NEW YORK.- Governor George E. Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined Wall Street Rising President and Founder, Julie Menin, to launch Do It Downtown! -- The Wall Street Rising Downtown Discount Card Program, a new initiative designed to spur economic activity in Lower Manhattan.



Free of charge to both cardholders and merchants, the Do It Downtown! card will be widely available to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, downtown workers, residents and tourists, and will entitle cardholders to significant discounts at hundreds of downtown businesses including restaurants, hotels, retail stores and service providers. Do It Downtown! is the only such promotion targeted specifically at the area most profoundly impacted by the events of September 11th.



Joining Ms. Menin, the Governor and the Mayor for today’s announcement were Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly; Charles A. Gargano, Chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation; President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Lou Thompson; Cristyne L. Nicholas, President and CEO of NYC & Company; Carl Weisbrod, President of the Alliance For Downtown New York; Madelyne Wils, President of Community Board One; and members of the Wall Street Rising Board of Directors.



"Encouraging people to come downtown and spend money will be the foundation on which we rebuild Lower Manhattan," Governor Pataki said. "So come on down and grab dinner at one of our fine restaurants or buy a flowering plant at Flower World, or go shopping, or see a show at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center -- and do it at a discount. Not only will you have a terrific visit, but you’ll also be helping this vital area -- and its people and economy -- regenerate and rebuild."



Mayor Bloomberg said, "By coming downtown and using your Do It Downtown! discount card at any one of the participating establishments, you are doing your part to support our efforts to stabilize and rebuild Lower Manhattan. The restaurants, retailers, cultural institutions and hotels of Lower Manhattan are eager to serve visitors and residents alike. So, come on down and check out the great deals. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved, including Wall Street Rising and Governor Pataki for working together to make this happen."



Ms. Menin said, "I am particularly proud to stand alongside Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg today to unveil this new initiative. Their staunch support and advocacy for Lower Manhattan will help create long-term economic stability in the commercial, financial, retail and residential sectors of this historic neighborhood. The generous backing of the Empire State Development Corporation, under the leadership of the Governor and Chairman Gargano, will solidify this program’s success by funding an aggressive ad campaign that we will soon launch. To those of us who live and work downtown - in fact, for all New Yorkers - their leadership in this difficult time has been inspiring.



"Wall Street Rising created this program to encourage residents and visitors alike to come downtown to enjoy a meal at dozens of fine restaurants, have a glass of beer in an historic pub, schedule a massage and manicure, visit one of our museums or cultural centers, print new business cards or even get a shirt dry-cleaned. With this new discount card program, Wall Street Rising hopes to introduce thousands of visitors and residents of this great City to all that downtown has to offer. Especially now, Lower Manhattan needs unprecedented support in order to rebuild as a strong, vital 24/7 community," Ms. Menin concluded.



Chairman Gargano said, "Once again Governor Pataki is demonstrating his strong commitment to the renewal and recovery of Lower Manhattan. I’d like to commend Julie Menin and Wall Street Rising for their determination in the face of adversity and their work to ensure that Lower Manhattan and the City and State of New York will come back stronger than ever."



Ms. Nicholas said: "As the birthplace of New York City and in many ways the country, Downtown has always played an important part in New York City’s $25 billion-a-year tourism industry. This has never been more true than during its recent transformation from a business neighborhood whose streets were empty on evenings and weekends to a 7-day-a-week destination filled with wonderful restaurants, stores, museums and galleries. Wall Street Rising’s Do It Downtown! program will play a valuable role in ensuring this important neighborhood emerges from current challenges stronger than ever - something that is not only good for Downtown but good for the entire City."



Mr. Tomson said, "Under the leadership of Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg, a number of initiatives are now well underway to support the businesses of Lower Manhattan and stimulate revitalization. The success of our efforts will also depend on the creativity of our private sector partners, such as Wall Street Rising. I want to commend Julie Menin for developing this innovative campaign, which will no doubt help generate economic activity throughout Lower Manhattan."



Holders of the new Wall Street Rising Do It Downtown! discount cards will be entitled to significant savings at hundreds of downtown establishments including fine eateries like Fino Wall Street Ristorante Italiano, Vine Restaurant, Capsouto Freres, Pico, Gerardi’s, Nathan’s Famous, Pretzel Time, Wolf’s Deli, and others. Additional savings apply to The Regent Wall Street Hotel, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Holiday Inn Wall Street and New York Marriott Financial Center and at cultural institutions including the South Street Seaport Museum and the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Also participating are a myriad of other locally owned and operated neighborhood businesses including Chambers Street Wines, Flower World, Lawson Tuxedos, Park Place Jewelry, Ann Street Tailoring, Big Apple Copy Center, Cardio Fitness Center and Pine Street Cleaners.



Do it Downtown! discount cards are available at many hotels, tourist destinations and attractions, transportation hubs (including airports), and at tourist information booths around the City including in Times Square, Penn Station and at the Statue of Liberty. The card and brochure are also available through the Wall Street Rising Website at www.wallstreetrising.org.



The program, created and funded by Wall Street Rising, will be accompanied by an aggressive advertising campaign costing approximately $300,000. It will run through the end of December 2002.



Wall Street Rising is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring the vibrancy and vitality that existed in Lower Manhattan prior to the devastating events of September 11, 2001. Among the initiatives sponsored by Wall Street Rising are:



Wall Street Wednesdays, Wall Street Rising’s inaugural discount dining program, which ran in October and November, improved business at participating restaurants by over 400%. Wall Street Rising launched a $400,000 advertising campaign that included billboards, radio spots, and print ads to encourage people to support Lower Manhattan. Planned for Spring 2002 is the month-long Wall Street Rising Arts Festival. Some of New York’s top curators will develop unique exhibits for display in the lobbies of some of the most magnificent buildings in Lower Manhattan. Wall Street Rising has also been a strong and vocal advocate for tax credits for residents of Downtown and grants for small businesses.



The organization is a coalition of some of the country’s most prominent law firms, investment banks, financial service companies, real estate companies, community and civic leaders, small businesses and cultural institutions, not to mention residents. Executives from JPMorgan Chase; Goldman Sachs; and Prudential Securities as well as from the firms of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Cleary Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; Sullivan & Cromwell; Crescent Heights/25 Broad; Swig Burris Equities; and the Regent Wall Street Hotel serve on Wall Street Rising’s board of directors.



The Do It Downtown! program is sponsored by Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton; Crescent Heights; Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson; G&L Partners; JPMorgan Chase; NYC & Company; Prudential Securities; and the Sullivan & Cromwell Foundation.



Ms. Menin also gratefully acknowledged the generosity of Carl Weisbrod and the Alliance for Downtown New York in making this program a reality.