Thank you to Abby Powell
PUBLISHED: July 26, 2026 at 7:17 AM MDT by the Loveland Reporter Herald - SEE RH ARTICLE HERE
WRITTEN BY SEAN HAWKINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYThis month’s column is dedicated to honoring Abby Powell. Abby has served as the assistant director of the Loveland Downtown District for the past nine years and will be moving on to a new opportunity next month for her and her family. Her impact on our downtown community has been enormous, and I want to share a few examples of the difference she has made in downtown Loveland.
I’m a regular reader of a Facebook account called “Revitalize or Die” by Jeff Siegler. The main focus of the account is creating strategies that combat apathy in a community while building a sense of civic pride. It makes me think a lot about some of the challenges we face in Loveland, and the account is well worth following if you’re interested in reenergizing older parts of any city. One of the account’s key beliefs is that “every city is chasing jobs and investment (growth), but communities are rarely chasing improvement (health).”
With Abby’s leadership, our organization’s main focus over the past eight years has been on the health and improvement of downtown Loveland, which we firmly believe is the foundation for our future growth. Think about this, why would someone want to invest a million dollars (or more) into an older building in downtown Loveland if there are weeds in numerous places downtown or if there has been little public investment into modern infrastructure, or if there wasn’t a coordinated effort to create events and promotions that brought people downtown on a regular basis? Abby took ownership of developing programs under this strategy in downtown Loveland, and the results have been transformative.
When the Foundry project between First Street and Fourth Street was nearing completion in early 2019, there was no plan to activate and program the wonderful community plaza that had been built as the centerpiece of the project. If you think of great public spaces anywhere on the planet, the key to making them essential community spaces is to program them on a regular basis. Under Abby’s leadership and vision, our team created and launched the One Sweet Summer event series, which has been held in downtown Loveland since 2019. If you’ve been to one of our Wednesday Night Concerts at the Foundry Plaza, seen children splashing and playing at Kids on the Plaza, attended the Symphony on the Plaza, participated in a fitness or yoga class, or enjoyed one of our Ice Cream, Bluegrass or Blues festivals, you have Abby to thank. Abby single-handedly built relationships with numerous businesses in Loveland that have generously sponsored these events. Since creating the One Sweet Summer series, she has helped raise nearly $750,000 to fund these events and keep them free and accessible for anyone in our community to enjoy.
In 2020, our country and business community were paralyzed by the forced closures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May of that year, when many of our restaurants told us they wouldn’t survive the summer without a boost in business, Abby created the Saturday Night Dine Out event series. Every Saturday for four months, our team closed Fourth Street and filled it with tables, chairs, local bands and performers to provide a safe way for people to support our restaurants, bars and breweries. The sales on those event nights were a major boost to our business community. The event was much more than that. It also provided much-needed joy by giving musicians and performers a safe place to entertain our community when we all needed a morale boost. And it goes without saying that no other community in our region pulled off an activity like this.
In addition to events and community connections, Abby has been instrumental in helping change the appearance of downtown. She has been our team’s daily contact and problem solver on the Heart Improvement Project (Fourth Street renovation) in partnership with the city of Loveland. Her clear communication style and fierce advocacy for the needs of our businesses and property owners have helped ensure that business access and business needs remain a priority throughout our lengthy construction process. Her focus on how the street will be used for events once construction is complete will allow Lovelanders to enjoy these downtown improvements for years to come.
Abby’s impact on the health and improvement of downtown will not be forgotten. Nor will the countless friendships she has made throughout our community. I’m sure going to miss seeing her every day, but as life teaches us, your best friends will always remain a part of your life. Best of luck, Abby, and here’s wishing you continued success in your next chapter.
Sean Hawkins is the executive director of the Loveland Downtown District. The Loveland Downtown District is a partnership of the Loveland Downtown Development Authority and the Historic Loveland Business Improvement District. He has lived in Loveland since August 2018. He can be reached via email at shawkins@lovelandpartnership.org or by text at 970-699-2856.