching from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.

With access to broadband through nDanville and Mid-Atlantic Broadband, Delegate Danny Marshall said southern Virginia is becoming a technology hub for IT companies. “Our investments in infrastructure and job creating projects are paying off well in southern Virginia,” Marshall said.

Mayor Sherman Saunders echoed that statement in greeting Web Parts. “We warmly welcome Brad and Priscila to Danville,” Saunders said. “Web Parts LLC is another example of Danville’s investment in broadband infrastructure paying dividends by recently attracting several companies to the region, including Noblis, Ecomnets, and now Web Parts.”

The company has temporary space at the Masonic Temple on Main Street while it considers options for a final location.  Employment inquiries may be directed to the company.

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Today's Top Story Big equipment moving in to take Danville Downtower down Demolition of the former Downtowner Motor Lodge is continuing and a huge hole has replaced the parking deck. Full Story at GoDanRiver.com

             

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS 78 SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING MORE THAN $129,000 TO AREA STUDENTS. 

                           To read the full article, please click here.

May 7, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CITY INTRODUCES NEW RIVER DISTRICT BLOG

The city of Danville’s Office of Economic Development announces today the availability of a new River District blog. The blog has been created in order to keep downtown stakeholders and the public informed of projects specific to the River District.

The blog currently features information such as recent news releases, new business announcements, special events, upcoming meetings, and specific project updates such as the impending demolition to the former Downtowner Motor Lodge and the upcoming Phase 1 of the Streetscape Improvement Plan.

“Blogs are important communication tools today, especially with young business professionals,” said Anne Moore-Sparks, project manager. “Attracting young professionals to Danville and having the ability to quickly update or add information for public viewing gives our office a competitive edge when recruiting additional jobs and investment to our community.”

The blog can be accessed at http://www.riverdistrictnews.blogspot.com/.

The Danville Office of Economic Development has made the use of social media a top priority over the past year. Economic development professionals are starting to embrace social media to promote their business locations at the regional level as well as at national and international levels.

“Economic Development is a very competitive business,” said Jeremy Stratton, director. “Using different forms of social media to market potential sites and buildings is a definite advantage over other localities that use a more traditional form of marketing and advertising. In this challenging economic environment when budgets are tight, where else can you reach as many people with as little cost?” 

In addition to the River District blog, the office has a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a website specifically geared toward economic development in Danville, and a site selection tool that markets available sites and buildings in the city. The website, the site selection tool, and the blog also have mobile versions so that you can access information from any location. The office also has plans to add a LinkedIn page and a YouTube Channel to its mix of social marketing.

The social media sites can be accessed from the Office of Economic Development’s website – http://www.discoverdanville.com/.

“It is important to find creative ways to communicate in today’s business climate,” said Corrie Teague, marketing manager. “By using a variety of social media tools, we show that Danville is a place that embraces technology and the spirit of innovation. Not only does it open the channels of communication from the City to its local residents, but it also allows us to reach out to others around the world. ”

_______________________________________________________________________________

Anyone wishing to have River District information posted on the blog is encouraged to send the information to Anne Moore-Sparks for review.

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