Bakersfield City Council
February 12, 2025

MAKE

DOWNTOWN
HUM

DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

STATION AREA PLAN
MAY 2018
vi vi

FOREWORD
Bakersfield started with a simple purpose in 1863, when founder Thomas Baker offered his “field” as a stopover for travelers trekking across the great State of California. Bakersfield became a transportation hub for entrepreneurs, explorers, and tourists alike, as they passed through the City to reach southern California, the Pacific Coast, the Mojave Desert, the San Francisco bay area and beyond. Bakersfield evolved into a dynamic city with a rich history rooted in agriculture, oil, industry, and connectivity.

Bakersfield’s location in the heart of California has continued to serve the City well. Over the last century, Bakersfield has grown to be the 9th largest city in the State and has become a premier place to lay down roots, raise a family, and establish a “home base” in the center of California. Bakersfield’s future is bright and local business owners, community leaders and residents are invested in continued growth.

In parallel with this local development, California voters also approved legislation to construct a statewide High Speed Rail System (HSR). If done right, HSR has the potential to connect California and provide economic benefits throughout the State. As with any major infrastructure program, the overall HSR system faces challenges and the future of HSR will continue to evolve at the State level.

Nevertheless, the very concept of High Speed Rail offers a unique opportunity for Bakersfield, due to the State’s selection of the community as a future “Station City.” This is important because it puts Bakersfield on the map, together with major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose and more. It also means that the State intends to build a HSR Station in Downtown Bakersfield, creating a stimulus for growth, revitalization, and new energy.

The Bakersfield HSR Station would also enhance Bakersfield’s presence as a major transportation hub and help make the first phase of the HSR System a success by completing a true “valley-to-valley” connection.

To maximize this potential, the City of Bakersfield kicked off the “Making Downtown Bakersfield” planning effort in 2015. In order to ensure this effort would have independent utility and provide real value to Bakersfield, the primary goal was to engage the community and develop an understanding of who Bakersfield is today, how Bakersfield wants to evolve, and where Bakersfield would like to be in the future.

Over the last two years, the City hosted public workshops and community meetings and developed the “Making Downtown Bakersfield” Vision Plan. This process revealed that Bakersfield residents want to see a Downtown that is vibrant, walkable, connected, safe, and desirable. The research also demonstrated that thoughtful place-making, accessibility, and sustainable planning practices can lead to tangible economic development, all while making Bakersfield “HSR ready.”
The purpose of this Vision Plan is to illustrate the Community’s vision for revitalization of Downtown Bakersfield and provide a blueprint for future decisions. Most importantly, this Vision Plan is intended to spark interest, inspire deeper conversations, and to show the City’s support for progress and investment in Downtown Bakersfield.

Together, we can make the Vision a reality!
Jacqui Kitchen, Community Development Director
City of Bakersfield – Community Development Department
vii vii

ix ix

DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

STATION AREA PLAN
Chapter 1: The Place (Page 2)

1.1 The City of Bakersfield

1.2 High-Speed Rail

1.3 A Vision for the Future

1.4 Existing Conditions & Downtown
Infrastructure
-Sewer
-Stormwater
-Gas and Electricity
-Water
-Telecommunications
-Public Transportation
-Next Steps

1.5 Market Analysis
-Office Market Summary
-Multi-Family Residential Market
Summary
-Retail Market Summary
-Hotel Market Summary

1.6 Downtown Primed for Reinvestment

1.7 Case Studies
-HSR Case Studies
-Key Lessons for Bakersfield
-Unique Impacts of HSR
-Downtown Revitalization Case
Studies
Chapter 2: The Process (Page 24)

2.1 Community Outreach

2.2 Community Values
-Livability
-Connectivity
-Prosperity

2.3 Vision Statement
Chapter 3: The Vision (Page 30)

3.1 Development Blueprint

3.2 Creating the Ideal Public Realm - A
Green Loop around Downtown

3.3 Three Big Ideas
-Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo
-Golden State Connector (multi-
Use Trail)
-Garces Circle Pedestrian Plaza

3.4 Core Reinvestments
-Mass Transit Context
-Mass Transit Vision
-Mass Transit Implementation
Actions
-Bike Vision
-Bike Implementation Action
-Parking Context
-Parking Vision
-Parking Implementation Actions

3.5 HSR Integration
-Location of HSR Station
Footprint - Eastward vs.

Westward
-Option A - Eastward, Proximate
to Chester Avenue
-Option B - Westward, Proximate
to F Street
-Recommendation
Chapter 4:Phased Development Strategy (Page 66)

4.1 Reinvestment Framework

4.2 Implementation Strategy

4.3 Phase 1: Strengthen (Now-2025)
-Implementation Actions

4.4 Phase 2: prepare (2025-2035)
-Implementation Actions

4.5 Phase 3: Respond (2035-2045)
-Implementation Actions

4.6 Economic Development Plan (Now2025)

4.7 Economic Development Analysis
Appendix (Separate Document)
x x
Photo by David Seibold
1 1

THE PLACE
2 2
CHAPTER 1

THE PLACE

1.1 The City of Bakersfield
With a population of over 380,000, Bakersfield is the 9th largest City in California, and is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. With a median home price of $235,000, Bakersfield is also the most affordable market in the State and the 38th most affordable in the Country .

The City of Bakersfield is also ideally located in the heart of California, placed in the booming Central Valley, which expects a population increase of nearly 3 million people by 2040. This geographical location means that Bakersfield residents are a mere 2 hours from the Pacific Ocean, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and many larger cities like Los Angeles. In fact, Bakersfield is within a four-hour drive of 90% of California’s population and 300 miles of 14% of the U.S. population. Bakersfield is already the ideal home base in an ever-connected world.

1.2 High-Speed Rail
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is a State Agency charged with the planning, designing, building and eventual operation of the first high-speed rail (HSR) system in the nation. By 2029, HSR will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds over 200 miles per hour; and will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations (Figure 1).

Bakersfield is located at the center of this state-wide system, and has been selected as one of the 24 Station Cities. This provides Bakersfield a serious competitive advantage as HSR connects the Central Valley to Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay region, solidifying Bakersfield’s centrality within the 800-mile system. At full build-out, HSR will transport an estimated 40.7 million people annually and connect all of the State’s major metropolitan areas, which represent the majority of the State’s $2.63 trillion of annual economic activity.

Completion of the California High-Speed Rail system will maximize on Bakersfield’s geographic location and position it to be the new center of California. This massive public investment puts Bakersfield in the middle of the sixth largest economy in the world; and presents a landmark opportunity to leverage Bakersfield’s many assets for an unprecedented amount of growth and economic development.

Construction of the Station will give Downtown Bakersfield an opportunity to redefine itself and build on past revitalization efforts. Bakersfield is already a prime location for conventions, corporate headquarters, entertainment, housing and more. The addition of HSR will further revitalize the urban core, expand economic opportunity and enhance the quality of life for the entire region. This opportunity requires careful Figure 1 (page 3):

Bakersfield as the Center of the
High Speed Rail System
3 3
Sacramento
San Francisco
Millbrae SFO
San Jose Diridon
Mi
25 50 100 150 200
Gilroy
Merced
Madera
Fresno
Kings Tulare
Palmdale
Burbank
Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs
Fullerton
Anaheim
San Diego
1 Los Angeles
Bakersfield
SF- Bk ~1h55min
Sc-Bk ~1h45min
Bk-LA ~1h
Bk-SD ~1h50min
Center of the System
Phase 1a (2025)
Phase 1b (2029)
Phase 2
Major Metropolitan Areas
4 4
Figure 2 (page 5):

Project Area
planning coordination and collaboration to optimize and implement sustainable and resilient growth in the historic core and beyond.

1.3 A Vision for the Future
In order to prepare for the future of Bakersfield with HSR, the community engaged in the process of “Making Downtown Bakersfield.” This effort is the result of contributions from the City of Bakersfield, HSR Authority, local stakeholders, many partner agencies, private developers, and the community at large. The purpose of the Vision Plan is to inspire future decisions and offer up best practices that will lay the groundwork for future development in Downtown Bakersfield through the next 10, 20, and 30 years and facilitate a path to achieve several key goals:
• Increase population and economic density in the urban core; • Support residential and commercial activity;
• Develop under-utilized or vacant properties;
• Connect existing activity and cultural centers;
• Create an efficient, reliable, and effective multi-modal transportation system; • Enhance sustainability, livability and a sense of place; and, • Secure funding for identified implementation actions.

