Toledo groups merge

The former Downtown Toledo Inc. merchants' association is reforming, with a new mission and a new name. Called the Greater Downtown Business Partnership, the organization represents four organizations that now work downtown: the Downtown Toledo Improvement District, CitiFest Inc., Downtown Toledo Parking Authority, and the Design Center, according to Thomas Crothers, a spokesman for the new group.

The organization is aimed at the "greater downtown," which can include the Warehouse District, Uptown, the Docks, the Marina District, and the Vistula area. Mr. Crothers, executive director of the improvement district, said the new organization aims to be a vehicle to help entrepreneurs obtain information, assemble property, and perform other functions. It also will advocate for design standards and capital budget priorities in the greater downtown.

Mr. Crothers said it's obvious the city no longer has the money it once had to fund outside agencies. "We recognize that things are difficult for the city financially," he said. "To have a consistent focus on downtown, the private sector is going to have to do it."