Like many downtowns, ours has a booster group seeking to make their blocks shine – they look to drum-up business and community wide interest. But it hasn’t always been that way. The Downtown Corvallis Organization, or DCO, sprang from an informal series of grassroots conversations back in 2023.
Then last June they filed with the state as a nonprofit corporation. And now they have hit some new milestones.
However, we should backtrack a minute – there was once a whole other booster organization called the Downtown Corvallis Association – that’s Association, not Organization. They imploded themselves back in 2022 after what was, by some accounts, a decades long slide.
But that was then. And now, the new DCO consists of all new people and a fresh vibe that offers equal parts, enthusiasm, vision and the required nuts-and-bolts attention to organization required for success.
Now they are reporting some new milestones: DCO has newly been recognized by the Corvallis City Council as the city’s Main Street Affiliate Organization, and they have formally joined the Oregon Main Street Network. The old DCA was not a member of the network.
The Main Street program is Housed within the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Heritage Programs. It’s a statewide initiative that supports over 90 communities and was restarted by the Oregon Legislature in 2007 to help towns like Corvallis revitalize their historic downtowns and commercial districts.
As an affiliate, DCO is now eligible for resources and funding opportunities, including the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant, which offers up to $400,000 for reinvestment into community improvements.
The designation also places Corvallis on the national radar with Main Street America, a network that supports local prosperity and vibrant downtowns through grassroots-driven economic development. Corvallis has recently submitted an application for this grant for the first time, seeking to support the development of The Plaza, which is where the downtown Starbucks is located, a long-time landmark in need of modernization.
Personnel changes: Jen Waters, past Executive Director of The Whiteside, has stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director for the DCO.
The way DCO insiders see it, she brings energy, dedication, and a deep commitment to community-centered development. They see her coming in at a pivotal time as the DCO continues to build momentum toward long-term vision and growth.
But that’s not the only personnel change. DCO is equally excited about Deann Garcia coming in as their new President of the Board. She is a long-time Corvallis resident and owner of Misogi Sauna and Cold Plunge, Garcia has been a longtime champion for the downtown business community and an early supporter of the DCO.
Insiders say she has a passion for small business resilience and a commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive downtown, and that she will guide the organization through this next phase of its evolution.
Filling Garcia’s former role as Vice President will be Jill Reed, another Corvallis native, respected community advocate, and owner of Raw Hair Society. Reed is seen as bringing a creative vision.
How DCO got here: The organization’s leaders say none of this would have happened without the visionary efforts of DCO founders Ann Schneider and Jessica Hougen. Schneider had co-owned Tried & True Coffee before exiting with a successful sale to a larger acquirer – she now owns and operates Bustin’ Annie Co. Hougen serves as Executive Director for the Benton County Historical Society.
DCO leadership also cites Chris Jacobs of the City and County’s Economic Development Office, and Christina Rehklau of Visit Corvallis for their work as advisors over the past two plus years.
Our take: The old hubristic and lazy DCA more than deserved its rather embarrassing end. It should not be difficult for the new DCO to avoid those pitfalls, and so far, we’re loving their vibe. But we also think a vibe is an ephemeral thing that needs regular audits, and clear-eyed third-party evaluation – the old org didn’t have that, and the City, as an investor on some level, could help the DCO with that going forward. Yes, we just called for both regular audits, and, well, regular vibe-checks too.
We worry about the longstanding headwinds facing retail and restaurants – further contraction seems likely in those sectors. This was the case before the current administration, and it will be afterwards too. Downtowns will need to reinvent themselves with non-traditional customer-facing businesses outside of restaurants and retail.
There has been urban renewal, or TIF district scuttlebutt these last couple of years – we think seeking voter approval may be too much of an uphill climb, and the counterarguments could turn into a narrative that works against the vibes a booster organization may want to set. And given the City Council’s current relationship with the public, they can’t really carry the water for a TIF district at present.
In short, we think DCO will need to be strategic, and so far, we think they have an excellent shot at it.
To learn more about the DCO, click here to visit their website.
By Mike Suarez
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