When this Vision Process was initiated in 2015, the HSR Authority was considering two track alignments through the City of Bakersfield, one with a station location on Truxtun Avenue (Hybrid Alignment) and one with a station location at F Street (Locally Generated Alternative Alignment). Therefore, two potential HSR station locations were analyzed within the study area.

In May 2016, the HSR Authority Board of Directors identified the Locally Generated Alternative (LGA) as the “Preliminary Preferred Alternative.” Therefore, further development of the Vision focused on the F street location as the City’s preferred location for the HSR station, while accounting for the Truxtun location as the site of the existing Amtrak station with the possibility of future commuter rail service.

The Making Downtown Bakersfield Vision Plan envisions a connected historic core that links its many assets to one another, and eventually, to the HSR Station.

1.4 Existing Conditions & Downtown Infrastructure
To begin this process, an Existing Conditions Report was completed with an analysis of infrastructure, the real estate market, and case studies of peer HSR and Downtown communities. The Existing Conditions Report is based on the best available data collected from the City and other agencies. The report includes a synthesis of the information that formed a foundation for future development scenarios for Downtown, 5 5
Memorial
Hospital

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Q ST

L STM STP ST

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)K ST (BICYCLE)L ST (AUTO)M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
99 FWY
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
OAK ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Jastro
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Valley Oaks
Charter School

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Project Area
Multi-modal HSR Station at F Street
GET Transit Center
Multi-modal Amtrak (Future Commuter
Rail) Station at Truxtun
6 6
Figure 3 (page 7):

Physical Assets map matrix (full size
version of the maps can be found
in the Existing Conditions Report
located in Appendix VII):

1. Project Area

2. Building Footprints

3. Downtown Neighborhoods

4. Downtown Districts

5. Circulation

6. Transit Routes

7. Alleys

8. Open Space

9. Tree Canopy

10. Figure Ground

11. Community Facilities

12. Significant Buildings

13. Underutilized Parcels

14. Land Use

15. Zoning

16. Utilities
including various urban design, transportation, and economic development strategies.

The complete Existing Conditions Report can be found in the Appendix section of this Vision Plan document.

The process began with an Urban Design Analysis, which analyzed physical assets within the project area (Figure 2), including:
• Statewide Context - San Joaquin Valley;
• Regional Context- Kern County;
• Project Area - Study Area Definition (Aerial);
• Project Area - Study Area (Building Footprint);
• Downtown Neighborhoods;
• Circulation;
• Transit Routes;
• Alleys;
• Open Space;
• Tree Canopy;
• Figure Ground;
• Community Facilities;
• Underutilized Parcels;
• Significant Buildings;
• Land Use;
• Zoning; and,
• Utilities.

The analysis of the study area’s existing infrastructure is based on the most recent and best available data from a multitude of sources, including the City of Bakersfield, Pacific Gas & Electric, Cal Water, and AT&T and Spectrum.

The purpose of the analysis is to create an inventory of the existing municipal infrastructure which is the first step to understanding the future development capacity of Downtown Bakersfield. As the Vision Plan projects significant growth in the project area (see section 1.5: Market Analysis) the intensity and location of future development will inform where additional capacity may be needed.

The analysis documents the location and type of infrastructure within the project area and provides the foundation for future analysis of each infrastructure’s capacity, and the future creation of an Infrastructure Master Plan. Such a plan will require significant field testing, coordination of public and private utilities and public input, would outline key upgrades and other investments that will facilitate the short-, mid- and long-term implementation of the Vision Plan. As such, an Infrastructure Master Plan is listed as one of the top implementation priorities of this planning document.

The following pages provide a synopsis of each utility in Downtown Bakersfield:
7 7
MAP
n
d
cial
ath

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
18TH ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
14 CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST
E 21ST ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
178 W FWY
18 CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
22 MAP
y

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
26 Downtown Bakersfield
The study area, approximately 2.3 square miles (1472
acres), is generally bound by California Avenue to
the south, Union Avenue to the east, 38th Street to
the north and F Street to the west. The study area
only serves to frame issues and opportunities, and
is not meant to constrain this planning process. The
wind rose below shows the prevailing wind intensity
and direction in Downtown.

PROJECT AREA

STUDY AREA (FOOTPRINTS)

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST
F ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY Wind Rose
Resultant Vector
318 deg - 38%
NORTH
SOUTH

WEST EAST

3.4%

6.8%

10.2%

13.6%
17%

WIND SPEED
(Knots)
>= 22
17 - 21
11 - 17
7 - 11
4 - 7
1 - 4
Calms: 2.49%
15 Open Space
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Modal Integration
Downtown is the heart of the region’s transit
network. The buses operate on a hybrid fixed route
system, where routes primarily come into and
out of Downtown via the Golden Empire Transit
Center. The bus system, however, is not integrated
with the future F Street High-Speed Rail station
location or the existing bicycle pathways that
could support modal transfers and first/last mile
connections, respectively. The proposed Truxtun
HSR station location does connect with the
existing bus, bike and pedestrian system. Both
potential sites will need to be better integrated
regardless, as HSR will augment the modal
hierarchy in Downtown.

TRANSIT ROUTES
82 84
81 81
61 61
44 44
43 43
22 22
42 42
21 21
45 45

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE
178 W FWY
19 Transit Facilities
01 Bus Lines
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Open Space
Transit Center
Building Intensity
The intensity of buildings illustrated by the figure
ground show a concentration of what could be
described as Downtown Bakersfield’s “historic
core” at Chester Avenue and 18th and 19th Streets.

The intensity of buildings also shows the impacts
both the railroad and highway systems have had on
the historical development of Downtown. Where
railroads brought about swaths of industrial uses
across downtown, highways show a deterioration in
the compactness of the urban fabric as it attracts
less intensive automobile-oriented uses.

FIGURE GROUND

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST
UNION AVE E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
23 Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Railroads

LAND USE

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
27 GC - General Commercial
HC - Highway Commercial
HI - Heavy Industrial
HMR - High Medium Density Residential
HR - High Density Residential
LI - Light Industrial
LMR - Low Medium Density Residential
LMR/LR - County Jurisdiction
LR - Low Density Residential
MC - Major Commercial
MUC - Mixed Use
OC - Office Commercial
OS - Open Space
OS-P - Parks and Recreation Facilities
P - Public Facilities
PS - Public and Private Schools
PT - Public Transportation Corridor
SI - Service industrial
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
MAP
More than the CBD
Connecting adjacent neighborhoods to Downtown
will increase pedestrian and economic activity
by simultaneously reinforcing Downtown as the
Central Business District of the entire region and
making Downtown the locally serving commercial
node for these immediate, inner-ring communities.

These new connections will create new pathways
and gateways to Downtown, strengthening the
identity of the whole.

DOWNTOWN

NEIGHBORHOODS

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE
178 W FWY
Downtown Riviera Westchester
Homaker Park
Oildale
La Cresta
Altavista College
Heights
East
Bakerseld
Oleander
Sunset
Park
Stockdale
Lakeview
16 Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Railroads
Alternative Pathways
Downtown has a robust network of alleyways,
a remnant of the City’s historical development
patterns. These alleys primarily support city
services, but several have been converted to be
active alleys with shops and restaurants. Others
have been removed and closed to support the
circulation of large developments. Maintaining
the integrity of the alleyway network in order
to support future pathways across and through
Downtown would provide increased mobility, and
offer a cool, comfortable, and potentially more
interesting alternative to the street, leveraging
the shade from adjacent buildings during the hot
summer months.

ALLEYS

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
20 Alleys
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Open Space

1. Bakersfield City Hall

2. Bakersfield City Hall North

3. Bakersfield Community Development Department

4. Bakersfield Police Department

5. Bakersfield Fire Department

6. Beale Memorial Library

7. Rabobank Arena and Convention Center

8. San Joaquin Community Hospital Ice Center of
Bakersfield

9. McMurtrey Aquatic Center

10. Golden Empire Transit Center

11. Golden Empire Transit Headquarters

12. Buena Vista Museum of Natural History

13. Bakersfield Museum of Art

14. Kern County Superior Court

15. Kern County Assessor

16. Kern County Community Schools

17. Kern County Community College District

18. Kern County Child Support Services

19. Kern County Public Service Building

20. Kern County Museum

21. Bakersfield High School

22. Franklin Elementary School

23. Downtown Elementary

24. Stella Hills Elementary

25. Valley Oaks Charter School

26. Mercy Hospital

27. San Joaquin Community Hospital

28. Memorial Hospital

29. Department of Motor Vehicles

30. Bakersfield Amtrak

31. New Federal Courthouse

COMMUNITY FACILITIES

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
24 Community Facilities
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Open Space
Flexibility
Commercial is the predominant zone in the study
area and Downtown. This zone has no height limit,
an FAR of 2:1, and great flexibility of use types and
mixtures.

