Tony Allegretti, director of Downtown Engagement for JAX Chamber, has been spending quite a bit of time lately exploring his territory and meeting business owners.
He said experience has helped him realize that Downtown is a real neighborhood but its business inhabitants don’t know each other as well as they could.
To resolve that, Allegretti has scheduled a reception at 5 p.m. July 26 at the JAX Chamber building for Downtown business owners.
“The idea is to get everybody together. It’s a neighborhood — you know who everybody is, but I think we don’t have enough opportunities to create community,” he said.
Allegretti said another reason he is hosting the event, which will feature beverages and snacks catered by Burrito Gallery, is to let business owners know that the chamber is a resource to help them be more successful.
As part of the reception, the business owners, or their representatives, will gather in front of the building for a group photograph, similar to one Allegretti found in the state’s image archives.
It shows the members of the Jacksonville Junior Chamber of Commerce, circa 1930, posing on what he thinks might be the roof of the Barnett Bank Building.
Allegretti said his role is to ensure that the Downtown business community has easy access to the chamber resource.
“I want the business owners to understand that my door is always open,” he said.
For more details or to RSVP, call 366-6695 or email [email protected].
@drmaxdowntown
356-2466