Giving Tuesday: Support Downtown Visions' Transformation Campaign

Downtown Visions is the non-profit management company for Wilmington, DE’s Downtown Business Improvement District.  Its mission is to create, manage and promote a quality environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Wilmington.

Through our various initiatives ranging from Safety Ambassadors to our Façade Improvement Program, Downtown Visions is working to show the world what an amazing place Downtown Wilmington is.

This Giving Tuesday, November 29th, we kindly ask for your support for our Transformation Campaign: a commitment to make Wilmington a cleaner, safer and more vibrant place to live, work and play. Below are the three primary ways you can support our efforts.

Sponsor

Downtown Visions offers several Corporate Sponsorship packages to companies that have an important presence in Wilmington.  These packages allow your business to reach the local consumer while simultaneously advocating Corporate Social Responsibility.

In addition to the sponsorship packages, we also provide opportunities throughout the year for you and your colleagues to network, host events, and partner in the growth of the Downtown Wilmington community.

Donate

Your donation helps us to create, manage and promote a quality environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Wilmington.

Every dollar you donate will produce a $18 dollar return to the local economy.

You can provide support in the restoration and improvement of downtown buildings and earn permanent sponsor recognition.

Downtown Visions is a 501 C (3) non-profit #51-0362299. All contributions are completely tax deductible and qualify for community reinvestment.

Downtown Visions Holiday Small Business Initiatives

Downtown Holiday Market at DE.CO

Downtown Visions is partnering with DE.CO to bring a Holiday Market to Downtown Wilmington. The Market will run Saturday, November 26, December 3, 10 & 17 from 11am-4pm.

Patrons can expect small business vendors, DE.CO food vendors, Holiday music and window displays, entertainment, appearances from Santa and kids’ characters, face painting and more!

Free Shipping

From 10/1/22 – 12/31/22, shop online with select Downtown Wilmington, DE retailers this Holiday season and receive free shipping anywhere in the U.S., courtesy of Downtown Visions. 

Participating Downtown Retailers:
Shoe Tech Shoe Repair

Spaceboy Clothing

Three Kings Kustoms

Town & Shore Handcrafted

Al’s Sporting Goods

LaFate Gallery

Morgan’s of Delaware

Poppycock Tattoo

12 Days of Christmas

Downtown Visions encourages residents, visitors, and workers to #ShopSmall this Holiday season. From 12/1/22 – 12/12/22, many Downtown small businesses will be offering discounts and specials on unique gifts.  For more information visit wilmingtonmade.com.

Downtown Wilmington App

Recently, Downtown Visions released the Downtown Wilmington App, a one-stop shop for almost everything about Downtown Wilmington, DE. The App was created for Downtown residents, workers, and visitors to highlight dining, entertainment, events, information, parking, shopping and more in Downtown Wilmington, DE.  

To download the App search Downtown Wilm DE in the App Store or Google Play.

Downtown Visions is the non-profit management company for Wilmington, DE’s Downtown Business Improvement District.  Its mission is to create, manage and promote a quality environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Wilmington.  For more information visit downtownwilmingtonde.com.

It's the Season of Giving. Support Downtown Visions’ Mission this Giving Tuesday.

Downtown Visions works to show the world what an amazing place Downtown Wilmington, Delaware is every day, while fulfilling its mission to create, manage, and promote a quality environment for people who live, work, and visit. During this unprecedented year, Downtown Visions remained committed to the Downtown Wilmington DE community and increased efforts to help small business owners get back to business. Downtown Visions’ Cleaning and Safety Ambassadors are essential to the district and continued working 7 days a week from 6AM to 12AM throughout the pandemic. Downtown Visions implemented new programming to encourage patrons to visit Downtown and supported small businesses, with such initiatives as Curbside Wilmington, Free Shipping and the Dine Downtown Deal. We plan to continue our mission, but we need your help to maintain our growing community now more than ever before. Please consider donating to Downtown Visions this #GivingTuesday and support our efforts to preserve, progress, and promote Downtown Wilmington!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Donations can also be mailed to Downtown Visions, PO BOX 2000, Wilmington, DE 19899. Downtown Visions is a 501 C (3) non-profit #51-0362299. All contributions are completely tax-deductible and qualify for community reinvestment. Your contribution will assist in the restoration and improvement of Downtown buildings through our many initiatives. By supporting our Main Street Program, you’ll provide grants to new and existing businesses within the Business Improvement District, and fund community events throughout the year. We thank you in advance for your generosity this giving season! Contact us for more ways to support Downtown Wilmington DE and contribute to our community projects.