ZONING

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
28 P - Parking
OS - Open Space
HOSP - Hospital
M - Manufacturing
FP - Floodplain
C - Commercial
A - Agriculture
R - Residential
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Identity
These Districts, identified by the Downtown
Business Association plus all three Downtown
hospitals, illustrate the nascent identity of a
revitalized Downtown. Their concentration around
Chester Avenue and 18th Street denotes a “core”
and demonstrates the many definitions of what
constitutes “Downtown”. Growing, augmenting
and creating new Districts will further cultivate
the diversity of Downtown’s identity with its many
services, amenities and destinations.

DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS
Midtown
District OceDistrict
Government District
Arts
District
Mill Creek
District
Mill Creek Entertainment District
Kern River
District

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST
Memorial
Hospital
San Joaquin Hospital
Mercy
Hospital

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
17 Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Open Space
Livability
Downtown Bakersfield and its adjacent
neighborhoods have inconsistent tree canopy
coverage. Where the Westchester neighborhood
and historic Downtown (Chester and 19th Street
area) have good tree canopy coverage, most other
parts of the Study Area are spotty at best. A lack
of street trees creates an urban environment
that is hotter in the summer, colder in the winter,
and windier throughout the year. Street trees
are one of the easiest and cheapest sustainability
implementation actions as they improve air quality,
reduce the urban heat island effect, and mitigate
stormwater runoff.

TREE CANOPY

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST

UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
22 Tree Canopy
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
Open Space

1. Jastro House (1875) – 1811 20th Street

2. Kern County Land Company (1893) – 1712 19th Street

3. Nile Theatre (1906/1938) – 1721 19th Street

4. Kern County Hall of Records (1908/1940) –
1655 Chester Avenue

5. Tegler Hotel (1914) – 1908 H Street

6. Hayden Building (1915) – 1622 19th Street

7. Standard Oil Building (1917/1921) – 1800 19th Street

8. Masonic Temple (1924) – 1920 18th Street

9. US Post Office (1925) – 1730 18th Street

10. Bakersfield Californian (1926/1936) – 1707 Eye Street

11. Padre Hotel (1928) – 1702 18th Street

12. New China Café (1928) – 801 18th Street

13. Haberfelde Building (1929) – 1706 Chester Avenue

14. Fox Theatre (1930) – 2001 H Street

15. Old Bank of America Building (1930) –
1931 Chester Avenue

16. First Baptist Church (1931) – 1200 Truxtun Avenue

17. Kress Building (1931) – 1401 19th Street

18. Sill Building (1939) – 1508 18th Street

19. Woolworth Building (1939) – 1400 19th Street

20. Davis House (1939) – 2914 West 21st Street

21. Bakersfield Fire Department (1939) – 2120 H Street

22. Kern County Superior Court (1959) 1415 Truxtun Ave.

23. Bank of American Financial Center (1973) –
1440 Truxtun Avenue

24. New Federal Courthouse (2012) - 510 19th Street

SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
P ST
Q ST
M ST

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

BERNARD ST
UNION AVE E 21ST ST
H ST
34TH ST
F ST
18TH ST

CHESTER AVE

K ST L ST
M ST
99 FWY

GOLDEN STATE AVE
UNION
AVE 178 W FWY
25 Significant Buildings
Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Railroads
Infrastructure Investment
Infrastructure easements primarily follow existing
road and alley right-of-ways in Downtown and
its surrounding neighborhoods. At both potential
station locations there is a gap in coverage as
adjacent uses were historically large industrial
parcels along the railroads. The infrastructure at
these sites will need to be addressed as more finegrained transit-oriented development is anticipated for the immediate station areas.

UTILITIES

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29 Stormwater Pipes
Sewer Pipes
Cleanouts
Electrical Lines
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Manholes
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Study Area
1/2 Mile Walk Radius
HSR Station Locations
Kern County Canals
Railroads
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8 8
Sewer
The City of Bakersfield is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the City’s sewage and wastewater treatment system (see Figure 4). As a part of this planning process, the City has begun to analyze the sewer’s current capacity and performance.

The City is currently conducting flow tests for Downtown trunk lines. A final report of the performance of these trunk lines is ongoing and is planned to be completed in the near future. Bakersfield’s Sewage Treatment Plant #2 serves the Downtown Area, as well as a large portion of eastern Bakersfield, and it is currently at half capacity with an average 13.7 million of gallons per day (mgd) processed; Plant #2 has a maximum capacity of 25 mgd. At peak times, Plant #2 processes 20mgd.

Of particular note, the change of use and intensity of development in Downtown will have an impact on sewer capacity. The Vision Plan proposes significant residential development, and this use has a higher burden on the sewer and wastewater system than the current and historic land use patterns Downtown.

Stormwater
The City of Bakersfield maintains the City’s storm water system (see Figure 5), which is separate from the sewer system and predominantly drains into detention basins, canals and the Kern River.

As most of Downtown Bakersfield is already built-out, additional development should have minimal impact on impermeable surfaces and therefore storm water system.

Future developments will require a minimum 18-inch pipe into the existing main lines.

Low Impact Development design guidelines and other “green” building techniques that require the retention and infiltration of storm water on-site can further limit infrastructure upgrades to the storm water system. Green streetscape enhancements, coupled with tree plantings would also serve to increase the permeable surfaces, thereby reducing storm water runoff and increasing infiltration, further alleviating the pressure on Downtown’s storm water system.

Gas and Electricity
Pacific Gas and Electric is responsible for both the natural gas and electricity systems in Downtown Bakersfield. The major transmission lines run along the Kern River and its canals, connecting to substations before being transmitted by overhead and underground lines to individual properties. Most of these lines run along major corridors and in the historic core, through the alleyways (see Figure 6 and 7).

Regarding electricity, the California Utilities Commission’s Rule 26 provides $800,000 per year in perpetuity for the under-grounding or burying of overhead electricity lines in the City of Bakersfield. This money could be prioritized along key corridors in Downtown to support various beautification and place-making interventions. 9 9
Memorial
Hospital

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Park
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Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
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Education Center
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High School
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Valley Oaks
Charter School

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Kern County
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Riverview
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Franklin
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School
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High School
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Figure 4:

Sewer
Figure 5:

Stormwater
Figure 6:

Electric Infrastructure - Power Lines
10 10
A major natural gas pipeline runs diagonally through Downtown adjacent to both the future HSR station site and the Amtrak station. It has been noted that any construction of the future HSR station will require the realignment of this pipeline.

Pacific Gas and Electric has reviewed the projected development in the project area, as well as the proposed location, intensity and diversity of uses as envisioned in this document (see Chapter 3: The Vision).They believe there is adequate capacity for both gas and electric systems, and that the purposed development could be accommodated with minimal investment. PG&E also stated this would need to be certified by additional and more in depth studies and field testing.

Water
Cal Water is responsible for the potable water system in Downtown. This infrastructure includes multiple main lines that run down the center of the public right-of-way, wells, pump stations, manholes, hydrants and several sampling stations (see Figure 8).

CalWater has stated additional comprehensive studies would be required to determine capacity.

Telecommunications
Both AT&T and Spectrum provide telecommunications infrastructure in Downtown Bakersfield (see Figure 9). The City owns an existing broadband network in Downtown, the Interconnect, which runs from Chester Avenue to Columbus Street to Beale Avenue to Truxtun Avenue. Originally built to unite the majority of traffic signals in Downtown, the Interconnect currently only uses 2 of its 4 ducts which could be leveraged for additional uses and/or public benefit in the future. AT&T and Spectrum has stated they can and will service for all future development.

