Development

Downtown Eau Claire's 'Downtowny Award' Winners

Lauren Fisher |

The Pablo Center at the Confluence was voted the Best New Development. (Photo by Levi Polus)
The Pablo Center at the Confluence was voted the Best New Development. (Photo by Levi Polus)

Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. announced the winners of this year’s Downtowny Awards at a ceremony at the Lismore Hotel on Wednesday evening. More than 1,000 votes were cast by members of the community to determine the victors in five categories ranging from Best Business to Best Renovation. The District took home the gold for Best Business overall, while Best New Business went to SHIFT Cyclery and Coffee Bar, which opened in spring of 2018. The people chose the Clearwater Winter Parade as the Best Downtown Event, and the Grand Avenue Footbridge, with its widened pathway and additional lookouts, as the Best Renovation. Pablo Center at the Confluence, which opened to the public in September, was elected the Best New Development.

The DECI Board and staff worked together to choose a few people and businesses to honor outside of the voting for what they have contributed to the downtown area. Marianne Klinkhammer was named Volunteer of the Year, Brent Douglas Flowers for Every Day was Member of the Year, and recognition for Outstanding Achievement went to Dan Market of Market and Johnson. “Most of these folks are people who over the course of the past many years have been advocates and have helped make Downtown Eau Claire what it has become,” Dustin Olson, the DECI Communications and Promotions Coordinator, said. “We thought it would be appropriate to honor them this year.”