First State of the Village Hosted by Ivanhoe Village
By: Christian Switzer

On August 24th, Ivanhoe Village hosted their first State of the Village, giving a full overview of the accomplishments of the organization over the last year. Glenn Closson, President of the Ivanhoe Village Main Street board, presented on the “Four Pillars” of Main Street America, Promotion, Organization, Economic Vitality, and Design. 

Ivanhoe’s Promotion Committee is their first committee to split into a project-based plan, pulling off Historic Bike Tours, 12 Wines of Christmas, Sip Into Spring, Virginia Drive Live and Summerween during the difficult 2020-2021 year. Organization Committee installed branded banners/bibs, increased website traffic, created identifying district decals, and expanded the district boundary. Economic Vitality Committee maintained business stability through the pandemic, saw a 10% membership growth, 28,000 masks were distributed to businesses, hosted Small Business Saturday, and continued to recognize both a Business of the Month and New Businesses in the district. Design Committee completed an Art Box at Orange/Princeton, designed/repainted Ivanhoe Village Welcome sign, and worked on a concept for Virginia Dr.  Infrastructure Project.

It is through these continuous efforts that Ivanhoe Village thrives and brings in more businesses and residents to a uniquely positioned district. As these committees move forward into the next year, Ivanhoe Village is rapidly becoming a destination in the City of Orlando.