Public Transportation
Downtown Bakersfield is serviced by the Golden Empire Transit (23,000 daily and

7.3 million annual riders), Kern County Regional Transit (513,000 annual riders), and Amtrak (over 1 million annual passengers on the San Joaquin line).

Next Steps
The City of Bakersfield maintains a monthly Utility Meeting, organized by the Department of Public Works, as a working group to coordinate infrastructure across the City. The Committee includes all the utilities mentioned above as well as the County of Kern. This Committee should guide the development of a future Infrastructure Master Plan process, including the investigation of potential means by which to pay for future infrastructure upgrades and expansions.
11 11
Figure 7:

Electric Infrastructure - Street Lights
Memorial
Hospital

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Park
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Park
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Park
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School
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High School
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Park
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Park
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High School
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Figure 8:

Water Infrastructure
Figure 9:

Telecommunications
12 12

1.5 Market Analysis
A Market Analysis of the region and Downtown sub-market was developed as a part of the Existing Conditions Report (see Appendix III: Market Analysis). This study characterizes Bakersfield’s socio-economic & employment profile and real estate.

Office Market Summary
• Of the 13.3 million square feet (SF) of office in the City of Bakersfield, approximately 30% is located in the study area;
• The Bakersfield office market has higher rents and lower vacancy rates when compared to San Joaquin Valley as a whole;
• The study area, or Greater Downtown, is a large employment hub for Bakersfield, with primarily government and medical workers;
• There has been limited office construction in Downtown Bakersfield since 2000 and, with contractions in public administration employment, little of this new office space has been built within the study area;
• The Bakersfield office market continues to see growth (with more anticipated when HSR is in operation), but the Downtown market has not captured its fair share of that growth in the last two decades; and,
• Citywide development policies, Downtown placemaking initiatives, and HSR could help to attract more development, including additional private office development.

Multi-Family Residential Market Summary
• Over the past two decades, there has been a significant amount of single-family construction in greater Bakersfield, nearly all of which has been in the form of master-planned communities;
• Multi-family apartment development has also gained traction in the City, with 925 such units delivered citywide since 2000;
• New amenities, such as open space and a grocery store, could increase demand for market-rate housing Downtown; and,
• HSR may create an opportunity for further development, as people may choose to locate in Downtown Bakersfield and commute to other cities.

Retail Market Summary
• With dropping vacancies and rising rents, both Bakersfield’s and the study area’s retail markets have improved in the years since the 2008 recession; • 9% of the City’s retail is located within the study area. The study area’s retail corridors are dispersed through Downtown, making for a fragmented Downtown retail experience.

Figure 10 (page 13):

Market Analysis opportunity per
projection scenario. In the first
10-years of projected growth, which
includes the most limited growth
pre-HSR, the focus should be on
revitalizing the core. The second
10-years of projected growth, when
HSR begins initial operation, the
development focus should be on
connecting the revitalized core
to the HSR Station. In the final
10-years of projected growth, this
multi-nodal core should seek to
spread prosperity out along critical
transportation corridors to both
expand opportunity, and protect
existing Downtown neighborhoods
13 13

TRANSIT CENTER

TRANSIT CENTER

TRANSIT CENTER

CHESTER AVENUE

CHESTER AVENUE

CHESTER AVENUE

GARCES CIRCLE

GARCES CIRCLE

GARCES CIRCLE
AMTRAK
AMTRAK
AMTRAK
Prioritize the Core
(No HSR)
Connect the Core to HSR
(HSR without revitalization)
Expand the Core
(HSR with revitalization)
14 14
• While Bakersfield’s retail per capita matches that of peer and aspirational cities, its retail offerings are far more dispersed throughout the City than those of cities such as Pasadena, which has nearly half of its retail square footage in its downtown; • Given the current mix of retail and quality of the retail environment, Downtown Bakersfield is currently challenged to compete with the auto-oriented shopping centers and big box retailers located throughout the region; and, • To compete with suburban shopping centers and attract visitors, Downtown will have to stimulate growth in a specialized high-quality mix of retail.

Hotel Market Summary
• Bakersfield’s hotel market has grown significantly since 2000; approximately 60% of all rooms were built in the past 16 years. This growth is in part due to job growth in Bakersfield and the opening of the Rabobank Arena, the area’s largest events venue, in 1998;
• The majority of hotels are economy or midscale class and Bakersfield’s primary hotel users are weekday business travelers;
• Occupancy rates for Downtown upper midscale and upper class hotels are nearly 80%, suggesting demand for more hotels rooms;
• The success of the Padre Hotel demonstrates the latent demand for differentiated products Downtown;
• However, modest room rates raise questions of the feasibility of new hotel construction on more expensive Downtown land; and,
• As Downtown continues to see revitalization, travelers will continue to want to stay near other Downtown amenities, including restaurants and bars. Access to HSR could support further hotel development, as more businesses locate Downtown.

Table 1 on the following page, summarizes projected development within the study area. These projections are broken down categorically by office, residential, retail and hotel and are the foundation for the Phased Development Strategy (see Chapter 4: Phased Development Strategy). The Table provides a range of projections based on three different scenarios in order to better understand the impact of HSR and a coordinated revitalization strategy (See Section 4.6: Economic Development Strategy):
• Baseline (No HSR Integration): Downtown without HSR;
• Mid (HSR Integration without Downtown revitalization): The existence of the HSR system without any coordinated revitalization efforts; and, • High HSR + Downtown revitalization (Full HSR Integration): The existence of HSR and a coordinated Downtown revitalization effort.
15 15
30 years (2045)
Office (square feet) 505,000 1,130,000 2,005,000
Residential (units) 2,160 5,140 8,570
Retail (square feet) 356,015 625,837 905,988
Hotel (rooms) 608 1,413 2,413
20 years (2035)
Office (square feet) 300,000 585,000 1,085,000
Residential (units) 1,270 2,660 4,440
Retail (square feet) 222,461 346,108 493,509
Hotel (rooms) 359 732 1,272
10 years (2025)
Office (square feet) 135,000 155,000 365,000
Residential (units) 540 660 1,100
Retail (square feet) 100,379 109,993 150,223
Hotel (rooms) 156 186 360
Scenario
High HSR + Downtown
revitalization (Full
HSR Integration)
Baseline (No HSR Integration) Mid (HSR Integration without Downtown revitalization)
Table 1:

Market Analysis Projections
Summary by typology
Figure 11 (opposite page):

Diagrams showing (from top to
bottom) Demographic Growth,
Regional Transit, Walkable Grid
and Developable Land. Amidst
rapid regional growth, Downtown
is prime for development as the
regional transit center with ample
underutilized and vacant land within
a walkable street grid pattern

1.6 Downtown Primed for Reinvestment
The Existing Conditions Report illustrates how Downtown Bakersfield is primed for future growth and investment. Making Downtown Bakersfield is the culmination of a variety of efforts, programs, and developments. The Vision Plan highlights the foundation that has already been created by the City and local stakeholders and provides a path forward for others to join in the rebirth of Bakersfield’s historic core (see Figures 14).

Downtown Bakersfield has an existing transportation network that will be enhanced by HSR. The Downtown area is already serviced by the Golden Empire Transit (23,000 daily and 7.3 million annual riders), Kern County Regional Transit (513,000 annual riders), and Amtrak (1.56 million annual passengers on the Capitol Corridor line). Tying these systems together in Downtown and integrating their facilities with the historic street grid can focus growth to rehabilitate existing buildings and redevelop underutilized parcels across the project area.

This Vision is meant to inspire continued reinvestment Downtown by illustrating and bringing together its many assets; physical, historical, institutional and cultural. 16 16

1.7 Case Studies
The arrival of HSR service is expected to bring significant opportunities to Bakersfield and its economy and will accelerate the revitalization already underway in Downtown Bakersfield. These opportunities are expected to spur transformative changes to the City as a whole, and specifically within the Downtown Station Area. To better understand the specific impacts of HSR on cities with similar characteristics as Bakersfield, a Case Study Report was prepared. The Report also reviews the public policy interventions and actions these cities took to leverage the significant investment of HSR.

The report reviewed international Cities for a High Speed Rail context, as no true HSR system exists in United States, North America or the Western Hemisphere, and included three national case studies for a US context. The lessons learned from these case studies can help inform the City on the potential impacts HSR may have on Downtown and the ways the City can utilize the station area planning effort and HSR to achieve its long-term community goals. The US case studies also inform potential actions the City can take regardless of HSR to leverage its Downtown assets for continued revitalization. The full report can be found Appendix IV: Case Studies.

