DDEC moves into new home off square

The commission moved to 307 Park Central East, above Icon nightclub, so that Flame could expand into DDEC’s 310 W. Walnut office. Executive Director Cip Traub owns the Park Central East space.

Traub, who has been DDEC’s executive director since January 2004, said the move underlines the organization’s mission of helping the cause of downtown business, especially restaurants and night life venues.

“We all sat down and it made sense for all of us to move the (DDEC) office to my space to help save money and to get out of the way of progress,” Traub said. “We can’t preach the growth of downtown and then be a roadblock for one of our partners that’s growing.”

The new move, though, does not mean a change in the group’s downtown promotion efforts. DDEC is again sponsoring the Outdoor Cinema program in Founders Park.

Traub said the program is always one of the organization’s biggest events.

“In the summer, we normally focus on outdoor cinema, because our focus has been and always will be trying to help downtown continue its forward momentum,” Traub said. “We’ve been a key to that, but we’re also smart enough to know that we’re just a cog in the wheel.”

Fridays at Founders

This year’s movie schedule includes a new element – Fridays at Founders, a concert series featuring local emerging artists on Friday evenings before the movies begin. The series is a joint venture of DDEC, the Springfield-Greene County Park Board and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Park Department Assistant Director Jodie Adams said the two programs are mutually beneficial.

“I think (the concert) will keep people there; when they come down they can depend on a full night of entertainment,” she said. “We’re hoping that people will come down and maybe eat on site or just spend some more time, and we can offer some more entertainment before the movies begin.”

The concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free to anyone who has a ticket for the evening’s movie, which begins at dusk. Family packs of movie tickets can be picked up free at Jordan Valley Ice Park or at the Creamery Arts Center; tickets at the gate are $5 for adults and $3 for children.

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