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The
Downtown Naperville Alliance was formed in 2001 after
property owners and merchants in Naperville’s central
business district decided to combine efforts for the purpose
of promoting and marketing downtown Naperville. Previously,
these two groups had been represented by the Central Area
Naperville Development Organization (CANDO) and the Downtown
Merchant Association (DMA), respectively.
The DNA is funded
through special service (SSA) tax, such that every business
that moves into the central business district, as defined by
the City of Naperville, is automatically a part of the
organization. The DNA is governed by a volunteer Executive
Committee and also has several operating committees that
represent both property owners and merchants. They
currently employ one full-time executive director.
The Naperville Area
Chamber of Commerce has taken the DNA under its wing as both
organizations have a common goal of working to help
businesses succeed. Since the DNA is not a separate legal
entity, it functions under the Chamber’s bylaws; however,
the DNA has its own set of operating guidelines. The
Chamber serves as the fiscal agent for the DNA, and as such,
is ultimately responsible for the financial well-being of
the organization.
In addition to marketing
the business community, the organization also acts as a
liaison between the City of Naperville and the local
businesses on issues that affect the downtown. Recent
issues that we’ve worked on include truck deliveries in the
downtown, garbage consolidation, and parking availability,
tow zones, and wayfinding or signage, just to name a few.
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