HSR Case Studies
A review of existing research on the spatial effects of HSR systems was done to better understand opportunities for Bakersfield. The high number of other variables involved in urban development – from the status of the national economy to differences among cities involved – make definitive predictions on the effects of a new HSR system difficult to ascertain. No two regions are identical, and as such general predictions do not always prove true, as many factors determine outcomes. Additionally, the governance and fiscal structures are different in other countries, which adds a layer of complexity to international comparisons. Despite these constraints, a framework was developed for case study analysis that recognizes the limitations in drawing direct comparisons, yet still reveals applicable insights for Bakersfield.

The spatial effects of HSR (See full research citations in Appendix IV: Case Studies) are in principle similar to those around other fixed guideway mass transit (e.g. light rail or streetcar), but the size of the economic catchment area that HSR draws activity from is wider and the effects of the HSR system are very dependent on the host city’s position in the urban hierarchy (i.e. a city’s position relative to other cities in its region). The HSR system’s high capacity, limited stops, reliability, and wide economic catchment area create the potential for much more intense development than is typically associated with a single transit stop, and economic activity attracted to station areas is often regional-serving in nature.

The spatial effects of high-speed rail are generally related to a city’s position in the urban hierarchy, therefore, stations were characterized, and the corresponding effects Figure 12 (above):

International HSR:

1. Lille, France

2. Le Mans, France

3. Zaragoza, Spain

4. Ciudad Real, Spain

LILLE, FRANCE
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Case Studies | 7 Neighborhood before HSR
Before HSR, the Station area was home to old military barracks adjacent to the existing old train station in Lille. According to one survey of HSR professionals and academics, the Station area was “derelict,” or suffering from neglect and disinvestment.6 Similarly Downtown Bakersfield has not shared as robustly in the growth experienced in its city as a whole.

Real Estate and Economic Impacts
In the 1980s, Lille’s economy was slowing from deindustrialization due to competition abroad and the decline of the textile, manufacturing, and mining industries.7 The city was suffering from low levels of education in its workforce. City employment was consistently declining, and according to the National Institute of 6 Loukaitou-Sideris, A., Cuff, D., Higgins, T., & Linovski, O. (2012). Impact of High Speed Rail Stations on Local Development: A Delphi Survey. Built Environment, 51-70. p 57.
7 Preston, J., & Wall, G. (2008). The Ex-ante and Ex-post Economic and Social Impacts of the Introduction of High-Speed Trains in South East England. Planning, Practice & Research, 403-422.

Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the city lost 5,000 jobs between 1982 and 1990.

Timeline of Key Events
1988 Master plan commissioned for Euralille 1.
1990
Formation of the development zone and
public enterprise to lead development of
Euralille 1.
1993 HSR service begins.
1994 Delivery of first buildings in Euralille 1.
2000 Creation of development zone for Euralille

2. 2007
Delivery of first offices and housing for
Euralille 2.
2016 Expected construction start for Euralille 3.

After the introduction of HSR, Euralille grew to be the third most powerful financial, commercial, and industrial center in France with over 3.2 million square feet of commercial floor space in 2014.8 Employment in Lille eventually stabilized, gaining 700 jobs by 1999 and nearly 13,000 additional jobs by 2006. The composition of employment also changed greatly, from a larger proportion of lowerskilled industry and construction workers to more mid-level managers, professionals, and other service sector workers.9 The city attracted several international accounting firms and national banks.

The conference center, built shortly after HSR, was quickly booked full and required expansion. Lille was able to capture more meetings and conventions due to its central location to other major metropolitan areas. Lille’s large historic core and cultural assets such as the Place du 8 Dorval, R. (2014). "Phoenix Cities" and city value creation. Lille: La Fabrique de la Cite. p 9. 9 National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies

LE MANS, FRANCE
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Case Studies | 12 Neighborhood before HSR
The area to the northeast of the station area is part of the historic core of Le Mans. As a result, little physical development has occurred in this area since the introduction of HSR. The area to the southwest contained many low-rise industrial buildings, parking lots, and other vacant or underutilized railways sites and abandoned industrial brownfields.17 Economic activities in the area included small-scale industrial production –distribution and repair, food processing, and small craft enterprises– but many of these industrial uses were slowly disappearing from the deindustrialization occurring in Le Mans.18 Much of the new business activity was taking place in business parks away from the old city center. This area to the south of the station would later be developed as the Novaxis business center.
17 Facchinetti-Mannone, V. (2009). Location of high speed rail stations in French medium-size city and their mobility and territorial implications. City Futures. 18 Chevalier, J., Amiard, D., Bertrand, J., Djeridi, N., & Dodier, R. (1997). Le Mans, 6 Years after the Arrival of the TGV. Le Mans: Geographic Areas and Societies. p. 21, 32 Real Estate and Economic Impacts
The introduction of HSR to Le Mans did not completely turn around declines in population and employment citywide, but did succeed in stabilizing the city’s economy and redirecting development to the station area. Like many other cities in France, Le Mans was deindustrializing in the 1980s. According to France’s National Institute of Statistics and
Economic Studies (INSEE),
the population of Le
Mans peaked in 1975 at
152,000. Between 1975
and 1990, the city’s
population declined by
nearly 7,000 people, or

4.5 percent. Le Mans saw its first population increase in 1999, the first census after HSR service was implemented, growing by just over 500 people. However, the population has since declined by nearly 2,000 people.19
The city experienced growth in business and convention visitors and an increase in hotel stays. However, this was coupled with decreases in the average length of hotel stays as business travelers generally stayed for shorter periods than leisure travelers. 20 While the
industrial sector in the City continued to decline, this was partially offset by growth in the service sector.21 Much of this growth in service sector business activity took place in the Station Area, due to the construction of the Novaxis Business Center.
19 Population change between 1999 and 2013, INSEE,
http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/detail.asp?ref_id=poplog-com&reg_id=99 20 Masson, S., & Petiot, R. (2009). p. 614 21 Sometimes referred to as the tertiary sector, includes sectors such as government, professional services, banking, healthcare, real estate, and education.

Timeline of Key Events
1986 Master planning for Novaxis
Business Center begins.
1990 HSR service to Le Mans commences,
first buildings in Novaxis open.
2006 Planning for Novaxud begins.
2019 Expected completion of the
Novaxud development.

ZARAGOZA, SPAIN
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Case Studies | 17 Real Estate and Economic Impacts
Zaragoza was a growing city before HSR service was implemented, adding 23,000 people or 3.9 percent between 1981 and 1991, and 21,000 people or 3.5 percent between 1991 and 2001. After HSR service began in 2003, growth accelerated rapidly, and Zaragoza’s population increased by 63,000 between 2001 and 2011, a 10.3 percent increase. Zaragoza’s population growth can be attributed to both HSR and the end of Spain’s recession in the late 1990s.33 Between 2003 and 2005, over 5,600 new companies opened in Zaragoza, representing a growth of 9 percent.34 The city shifted from having a more industrialized economy to one that is now service-sector oriented, with industrial activity shifting to the periphery of the city.35 33 Instituto Nacional de Estadistica 34 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). The high speed rail and urban project. A new railway for the third millennium Zaragoza. Journal of Geography and Social Science. p. 17 35 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). p. 5 36 Barcelona was connected to Zaragoza by traditional rail prior to HSR, so meetings could have occurred here prior to the introduction of HSR.

HSR brought an increase in meeting and convention activity to Zaragoza. Previously, meetings between professionals and executives from Barcelona and Madrid would have occurred in one of those cities, but the HSR connection created a convenient meeting place equidistant from both cities.36 The station itself contains meeting spaces that support such usage. For similar reasons, Zaragoza also became more desirable for convention activity that would have previously taken place in larger cities on each end of the HSR system. HSR is credited with playing a major role in bringing the 2008 World Exhibition, among others, to Zaragoza.37 Between 1999 and 2003, the number of major events held in Zaragoza increased from 422 to 451, or by 29 events.

Between 2003 and 2007, this number rose by 89 events.38 Tourism and hotel development increased after HSR service began.