Downtown Visions Announces New Leadership Team as Nonprofit Evolves to Meet Downtown Wilmington’s Changing Needs

Twenty-seven-year-old organization’s clean and safe initiatives remain front and center, as small business involvement ramps up. 

Downtown Visions, a private non-profit organization that strives to keep Downtown Wilmington clean, safe and attractive for its residents, employees and visitors— announced the creation of a new leadership team to support its evolving mission. After a nationwide search, Michael Maggitti has been selected as the organization’s Executive Director, replacing outgoing executive director Martin Hageman, who has been with Downtown Visions since its formation in 1994. Loshawn Maxwell has been promoted to Senior Director of Finance & Administration, and Norman Pernick has been appointed to the newly created position of Senior Advisor. The three of them will comprise the organization’s Senior Leadership Team. 

Now celebrating its 27th anniversary, Downtown Visions was created to manage Wilmington’s Downtown Business Improvement District (WDBID), an area that has grown to encompass more than 70 square blocks containing 700 commercial buildings and some 550 street-level independent businesses. Clean and Safe initiatives have always been and will always be at the heart of Downtown Visions’ mission; DTV’s uniformed Cleaning and Safety Ambassadors are on the street year-round, seven days a week. The Cleaning Ambassadors pick up litter, empty trash receptacles, remove graffiti, power-wash sidewalks and clean up leaves and weeds. The Safety Ambassadors work in tandem with the Wilmington Police Department to keep Downtown safe by providing high-visibility patrols on foot and bike as well as safety escorts and property checks. In addition, Main Street Wilmington is a vital part of Downtown Visions’ initiative to promote the economic health and sustainability of Downtown Wilmington. Main Street Wilmington follows a nationally recognized framework for community-driven revitalization. Main Street Wilmington transforms ideas into action for a better Downtown and fosters a spirit of community teamwork to strengthen, revitalize and broaden Downtown Wilmington’s economic base. 

“Since Downtown Visions was established 27 years ago, Downtown Wilmington has undergone countless changes — the most significant being its evolution from a strictly-business district to a residential and business district,” said Adam Landis, Chairman of the Board of Downtown Visions. “Marty Hageman has proven to be a consummate pro, leading Downtown Visions by staying nimble and helping to establish Downtown Wilmington as a vibrant place to work, live and play. What sets our Business District apart from others is the active role our small businesses play in maintaining and growing this thriving community. Downtown Visions plays a key role as a partner to downtown businesses. We thank Marty for his incredible 27-year tenure as Executive Director and look forward to Mike building on Marty’s work with Loshawn and Norm rounding out his management team.” 

Maggitti has been with Downtown Visions since 2007, most recently as Deputy Executive Director. Over the past 14 years, he has also served as Director of Operations and Director of Safety. Prior to joining Downtown Visions, Maggitti spent 25 years as a Wilmington police officer, retiring at the rank of Captain. Maggitti earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware. 

Like Hageman, Maxwell has been a part of Downtown Visions since its inception, having joined its founding organization, Wilmington 2000, in 1994. Over the past 27 years, Maxwell has held the positions of Director of Administration, Office Manager and Office Assistant. In her new position, she will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Downtown Visions’ financial, administrative and human resource matters. Maxwell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Goldey-Beacom College. 

Pernick, an attorney and founding member of the Wilmington office of Cole Schotz, P.C., has been a board member of Downtown Visions since its inception in 1994 and served as its Board Chair from 2010 to 2019. He is also a founding member of the Main Street Wilmington program, serving as its first Board Chair from 2006 to 2014 and a member of its board since 2006. Pernick will focus his efforts on strategic planning, personnel development and external relationships. 

About Downtown Visions 

Downtown Visions is a registered 501 C (3) nonprofit that manages the Downtown Wilmington Business Improvement District. Its mission is to create, manage and promote a quality environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Wilmington. This is accomplished by collaborating with the public and private sector entities in neighborhood revitalization and stabilization, through clean and safe initiatives, small business development, retail recruitment and retention, job creation and economic development. Downtown Visions also runs the Downtown Wilmington Main Street® program, receiving grants to fund community development programs.