MILTON-FREEWATER — Citing declining resources and volunteer participation, the Milton-Freewater Chamber of Commerce and the Milton-Freewater Downtown Alliance announced they were merging operations.

“The now ‘Milton-Freewater Chamber and Downtown Alliance’ (MFCDA) envisions a future where every vacant store front has a viable business, where the streets are inviting, where empty and deteriorating lots are transformed into parklets and gathering spaces, and where regional partnerships are formed to advance all of the individual community interests,” a Wednesday, Nov. 24, press release stated.

The merger has been in the works for some time. Both organizations formed a joint committee to explore the concept in 2020, which led to a joint agreement in January. But despite the signed document, downtown alliance President Mark Driver said both groups remained in a holding pattern until the boards made a renewed effort to put their plan into motion.

One of the first tasks of the merged organization is to find a full-time director and part-time administrative assistant to oversee joint operations. Driver said the chamber and downtown alliance anticipate sharing office space on Jan. 1, 2022, and hiring staff by June.

For taxing purposes, the chamber and downtown alliance will remain separate organizations. Driver said the set-up will allow the alliance to retain its status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, a designation that gives the group access to grants and funding that the chamber, a 501(c)6, can’t.

“It’s kind of the best of both worlds,” he said.

The Milton-Freewater Chamber and Downtown Alliance follows in the footsteps of the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce and the Pendleton Downtown Association, which began consolidating operations in 2018. Both organizations remain separate entities, and the Pendleton Downtown Association retained its board and executive director, but it now shares office space at the chamber and its director reports directly to the chamber CEO.

Back in Milton-Freewater, the new joint organization has plenty on its agenda. Among its goals is the launch of Freewater Square, a project to convert an old parking lot on North Main Street into an event and business incubator space. Other goals include a new marketing campaign and filling committees for business recruitment and support.

For more information, email mfda.director@gmail.com. Donation information can be found by searching for the Milton-Freewater Downtown Alliance at the Walla Walla Valley Guide website.