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www.lelandconsulting.com Page 8 <br />Downtown Walla Walla – Walla Walla, WA <br />Categories: Hotel, Placemaking <br />Major Outcomes: Repositioning of Walla Walla as a “boutique destination,” new hotel development, pedestrian plaza. <br />Description: <br />The city of Walla Walla in southeastern Washington has a population of just over 30,000 residents that since the 1970s <br />has been working to establish itself as a wine destination. The Walla Walla Main Street Foundation (now the Downtown <br />Walla Walla Foundation) was formed in the 1980s, focusing initially on downtown events like the Italian Heritage Festa <br />and Main Street Fair. In 1987, the foundation partnered with banks on a façade improvement program to revitalize <br />downtown’s aging buildings. In 1991, the City approved a Local Improvement District to fund downtown improvements. <br />In 2003, the City embarked on creating a 20-year downtown Master Plan to guide the future of the district. The Master <br />Plan process created a community vision for the area that the City used as a basis for its urban design framework. The <br />plan identified key public amenities and planned for wayfinding and circulation. Between 2000 and 2014, the City’s <br />downtown won a number of accolades, including Washington Main Street’s Excellence on Main award and the American <br />Planning Association’s Top Ten Great Neighborhood award. <br />In 2019, the City gained its newest hotel, the FINCH, on the former site of a Red Lion. The 80-room hotel showcases <br />regional amenities by featuring local art and furnishings sourced from the Northwest, as well as through the use of tour <br />guides to suggest activities to guests. Columbia Hospitality, which manages the FINCH, told the Whitman Wire that <br />Walla Walla stands out for its “vibrant, unique, and authentic community.” <br />In 2023, the City made a temporary street closure into a permanent gathering space called Walawala Plaza. <br />Figure 11. Walawala Plaza in Downtown Walla Walla <br /> <br />Source: Oregon Wine Press. <br />Page 154 of 157