Tourism was found to be increasing in Zaragoza after HSR service was implemented, owing to the easier access from other cities.39 In the four years prior to HSR service, the number of overnight stays in Zaragoza rose from 1,051,000 to 1,166,000, or by 115,000 stays, or 10.9 percent. In the four years after HSR service, overnight stays rose by 268,000 overnight stays or 23.0 percent.40 The rapid increase in overnight stays was accompanied by the addition of five new hotels, containing a total of 562 new hotel rooms between 2003 and 2007.41 Much of the station area remains undeveloped, but there has been construction activity of new office buildings in the vacant land parcels adjacent to both the station and pre-existing neighborhoods.

This development is taking place on land cleared as part of the construction of the HSR station, and is slowly bridging the gap between 37 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). p. 14 38 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). p. 15 39 Urena, J. M., Menerault, P., & Garmendia, M. (2009). The high-speed rail challenge for big intermediate cities: A national, regional and local perspective.

Cities, 266-279. p. 271 40 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). p. 14 41 Alonso Logrono, M. P., & Bellet Sanfeliu, C. (2009). p. 14

CIUDAD REAL, SPAIN
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Case Studies | 22 filled-in the remaining gaps between the historic city core and the HSR station. The area to the northeast, also relatively empty aside from a few older industrial buildings, later became the AVE Gate Business Park, development for which continues to this day.

Real Estate and Economic Impacts
According to local scholars, before HSR, Ciudad Real was having economic issues due to limited accessibility. Ciudad Real had been bypassed by rail lines and highways connecting Madrid to other cities to the south.49 In the first years of HSR service, the impact on Ciudad Real’s population was minimal, and both Ciudad Real and Spain as a whole grew very slowly during that time (0.02 percent and

0.37 percent respectively). The country was in a deep recession in the mid-1990s, and growth did not return until the very end of the decade.

Post-2000, Ciudad Real’s population has outpaced Spain as a whole, growing 2.8 percent from 2000 to 2005, while Spain’s population only rose by 1.5 percent.50 During this time nearby Madrid 49 Catan, T. (2009, April 20). Spain's Bullet Train Changes Nation - And Fast. The Wall Street Journal.
50 Instituto Nacional de Estadistica
reached full employment, and Ciudad Real swelled with commuters, known as “Avelinos” who used HSR to work in Madrid.51
Ciudad Real saw major residential development in the decades after HSR service began, but the City did not promote dense development in the station area. While the station area did see, and continues to see, the existing vacant land and gaps filled in with residential development, much of the city’s expansion has been in new districts on the outskirts of town. However, owing to careful planning on the part of Ciudad Real, most of this new residential and mixed-use development is not suburban in nature, but instead takes the form of relatively dense, mid-rise buildings on a pedestrian-friendly street grid. Many of the new apartments and homes built in the immediate station area are dense townhomes, however some 5-7 story mixed-use apartment buildings have also been constructed.

Though the largest effects of
HSR in Ciudad Real were on
residential development, HSR
also opened up new business
opportunities and increased
the competitiveness of its
local educational institutions.

Indra, an information
technology company,
moved a software factory
to Ciudad Real in the late
1990s, citing AVE as one
of the key aspects of their
decision.52 Additionally,
according to a university
51 Catan, T. (2009, April 20). 52 Catan, T. (2009, April 20). 17 17
Figure 13 (above):

Downtown HSR:

1. Pasadena, CA

2. Visalia, CA

3. Denver, CO
the host-cities may experience, into five major categories show and illustrated below and on the following page:
• Stations in the center of a major urban agglomeration (Ex: Los Angeles Union Station);
• Stations in a sub-center of a major urban agglomeration (Ex: Burbank); • Stations in a city just outside a major urban agglomeration (Ex: Palmdale); • Stations in a city not near a major urban agglomeration (Ex: Bakersfield); and, • Stations outside a city (Ex: Kings-Tulare).

Cities were selected that have HSR connectivity and a similar size, position in the urban hierarchy, travel time to a major metropolitan area, and other economic characteristics that provide some comparability with Bakersfield. While no case study is perfectly comparable with Bakersfield, these cases can be used to benchmark possible effects that might occur in Bakersfield. They also provide insight on actions undertaken to leverage their HSR stations successfully.

Key Lessons for Bakersfield
A number of common themes and takeaways emerged for successfully leveraging HSR investments across all the case study cities. The case studies illustrate that proactive policies and actions focused on three major themes: station integration, multimodal and pedestrian connectivity, station area planning, and governance.

Station Integration ensures that Bakersfield will have a HSR station that can be fully leveraged. Stations located outside of city centers generally see less development and are less desirable than those located within or near downtown areas. Both proposed Bakersfield station locations are in Downtown, and stand to see similar benefits as other case study cities, such as Lille and Le Mans, as a result of this centrality.

Multimodal Connectivity ensures locating a station near the urban core of a city, providing connectivity between the HSR station and the surrounding neighborhoods and city districts helps to amplify the impact of a HSR station, and spur development along connections to the HSR station. Such connectivity policies include multimodal connections that can take people from the HSR station to other intra-city areas, as well as major investments in the public realm. Lille and Le Mans both invested in fixed-rail transit to serve their HSR station and provide seamless connections to the remainder of the urban core and other outlying districts. Every multimodal effort should be made to ensure the station area is first and foremost carefully planned, safe, and well connected for pedestrians, ensuring seamless multi-modal connections, and ensuring access for automobiles that does not hinder the other alternative modes. Such policies include providing wide and shaded sidewalks, removing barriers to pedestrian movement, gaps in the pedestrian network (i.e. sidewalks), roads that are not too wide to cross safely, and an array of other programs and transportation 18 18
demand management strategies (e.g., the creation of a Transportation Management Association, transit subsidies, on-site bike and car-sharing at adjacent development, and reduced parking requirements in the HSR station area).

The station area should have the highest standards for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure and connectivity to encourage non-automobile transportation and optimize investment.

Station Area Planning, such as zoning controls near station areas, can dramatically boost the impact a new HSR station will have on Bakersfield. Appropriate zoning regulations can ensure a mix of uses in the station area to ensure the station area’s long term vitality, and also prevent it from becoming a single use district such as a “nine to five” employment center. While office development often takes the land nearest the HSR stations, residential development can also be focused around the station areas. A mix of uses is vital to healthy station areas, allowing a variety of activities to take place at all hours, and every effort should be made to ensure that the zoning code supports the creation of multiple uses surrounding the station. Minimum density controls can ensure the station area is not developed too quickly at too low a density, as was the case in Ciudad Real. Both zoning and density controls must acknowledge a long-term development timeframe that spans multiple decades, over 30 years in the case of Le Mans, to ensure decisions made in the station area now do not impede future opportunities in the years to come.

Governance of the station area development is tantamount to ensure it is developed in a way that maximizes its proximity to the HSR station. The case study cities, aside from Ciudad Real, created public development corporations that could acquire, dispose or develop surrounding land under public-private partnerships. These public development corporations generally included local, regional, and national government as well as private stakeholders and railway authority. They ensured the station area was developed with an eye towards the long term, as development around HSR stations takes place over decades, while also ensuring that the public’s vision for the station area is implemented.

Unique Impacts of HSR
HSR has the potential to induce unprecedented development Bakersfield. While HSR’s effect on total population and employment are difficult to predict, case studies indicate that HSR can aid in the revitalization of a city’s economy and provide a catalyst for population and employment growth with the right public interventions. One of the most documented effects of HSR is the increased station area concentration and density of development that coincide with HSR service. The large economic catchment areas, reliable travel times, and extremely high carrying capacity can bring large-scale development to the station area in Bakersfield. HSR presents an opportunity for Bakersfield to concentrate some of its future growth inward, building on the progress 19 19
already made in its Downtown, lessen the negative impacts of suburban sprawl such as congestion and air pollution, and preserve agricultural land, uses and heritage.

HSR service can enhance Bakersfield’s brand in the region, the state, and beyond.

Development around the HSR station gives Bakersfield the opportunity to create new quality urban places for residents and visitors alike. HSR puts Bakersfield within easy reach of millions of Californians, building potential for more people to come and experience the city’s local attractions. Connectivity with the rest of the state is also attractive to employers and firms in and outside of Bakersfield may relocate to the station area to take advantage of this major asset. Partially coupled with business growth in the station area, business travelers will find Bakersfield in easy reach of major corporate hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Cities such as Zaragoza and Le Mans experienced robust increases in business travelers after HSR service began, and both Zaragoza and Lille saw increases in convention activity as well.

