Marketing White Center was on the agenda (and a lot more) at the White Center Business District Mixer on Monday evening, Feb 7. Led by Nhan H. Nguyen, Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager from the White Center Community Development Association, the meeting was crowded at Young Restaurant at 9413 16th s.w.

Nguyen spoke about upcoming revitalizing projects for the White Center business district sponsored by the CDA, Chamber of Commerce and other community partners: including façade improvement grants, street banners, a business resource guide, a shopper incentive card, a buy local campaign, seeking social media marketing training, brand promotion, and more.

At the last mixer, topics were listed and prioritized, which set not only the agenda for this meeting but for where people felt their energies would be best spent.

These included:
Facade Improvement Grants
Continue to organize mixer meetings
Media outreach
White Center Spring Clean
The creation of a White Center Shopping Guide and Map
Buy Local marketing campaign
Creating a business resource handout
Revamping the shopping card

In the past year 14 businesses applied for facade improvements in two categories: Under $2500 and from $2500 to $10,000. The program, funded by Chase Bank primarily saw signage, painting, lighting and awning improvements. The program will likely be launched again this year though funding has not yet been secured Nguyen said.

The street banners and graphic identity campaign expand on the themes created by designer Kathi George Wheeler of noisewithoutsound.com. Wheeler created the new welcome signs installed near Holy Family School roughly Roxbury Street s.w. and between 18th s.w. and 20th s.w. and at 4th SW and SW 108th in unincorporated King County.

Four primary choices for identity, utilizing the Growing a Global Village theme (recently installed in the White Center Business District) were revealed and ballots were passed around the room to get votes on which one should be used. The designs are all intended to support and promote the local produce market in White Center. Wheeler also showed off four logo styles for the effort and three street banners. The results will be tabulated and announced via email.

Next up was a discussion on planter boxes, first introduced last year. Of the 25 that were built, funded by a neighbor to neighbor grant from the Neighbor to Neighbor Foundation, 14 were still in good shape, 6 were judged to be "beat up and in bad shape" and 5 were missing. There is still some $800 left in the budget which may be used for replacement, or repair or could be used to purchase hanging baskets or possibly even to fund some maintenance (including regular watering).

The White Center Spring Clean, set for May 14 this year, completed some 19 projects last year and collected close to 4 tons of trash. That effort is seeking volunteers for this year's event. Please contact the WCCDA for more information.

The group also discussed the concept of a White Center Shopping Guide that would be largely web based but would also have a print component to provide information about the goods and services available in the White Center neighborhood.

Finally the new owner of Chemo's Mexican Restaurant at 10230 16th s.w. (formerly Del Rio) Martin Salinas rose to introduce himself. He spoke proudly of his sister's cooking and how happy he was to be in business in White Center.

NOTE: The graphic designs can be seen in a slideshow by clicking on the image above.