Stephanie Alderdice
The advocacy group for downtown Hot Springs has a new name and is part of a new web effort to promote the city center to local residents as well as tourists.
The former Downtown Merchants Association is now the Downtown Association of Hot Springs, and it has joined the Hot Springs Metro Partnership and Visit Hot Springs in developing a new website, HotSpringsDowntown.com, which will market the downtown area as a year-round site for shopping, dining and entertainment.
Paul Lynch, president of the Downtown Association, said in a statement that the organization had “changed its name to better match its mission,” which he described as going far beyond stimulating business. “Our group is dedicated to supporting the preservation of the historic buildings and promoting the businesses and organizations operating in the area.”
Hot Springs is unique in that its central business district shares downtown with Hot Springs National Park and historic Bathhouse Row. The 5,550-acre park drew more than 1.5 million visitors in 2016, according to the National Park Service.
The new website, which urges nearby residents to “Rediscover Downtown Hot Springs,” is run by 61° Celsius, a Hot Springs communications firm that also had a name change this year. The former Kirby & Co. rebranded itself to reflect the natural temperature of the thermal springs that also gave Hot Springs its name.
Stephanie Alderdice, who acquired the firm last year from founder Kirby Williams, is now creative director and designed the new downtown website.
The “Rediscover” effort urges residents to see what’s new downtown and to go beyond shopping, eating and playing and consider downtown as a good place to live and do business.
“The features on the website include easy navigation to get information about merchants of all types and a comprehensive listing of events happening in the downtown area,” Alderdice said in a news release. The site will also feature sponsored content and premium listings for Downtown Association members, Alderdice said.
Cole McCaskill, vice president of economic development for the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, said the area has seen rejuvenation since downtown’s Majestic Hotel burned down in 2014, noting 65 new store openings and $60 million in capital investment since then.
He said he hopes “that by promoting the variety of shops, restaurants and nightly events, the area will become a destination for casual leisure visits in addition to vacations.”
Sign up for Daily E-news