While HSR service brings great opportunities to Bakersfield, these opportunities can only be realized if Bakersfield commits to a compelling vision for the station area to be held over the long-term. HSR should be seen as a catalyst for growth, but not a sole source thereof. Only through a comprehensive set of policy interventions and public realm investments can Bakersfield make the most of its future HSR station.

Downtown Revitalization Case Studies
In light of Bakersfield’s ongoing efforts to revitalize its Downtown, which will continue until the arrival of HSR and beyond, three case studies that focused on Downtown revitalization focused on cities where such revitalization occurred before or without mass transit connections.

Pasadena, a metropolitan center approximately ten miles from Downtown Los Angeles, was selected to learn about ways that the City managed to increase the competitiveness of its historic downtown area (Old Pasadena) versus other regional suburban shopping centers.

Visalia, a San Joaquin Valley city approximately 68 miles north of Bakersfield, was selected to represent an example of a revitalized downtown that occurred without any type of mass transit connection and in a development context not too dissimilar from Bakersfield. Denver Union Station was also selected as a case study to learn how multi-modal station investments can be effectively leveraged to catalyze a vibrant mixed use district in its vicinity, especially in the US context.

Key interventions for both Pasadena and Visalia included the creation of a dedicated funding source for maintenance, safety, and improvement of the area. This funding source in both cases stemmed from local businesses, and was construed as an investment in their bottom line as opposed to a series of expensive projects. Strong 20 20
cooperation of local businesses allowed them to form assessments on themselves, as improvements to the districts at large improved their foot traffic.

Thus, local businesses had strong incentives to pay for public improvements to the area, and were able to prioritize improvements that would make the largest difference to their patrons. Bakersfield should consider the creation of a Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) to coalesce resources and political capital around furthering a long-term vision for the Downtown area. Handling parking was vital in the case of Old Pasadena, and Pasadena managed to create attractive mixed-use parking structures while simultaneously charging for street parking to fund further district improvements. Local merchants often oppose interventions like parking meters out of fear that it will impact their business and drive costumers away to suburban shopping centers, but if parking revenues are dedicated to local area improvements, corresponding investments can more than make up for the increased deterrent of paid parking.

In Denver, a city-led effort to consolidate railyard space created highly desirable development parcels under single-owner control. While this is a challenge in the absence of a Redevelopment Agency, Bakersfield will have to consider other creative mechanisms to incentivize the kind of development it wants to see in the surrounding HSR station area. In Denver, land assembly was one methodology, but ultimately the process was driven through a partnership between the public and private sectors.

Figure 14 (page 21):

Downtown Assets (photos by David Seibold)
21 21
22 22
Photo by David Seibold
23 23

THE PROCESS
24 24

2.1 Community Outreach
Public input was a key component in preparation of the Vision Plan. The “Making Downtown Bakersfield” campaign was launched to engage in an extensive community engagement campaign to engage Bakersfield residents, community organizations, non-profits, businesses, government agencies and more. Public input was gathered online and at partner meetings, community events, walking tours, vision workshops, community charrettes. This effort resulted in over 500 people contributing to define the values that drove the planning process and ultimately the Vision for Downtown (See Appendix VIII. Public Engagement Summary).

To launch the process, a Stakeholder Committee was formed and held monthly meetings to create a platform to discuss progress, action plans, methods of improvement, outreach efforts, vision plan concepts and implementation strategies. Regular feedback was also received through an online engagement tool via the project website:
www.MakingDowntownBakersfield.us
Next, 11 Workshops and a Community Meeting were held, where over 125 participants worked collaboratively to develop ideas about where to focus growth, public realm enhancements, and other investments in Downtown. This workshop became the foundation for the Vision Plan’s Phased Development Strategy (see Chapter 4: Phased Development Strategy).

The final Open House attracted more than 150 participants, and sought to confirm the final vision for Downtown while collecting input and champions for the implementation strategy (see Chapter 4: Phased Development Strategy and Appendix I: Implementation Matrix).

Through the language of design, these Vision Workshops allowed participants to articulate their aspirations and values, and several common themes began to emerge across the diverse groups represented at the various workshop locations. The common values that were developed for Downtown included:
• Connectivity;
• Vibrancy;
• Compact Development;
• Diversity;
• Open Space;
• Iconic;
• Livability;
• Safety;
• Prosperity;
• Equity;
• Culture; and,
• Convenience.

CHAPTER 2

THE PROCESS
Figure 15 (page 25):

Community Outreach
25 25
26 26

2.2 Community Values
The public outreach process identified three key values of the Bakersfield community that served as the driving principles of the Vision Plan process:

1. Livability
Creating a comfortable, safe and engaging Downtown experience.

Activating the public realm requires more people living in Downtown, more businesses succeeding in Downtown, and more events programed in Downtown. Creating new (Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo) and improving existing public spaces will make Downtown a more vibrant destination. Designing the streetscape to promote walking and biking will encourage people to leave their cars at home or “park once” and truly engage with Downtown. This intimate, personal participation with the City creates the opportunity to interact with fellow citizens, building social capital and expanding the local tax base as more people linger and patronize businesses.

2. Connectivity
Tying together the many Downtown assets.

Downtown Bakersfield is the region’s cultural capitol, the epicenter of local government, and the region’s largest employment center. The many institutions that make Downtown Bakersfield a destination are located within 2.3 square miles, a relatively large study area. Physically connecting these resources (Golden State Multi-Use Trail) will expand access to opportunities, events and services, while improving the pedestrian experience for residents, customers, workers and visitors alike.

3. Prosperity
Sharing the benefits of development across Downtown.

Development must strategically take advantage of massive infrastructure investments, create corridors of activity and opportunity and provide targeted support for private investment. This Vision Plan introduces livability (Garces Circle Pedestrian Plaza) as a trigger for the reinvestment of the historic core while encouraging an equitable economic development pattern starting with the core and radiating outward.

2.3 Making Downtown Bakersfield Vision Statement:
“Making Downtown Bakersfield the cultural and economic center of the State means connecting the diverse amenities of the historic core to the broader region, fostering local businesses and empowering the public to engage in the transformation of their city all in an effort to create a truly unique and vibrant sense of community.”
Figure 16 (above):

Denver Union Station is the most
successful new transit-oriented
community in the United States,
illustrating how planning for growth
around transit can improve livability,
increase connectivity, and expand
prosperity
Figure 17 (page 27):

Opportunities to create new open
space and connectivity through
three public realm investments
27 27
Connectivity
Golden State Multi-Use Trail
Prosperity
Garces Circle Pedestrian Plaza
Livability
Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo
28 28
Photo by David Seibold
29 29

THE VISION
30 30
CHAPTER 3

THE VISION

3.1 Development Blueprint
A future HSR station at F Street and Golden State Highway creates an opportunity to strengthen and revive Chester Avenue, the historic “Main Street” of Bakersfield. This connection point between the proposed HSR station and Chester Avenue, Garces Circle, provides an opportunity to develop an iconic “gateway” that acknowledges the history of Bakersfield and its future. With strong pedestrian and transit connections to HSR, Downtown can optimize private investment and encourage inclusive development across the City and region.

To maximize this opportunity, strategic investments in the public realm must accompany each phase of development while simultaneously attracting growth while supporting its use (see Figure 18). A re-imagined Garces Circle with the proposed HSR station as an anchor can guide the development of a new complimentary node to the historic core, resulting in an expansion of the Downtown activity center. This approach will also position Chester Avenue as the primary access corridor of the region, connecting HSR, air (Meadows Field Airport), train (Bakersfield Amtrak Station), transit (Golden Empire Transit Center) and automobile (US 204, US 99, US 178 & 99B) travel into and out of Bakersfield.

Transformation of the Garces Circle area into a pedestrian plaza will define a new iconic regional destination and implement place-making and walkability strategies that support street life and local commerce. The Pedestrian Plaza frames walkable, mixed-use HSR transit-oriented district and leverages the HSR alignment to create a new multimodal trail that draws the Kern River directly into the heart of Downtown.

Connecting the Kern River trail to the Mill Creek Linear Park fills a critical gap in the active transportation network uniting and increasing open space around Downtown.

