The Dutchtown Community Improvement District introduced new sidewalk furniture along Meramec Street on Tuesday during the Shades of Summer rollout event. The vividly colored tables, chairs, and umbrellas bring a splash of color to Downtown Dutchtown.

Participating shop owners will set up the furniture when they open and take it down when they close. Having the furniture out will draw attention, encourage pedestrian traffic, and announce that Dutchtown is open for business.

Attendees at the Shades of Summer event also got to sample treats from Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe, Pies & Surprise, and Perfectly Pastry, three of the new tenants in the Urban Eats Food Hall. Juanita’s Creole Soul Cafe and Pies & Surprise will hold their grand opening on Saturday, August 1st. Perfectly Pastry plans to officially open in the fall.

Visitors also got to see a revamped storefront at the Tawakal Halal Store at 3308 Meramec. With help from the Dutchtown CID and designers Sara Schipkowski, Michael Jones, and Vanessa McBride, the store has been updated with a new sign, window displays, and a new door. The CID plans to assist with additional storefront updates throughout the district.

It’s an exciting time in Downtown Dutchtown! New businesses and new concepts are coming to Meramec Street. The UrbanMain Initiative, a collaboration between DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown and Missouri Main Street Connection, continues to pursue a brighter future for the neighborhood. We continue to urge you to come for a visit and see what’s happening in Downtown Dutchtown!

The next meeting of the Dutchtown Community Improvement District Board of Directors is Thursday, July 23rd at 5:30pm. The meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Innovation Center, 3207 Meramec Street.

Download a copy of the notice and agenda.

The Dutchtown Community Improvement District is bringing vibrancy to Downtown Dutchtown this summer! On Tuesday, July 28th, join us as we roll out colorful new tables, chairs, and umbrellas along Meramec Street. Come have a seat and take our new furniture for a test drive!

The sidewalk furniture will add a splash of color to the district and create a more inviting atmosphere for neighbors and passers-by. We hope this leads to increased foot traffic, engaged neighbors and visitors, and ultimately greater occupancy in the district.

In addition to the furniture, the revamped Urban Eats Food Hall will be introducing three of its new resident vendors — Juanita’s Creole Soul Café, Perfectly Pastry, and Pies and Surprise — plus bartenders from the Original Crusoe’s slinging drinks. Come get a taste of the new flavors coming soon to Dutchtown!

The introduction goes on from 5:30pm to 7pm. Visit the Facebook event page to let us know you’re coming and to share with your neighbors.

This post originally appeared on DutchtownSTL.org.

The next Dutchtown Movie Night is coming up on Saturday, July 25th! This time around, we’ll be showing the animated adventure Spies in Disguise featuring the voice of Will Smith.

The event begins at 7:30pm. Arrive promptly to claim your spot on the hill! We’ll also have food trucks, community activities, and more.

The movie will be projected on the inflatable 22 foot big screen on the hill in front of the Field House. Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on. Once it gets dark (around 8:30pm), we’ll start the movie.

Tell your family and friends and neighbors about this fun, family-friendly event! Go to the Facebook event page to share and invite people. For info about more movie nights this summer, go to dutchtownstl.org/movienight or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The 2020 Dutchtown Movie Nights are sponsored by AB InBev, DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown, Dutchtown Community Improvement District, Dutchtown South Community Corporation, Gene Slay’s Girls and Boys Club of St. Louis, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, Lutheran Development Group, Original Crusoe’s Restaurant, St. Anthony of Padua, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and Tower Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation.

The Dutchtown Community Improvement District’s three committees will begin meeting more often starting in July. Rather than having quarterly meetings, the committees will meet every month.

The Maintenance and Beautification Committee meets on the first Thursday of every month. (Please note that due to the holiday in July, the meeting will be rescheduled for a later date.) Email committee chair Tony Duncan at beautification@dtcid.org for more information.

The Marketing and Development Committee meets on the second Thursday of the month. Email committee chair Nick Findley at nick@dutchtownstl.org for more information.

The Safety and Security Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month. Email committee chair Stevie Limmer at safety@dtcid.org for more information.

Find out more about the committees here.

This post originally appeared on DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown.

Downtown Dutchtown, in partnership with the Dutchtown Community Improvement District, seeks a self-motivated community builder to become the first Dutchtown Growth Manager. This position will assist Downtown Dutchtown and the Dutchtown Community Improvement District with managing new efforts under Missouri Main Street Connection’s UrbanMain Pilot Program that will be implemented in Dutchtown.

Find out more about the Dutchtown Growth Manager position.

The next meeting of the Dutchtown Community Improvement District Board of Directors is Thursday, June 25th at 5:30pm. The meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Innovation Center, 3207 Meramec Street.

You can also join the meeting virtually via Zoom. Click here to register and you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting.

Download a copy of the notice and agenda.

This post originally appeared on DutchtownSTL.org.

The DT2 • Downtown Dutchtown summer movie series is back in 2020! We’re kicking things off with a special drive-in movie event at Habitat for Humanity St. Louis to promote safe community building and social distancing.

Join us on Friday, June 26th! Our drive-in movie night will feature the classic summer blockbuster Independence Day starring Will Smith.

The lot will open at 7:30pm. Get your spot early and catch sponsor previews, neighborhood community-building information, food trucks, and more!

Once the sun has set, the movie will be projected onto the side of Habitat’s building. Sound will be transmitted to your car’s FM radio, just tune in.

There’s a Facebook event page if you’d like to share with your friends and neighbors. You can also go to dutchtownstl.org/movienight for info on this event and others scheduled for the rest of the summer.

Thank you to our sponsors who make this event and the Downtown Dutchtown Summer Movie Series possible: Dutchtown South Community Corporation, Dutchtown Community Improvement District, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis, Thomas Dunn Learning Center, and Lutheran Development Group.

In case of inclement weather, this event will be rescheduled. Visit dutchtownstl.org/movienight for updates.

Caya Aufiero has been named interim chair of the Dutchtown Community Improvement District Board of Directors. Caya has served as secretary since the CID‘s inception and was deeply involved with the process to establish the CID.

The Board would like to thank Ashley Raineri for her years of service as the Board’s first chair. Ashley was a dedicated chair and set the CID on a path to success.

The Board would also like to thank departing vice chair Stephen Bruce. Stephen chaired the Marketing and Development Committee and was an integral part of establishing the CID.

Over the next few months the Board will be recruiting new directors to fill the vacancies.

The next meeting of the Dutchtown Community Improvement District Board of Directors is on Thursday, May 28th at 5:30pm. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 health situation, the meeting will only be accessible to the public via Zoom. Find details to join the meeting here.

Download a PDF of the notice and agenda.