Butler Downtown is stepping out on its own.

Beginning April 16, the organization will become independent from the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and open a new office on the third floor of city hall.

The chamber has been providing financial administration by maintaining Butler Downtown’s books and handling its taxes at no cost.

“It’s what the chamber would have wished — for them to be independent,” said Stan Kosciuszko, chamber president. “We started Butler Downtown and got the Main Street grant in 2005. Since then we’ve kind of overseen them and administered them.”

The chamber wanted Butler Downtown to become independent and the board began discussing the move last year, said Jared Sullivan, Butler Downtown president.

“The chamber’s goal was to help us until we could become independent. We’re grateful for what they’ve done and we look forward to working with them,” Sullivan said.

He said Butler offered space in city hall and the board discussed it over the last couple months.

“The board decided to move forward,” he said.

Butler Downtown has a board of directors and is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.

Also known as the Downtown Revitalization Committee, Butler Downtown was created in 2003 under the Butler Redevelopment Authority. Then Mayor Leonard Pintell held the first meeting at NexTier Bank.

The Butler County Redevelopment Authority took over the operations of the city redevelopment authority in 2004. The Community Development Corporation of Butler County took over administration of Butler Downtown in 2005. The county redevelopment authority helped the CDC apply for the Main Street grant.

In August 2005, the chamber moved to Morgan Center and took over administration of Butler Downtown.

Becky Smith was hired as the Main Street manager in 2008. She was killed in a vehicle accident in 2011. Chelynne Curcie-Lang was hired to replace Smith and she held the position until state funding for the program was discontinued in 2014.

Since then, Butler Downtown has been operating as an all-volunteer organization under the administrative guidance of the chamber.

Past board chairmen have included Vince Tavolario, Lisa Guard, Joe Gray, Brian McCafferty, Cathy Glasgow, Jonathan Dreher, Tom Panei, Bob Dandoy, Meredith Glendening and Tom Graham.

The Main Street managers were chamber employees who worked only for the city on the Main Street program, Kosciuszko said.

He said the organizations will continue to work together.

“Butler Downtown will be located at city hall. It’s nice that they have that close affiliation with the mayor and city council,” he said. “We wish them well. We will help promote their events. We got them perfectly set up and trained and now they’re off on their own. It will be nice to see them successful.”

Sullivan said Butler Downtown is now working on organizing a spring clean up to coincide with the Great American Clean up April 28 and the Summer Concert Series.