The word is definitely out about downtown Lawrence.

An estimated 20,000 people are expected to converge along Massachusetts Street today for the annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale.

It is the other days of the year that Lawrence city commissioners aren’t so sure about.

“I continually hear people in our community say, ‘I just don’t go downtown,'” Mayor Sue Hack said. “That is very disconcerting to me.”

So much so that city commissioners are now rethinking their longtime investment in Downtown Lawrence Inc., the nonprofit organization that promotes downtown. As city commissioners work to create a 2008 city budget, they’ve set aside $45,000 for the marketing of the downtown Lawrence business district.

In past years, that money has automatically gone to Downtown Lawrence Inc. to spend on marketing efforts. But in the 2008 budget, city commissioners made it clear that they may give the money to a different organization – such as the Convention and Visitors Bureau – to market the area. Or the city may choose to transfer the money to a city department and make the department responsible for marketing downtown.

In other words, the city wants to keep its options open until it can have a discussion with Downtown Lawrence Inc. leaders.

“I think we want to make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to marketing downtown,” Commissioner Rob Chestnut said.

Dan Hughes – a member of the DLI board and owner of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop – said downtown Lawrence leaders were happy to have the discussion. He said he thought the city got a good bang for its buck by investing in Downtown Lawrence Inc. because the city’s money could be used to leverage additional contributions from the organization’s 115 members. He also said he thought the organization could point to a string of successes, such as its role in the downtown Christmas parade, the sidewalk sale, and the downtown’s new summer film festival.

“I think this board we have in place currently is really working hard on a lot of issues,” Hughes said. “I think there has been a lot of good work done.”

Commissioners said they ultimately may agree. Hack said recent reports from Downtown Lawrence Inc. have been more encouraging. But commissioners also want to hear more ideas on how the group could bring additional events to downtown.

“Downtown is such a unique venue that really can’t be replicated anywhere else,” Chestnut said. “We have to take advantage of that.”

Hack said she hoped to schedule a study session to discuss Downtown Lawrence Inc. funding issues sometime in August.