ZDA Looking for Members

For years, the Zanesville Downtown Association had noticed a continued decline in the city’s center. 

However, since 1995 the ZDA has aimed to reverse that trend. Manager of the ZDA, Dana Matz, said that’s the reason for the annual membership drive. The drive is ongoing this week.

Matz said board members are going door to door to tell businesses the benefits of supporting the ZDA. 

"We’re the cheerleaders for downtown," Matz said. "We’re involved with creating the Artist Colony, the downtown farmer’s market, involved with the Y-Bridge Arts Festival, attention on downtown. Not only that but we’ve also been working on recruiting businesses for downtown. Additionally helping businesses that are here."

There are over 200 businesses in downtown, but Matz said a lot of areas downtown are still underutilized. He explained what the association does to try to utilize all properties. 

"We’re also pushing heavily on upper floor rehab, getting people to put businesses on the upper floor of their buildings and equally as important, put residential units because the more people we have living downtown, the more services that will be needed," he said. 

Over the past two years, money raised in the membership drive has funded new signage downtown and also helped to replace the wreaths put up during the holidays.

Over $2,000 has already been raised this year, and Matz said ZDA is hoping to reach $3,500 by the end of the drive.