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Tourism-Related, Small-Scale Municipality-Owned Capital Project Narrative <br />1" Project Description: Please describe the project in detail. lndicate the major work to be <br />completed, any milestones that need to be overcome in order for the project to move <br />forward and include a comparison of existing and proposed conditions. <br />The scope of this project is for the purchase of sun shade screens for the performance stage at <br />Unity Park, the future downtown park located at the intersection of 4th & pearl. Design work <br />on Unity Park started in 20L9, with a focus of creating a park that could be used year around by <br />our local community and to provide an enhanced performance area for events that take place <br />downtown. <br />2. Kittitas County Tourism lnfrastructure Plan: Please explain how the project meets the goals <br />and priorities in the Kittitas CountyTourism lnfrastructure Plan as adopted. Also, describe <br />the specific county tourism infrastructure needs the project addresses and how the project <br />directly increases tourism, Explain how the improvements will promote tourism in Kittitas <br />County and indicate specifically how the improvements will directly increase economic <br />activity resulting from tourists (see the definition of tourist on page 3 of this application). <br />The development of the property will benefit tourism by creating a unique "destination" multi use <br />park in a centralized public space. The park will dramatically increase programming opportunities <br />that attract visitors to our community. Unity Park will become a signature attraction and prime <br />marketing tool for conventions, businesses, and tourism. Organized programing opportunities <br />include but are not limited to, events and festivals for arts, food, music, movies, sports and <br />holidays. When a potential visitor comes to an event, they have made or will make additional <br />arrangements which can include hotels/motels, restaurants, fuel, retail, and recreational <br />adventures' The additional economic activity impacts the community, as well as the communities <br />traveled through to get to a destination. <br />Unity Park is uniquely situated in a location that makes it useful and usable year-round. There are <br />many tourists that attended events in Ellensburg that last more than three days length. Of note is <br />the Ellensburg Rodeo which boasts over 60,000 tourists each year. ln support of the Rodeo are <br />several events that occur at the Unity Park site such as the Rodeo Kick-Off breakfast, and the <br />Hoedown in the Downtown. lt's not a reach to suggest that most of the Rodeo attendees have <br />lodging in Ellensburg, which have an average overnight expenditure of SgS/pp (source; Dean <br />Runyan Associates) and the Rodeo is a significant supporter of County tourism as a destination. <br />Worth mentioning, too, is The Ellensburg Music Fest (EMF), formerly known as Jazzin the Valley, <br />also a multi*day event, which attracts an estimated 5,000 tourists who travel >50 miles from their <br />residence/place of business to attend this very popular musical event. ln its 25th year, this annual, <br />reoccurring event supports the County as a tourism destination, with attendees having multi-day <br />lodging stays in Ellensburg and the County. ln total it is estimated that over 65,000 people annually <br />stay overnight in Ellensburg for events that utilize the Unity Park property, of which 65,000 people <br />travel from an area greater than 50 miles to attend these events. <br />3. Use of Grant Funds: Please explain exactly how the requested funds will be used. lnclude an <br />itemized list.