Downtown Crowns

The District, SHIFT, Pablo among 2019’s Downtowny winners

V1 Staff |

SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar

More than 1,000 votes were cast by members of the community to determine the victors in five categories of the Downtowny Awards, ranging from Best Business to Best Renovation. The awards were given out on March 13 by Downtown Eau Claire Inc. at a ceremony at the Lismore Hotel. The District, a downtown pub and grill, took home the gold for Best Business overall, while Best New Business went to SHIFT Cyclery & 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 & 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.”