Economic
Development
Update
Alameda City Council Meeting
July 16, 2024
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Background
Economic Development is rooted in the 2018 Economic Development Strategic Plan. Our focus for retention, expansion, and growth of businesses are in six major sectors:
1. Life sciences
2. Clean, green and high tech
3. Blue tech and maritime
4. Retail and restaurants
5. Tourism and hospitality
6. Artists and small manufacturers
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Business Engagement Activities
• Alameda Community Sailing
School
• Bay Area Disruptor and Startup
Support Labs
• Checkerspot
• Natel Energy
• Navier
• Power Engineering
• Pyka
• RAIN
• Rondo Energy
• Saildrone
• Twelve
Site Visits - Personal familiarity with individual businesses. Staff visited the following businesses in Fiscal Year 2023-2024:
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Business Engagement Activities
At Your Service
Economic Development Division regularly helps coordinate interdepartmental review of major permit applications. Most recently staff helped guide Natel Energy and Pyka through various permitting issues, working closely with the Planning, Building and Transportation Department.
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Business Engagement Activities
Business Associations – Staff works closely with our three business associations to support small and large businesses in Alameda.
Downtown Alameda Business Association (DABA) and the
West Alameda Business Association (WABA) manage our
Business Improvement Areas on Park and Webster Streets, respectively.
Alameda Chamber & Economic Alliance (Chamber) work with a variety of businesses in Alameda.
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Workforce
Development
Our workforce work includes:
• Autumn Job Fair
• Youth Career & Job Fair
• City Summer High School Internships
• Minimum Wage
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
City Economic and Community Development Initiatives
Ongoing Programs
• Public Art Program & Commission
• Façade Improvement Program
• Sister Cities
• Mayor’s Economic Development
Advisory Panel
New Initiatives 2023 - 2025
• Streamlining Special Event Permit
Process
• Special Event Grant Pilot Program
• Storefront Vacancy Strategy
• Alameda Point Recruitment and
Retention Strategy
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Façade Improvement Grants
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Façade Improvement Grants
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Special Event
Grant Pilot
Program
• Awarded grants to 14 special events to be held in Alameda in the coming year.
• Grants amounts ranged from $4,000-$20,000
• Return to City Council in September to consider renewal of program
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Storefront Vacancy Strategy
Goal: Fill vacant storefronts in the Park and Webster
Street business districts
Work to date:
- Inventory and understand vacant buildings
- Evaluate performance relative to other districts
(Temescal, Solano Ave., the Laurel District)
- Interviews with brokers and property owners
- Meeting with Downtown and Webster Street
Business Districts on July 25 to discuss strategies
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Storefront Vacancy Strategy
DABA WABA Temescal
Telegraph
Solano
Avenue
The
Laurel Average
Inventory (sq. ft.) 1,014,084 434,782 447,412 677,676 241,999 563,191 Inventory (buildings) 171 88 74 146 74 111
Average Building Size 5,930 4,941 6,046 5,778 3,270 5,193 Average Monthly Rent
(per sq. ft., NNN) $2.39 $2.70 $2.17 $2.80 $2.75 $2.56
Vacancy (%) 4.8% 3.4% 5.7% 1.3% 1.5% 3.3%
Vacancy (sq. ft.) 49,035 14,952 25,478 9,077 3,525 20,413
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Storefront Vacancy Strategy – Initial Ideas
Finding Recommendation
The Downtown Alameda Business District is much
larger than other districts.
Identify and support core retail areas, allowing for other non-retail businesses to fill in vacancies in some locations.
Alameda’s key retail strengths are character,
community, sense of safety. As a result businesses
tend to be independent or regional chains.
Develop a local retail incubator program with services such as pop-ups, mentorship, education, stipends for marketing.
Demand for retail increasingly relies on creating
experiences (services, restaurants, classes, events)
Continue to support special events grants and public art performance grants. Look for other ways to support
marketing.
* Need to further evaluate staff time and financial resources needed and work plan priorities
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Marketing
• Restaurant Week
• Shop Local Campaign
• Business Times Supplement
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Guaranteed Income Program
Rise Up Alameda started in December 2023. It is a
guaranteed income pilot program that will 150 low-
income individuals Alamedas with $1,000 per month,
for 24 months.
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Work Plan
Highlights for
Fiscal Year
2024-2025
• Integrate Alameda Point tenants more proactively into business engagement.
• Continue to evaluate and refine the Special Event
Permit Process, as needed.
• Move to the implementation phase of the storefront
vacancy strategy for Park Street and Webster Street.
• Support Spirits Alley tenants by providing further
information about them and wayfinding at nearby
licensed events.
• Move to the evaluation and storytelling phase of Rise Up Alameda.
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Questions for Consideration
What should be considered in particular as staff evaluates the program?
What are your priorities for Economic Development for FY24/25?
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
Recommendations
Accept the economic development status update.
Provide feedback and direction regarding economic development efforts and activities.
THE CITY OF ALAMEDA
End