Downtown Ithaca Alliance boosts businessITHACA Ithaca, city, United States Ithaca (ĭth`əkə), city (1990 pop. 29,541), seat of Tompkins co., S central N.Y., at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, in the Finger Lakes region; settled 1789, inc. as a city 1888. - The Downtown Ithaca Business Improvement District, d.b.a. Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA), is a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. charged with developing and promoting downtown Ithaca, says Gary Ferguson Professor Gary Ferguson is a specialist in French Renaissance literature and culture at the University of Delaware in the USA. He graduated in 1985 with a first-class honours degree from St Chad's College, Durham University. , executive director. As a business-improvement district, the DIA generates the majority of its revenue from assessments on the properties within the district. In 2007, the DIA generated $283,000 from the improvement district, an increase of $43,000 over the previous year according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. its 2007 budget. Ferguson explains that the DIA is a hybrid economic-development organization that has an expanded community focus. It operates a variety of marketing and promotional services, produces its own community events and concerts, and also facilitates development work. The DIA boasts that its business-development services have attracted over $110 million in new or planned projects since 2000. Adding to its impact, the DIA was recently award a $200,000 Main Street Grant to improve street facade and building exteriors; it's the second time it has received this grant. The blending of community and business leaders on the DIA board has allowed the organization to have an expanded community focus, Ferguson says. The addition of board members from Tompkins Cortland Community College Tompkins Cortland Community College is a public two-year college supported by Cortland and Tompkins Counties. The main college campus is located in the Town of Dryden. Other campuses are in Cortland, New York and Ithaca, New York. and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce shows the organization's commitment to involve the larger community, not just the improvement-district property owners, he says. The DIA is currently working on a 10-year action plan, the Downtown Ithaca Development Strategy 2020, and Ferguson anticipates a draft version will be available by spring 2009. The preliminary stages of the plan have seen the DIA active in soliciting input from the Ithaca community and engaging community groups, he says. An online survey allows community members to include their thoughts and concerns via the DIA Web site. The DIA hopes to present the plan to the city of Ithaca for adoption into its Comprehensive Plan. This will give the plan enhanced legal standing Ferguson adds. The existing plan was endorsed by the City, but not adopted The DIA offers a cadre of special events throughout the year; this service area incurred expenses of $88,757 in 2007, according to its IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. Form 990. The DIA boasts over 100,000 visitors to its events, including the Apple Harvest Festival harvest festival Noun 1. a Christian church service held every year to thank God for the harvest 2. any of various ceremonies celebrating the harvest in other religions , Chili (language) CHILI - D.L. Abt. A language for systems programming, based on ALGOL 60 with extensions for structures and type declarations. ["CHILI, An Algorithmic Language for Systems Programming", CHI-1014, Chi Corp, Sep 1975] Cook-Off, Holiday Parade of Ice, and Summer Concert Series. 
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