On a cross country road trip in college, I stopped at a gas station and after taking one step into the restroom, I knew it was the last place I wanted to be, let alone go. The bathroom at the Amway, this wasn’t.
- The big picture: Clean isn’t just about appearance its also how it makes you feel – done right a clean place should evoke feelings of safety and comfort, giving the impression that a place is cared for and looked after.
- Why it matters: Downtowns are no different. On a list of physical characteristics of successful downtowns – clean sidewalks ranked #2 and trash cans landed at #8 (swoon).
Downtown Grand Rapids has long prioritized cleaning, maintaining and beautifying the neighborhood work which gained serious momentum in 2000 with the creation of the Downtown Improvement District (DID).
Among the DID’s first priorities was to establish what is now the Downtown Ambassador program. This team of dynamic professionals works to keep Downtown clean, beautiful and welcoming for everyone all year long.
Already this year they’ve:
- Removed 2,891 graffiti tags.
- Hauled Away 362,400 pounds of trash.
- Pulled over 50,000 weeds and…
- Power washed 80 block faces.
But that’s not all, in addition to daily cleaning services the DID has also:
- Deployed 215 trash cans.
- Installed 112 cigarette recycling urns.
- Fun fact: 3,764,653 cigarette butts have been recycled to date!
- Added 30 pet relief stations and…
- Planted over 40,000 flowers annually.
These services are critical to the continued success of Downtown because communities, like people, thrive when they’re cared for; a clean Downtown doesn’t just happen; it takes work.
Call (616) 250-8263 to reach the Ambassador on duty.