Figure 18 (page 31):

Strategic Investment Steps
31 31

HSR STATION

KERN RIVER TRAIL

HSR STATION

TRANSIT CENTER

BIKE LANE CONNECTIONS

TO KERN RIVER TRAIL

TRANSIT CENTER

TRANSIT CENTER

HISTORIC CORE

RABOBANK ARENA
AMTRAK

CHESTER AVENUE

MULTI-USE TRAIL

WALL STREET PED PASEO

GARCES CIRCLE
AMTRAK
AMTRAK

MILL CREEK LINEAR PARK
Step 1
Focus reinvestment in the Core,
building on existing assets such as
underutilized buildings, Mill Creek
Linear Park and the Rabobank Arena
Step 2
Connect transit options Downtown
and focus redevelopment at Chester
Avenue Historic “Main Street”
Step 3
Pull Kern River into the City creating
a ring of open space that frames future
reinvestment
32 32
A night time aerial view of Downtown looking
northwest that shows the Wall Street Pedestrian
Paseo linking Mill Creek to the historic core and
Chseter Avenue to the new HSR Station District.
33 33
34 34

3.2 Creating the Ideal Public Realm - A Green Loop Around Downtown Pedestrian-friendly streets can encourage a public realm that will increase activity by allowing residents and visitors to enjoy a higher quality of living. When people feel comfortable, they linger, spend more money, and interact with their neighbors. These chance encounters encourage community building, create new lasting bonds, and form partnerships. This Vision Plan encourages the community to think of street right-of ways as valuable public open spaces. Making Downtown Bakersfield more attractive for walking and biking is itself a transportation demand management strategy for the projected growth in and around the HSR station area.

Streets have historically been designed to maximize the amount of automobile through-put, which does not always facilitate the use of other transportation modes.

This Vision Plan proposes to prioritize the pedestrian, in line with the City’s adopted Complete Streets policy. A complete street is a transportation facility that is planned, designed, operated, and maintained to provide access for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit vehicles, truckers, and motorists, appropriate to the function and context of the facility. Complete streets are the first step to not only improving the walkability and vibrancy of Downtown, but significantly improving safety at some of the City’s most dangerous intersections.

Together these Public Realm investments, which are further described in the next two sections serve to expand the capture area of Downtown, providing greater access to opportunity. This encourages increased density that builds-in transit ridership and thereby lessens Bakersfield’s dependence on automobiles and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively, all of these interventions work towards Making Downtown Bakersfield the economic, cultural and governmental center of the southern Central Valley.

Figure 19 (pages 32 and 33)
Creating and connecting Downtown corridors
Figure 20 (page 35)
Green Loop components: Wall Street Pedestrian
Paseo, Bike enhancements, Kern River Trail, Multi-use
Trail and Mill Creek Linear Park.
35 35

0.25 0.50 1
mile

BIKE ENHANCEMENTS WALL ST

KERN RIVER TRAIL

MULTI-USE PATH

MILL CREEK LINEAR PARK

CHESTER AVE
Green Loop
36 36

3.3 Three Big Ideas
Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo
The Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo (see Figure 22) currently exists between Eye Street and Chester Avenue. Expansion of this pedestrian alley east to Mill Creek Linear Park and west to the edge of the Westchester neighborhood (D Street) will create vibrant pedestrian experience that connects multiple amenities, and provides what is now Downtown’s largest residential population direct access to the historic core. This outdoor mall (see Figure 23) will be activated day and night and create a focal point for the local Downtown retail, restaurant and entertainment scene, by extending an existing asset and harnessing the unique character of Downtown.

Golden State Connector (Multi-Use Trail)
The HSR alignment between the Union Pacific railroad and Golden State Avenue will create a relatively wide swath of land under and adjacent to the viaduct. This provides an opportunity to connect Kern River to Mill Creek. Golden State Connector will be a pedestrian and bicycle path, an active and passive open space, and a transportation corridor for HSR, the freeway and the Union Pacific.

The Golden State Connector can transform the current industrial corridor and bridge north and south Downtown. In the spirit of the High Line in New York City, Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago and Buffalo Bayou in Houston, this is Bakersfield’s moment to create a national example of place-making, equity building, and ecological restoration.

Garces Circle Pedestrian Plaza
Future upgrades to Golden State Avenue will be necessary to ensure capacity for the HSR station and this may result in the removal of three of the seven roads that currently flow into Garces Circle. This will cause Garces Circle to transition into an intersection of two streets from its current configuration and function as a traffic circle (see Figure 22).

This transition is an opportunity to reconfigure Garces Circle to provide direct transit and pedestrian access between the HSR station and Chester Avenue (Figure 13) and act as the gateway to Downtown. A more detailed description of the traffic patterns of the new Garces Circle can be found in the HSR Integration section later in this chapter.

Figure 21 (above)
Public Realm Best Practices:

Multimodal Trail, Atlanta, GA
Pedestrian Paseo, Agueda, Portugal
Improved Intersection, New York, NY.

Figure 22 (page 27)
Public Realm Upgrades
Figure 23 (page 38 and 39):

Wall Street Pedestrain Paseo
37 37
Memorial
Hospital

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Q ST

L STM STP ST

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)K ST (BICYCLE)L ST (AUTO)M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
99 FWY
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
OAK ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park Mill Creek Linear Park
Jastro
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Valley Oaks
Charter School

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Public Realm Upgrades
HSR Multi-use Trail
Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo
Garces Circle Transit Center
Streetscape Improvements
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
Multi-modal HSR Station at F Street
GET Transit Center
Multi-modal Amtrak (Future Commuterail)
Station at Truxtun
Improved Intersections
38 38
Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo
An eye-level view of the new Wall Street
Padestrian Paseo looking east towards Mill Creek
Linear Park.
39 39
40 40
BRT on Chester and
California Avenues
Downtown Shuttle Pilot Mobility Hubs
-Amtrak Station
-HSR Station
-Transit Center
Figure 24 (below)
Transit Upgrades Diagrams:

BRT, Shuttle and Mobility Hubs
Figure 25 (page 41)
Transit Upgrade Plan

3.4 Core Reinvestments
Mass Transit Context
Mass transit is a mechanism to concentrate development and increase population densities. Downtown Bakersfield has multiple mass transit providers that offer local, regional, and interstate travel; including:
• Golden Empire Transit (GET): Provides predominantly local transit from its transit center at 22nd Street and Chester Avenue;
• Kern County Regional Transit: Provides local and regional transit service and leases bays from GET transit center;
• Greyhound Bus: Provides inter-city travel from their station at 24th and H Streets); and,
• Amtrak: Uses the Capitol Corridor service line, which terminates at Bakersfield at the Truxtun Avenue Station. Riders can continue south to Los Angeles Union Station via Amtrak bus service.
41 41
Memorial
Hospital

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Q ST

L STM STP ST
BA

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)K ST (BICYCLE)L ST (AUTO)M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
99 FWY
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
OAK ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Jastro
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Valley Oaks
Charter School

0.25 0.50 1
mile
A
A
B
C
Transit Upgrades
A
B
C
Bus Rapid Transit (Chester Ave and California Ave)
Autonomous People Mover (Amtrak-HSR connection)
Complete Street (Chester Ave, F St and 34th St)
Multi-modal HSR Station at F Street
GET Transit Center
Multi-modal Amtrak (Future Commuterail)
Station at Truxtun
Improved Intersections
GARCES
CIRCLE
42 42
Figure 26 (above)
Transit Best Practices:

HSR Station, Zaragoza,Spain
Bus Rapid Transit, San Bernardino, CA
Mobility Hub, Denver, CO
Figure 27 (page 43)
Example of Transit Graduation, using Chester
Avenue streetscape as a pilot study
Mass Transit Vision
A further concentration of transit lines supported by multi-modal options will make Downtown Bakersfield the regional mobility hub, which will lead to increased densities around transit, reduced parking demands, and a walkable urban environment.

This Vision Plan identifies upgrades and interventions to induce transit-oriented development and prepare Downtown to accommodate projected development through high-quality transit service (see Figure 25):

Mass Transit Implementation Actions:

BRT Upgrades (Chester and California Avenues)
The Vision Plan seeks to coordinate projects identified in the GET long-range transit plan including upgrades to the California and Chester Avenue lines to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix). These lines are currently the highest and second highest ridership transit corridors, respectively, in the GET system.

The upgrades could begin with implementation of a BRT-lite strategy within the first 10-years, and upgrading to a full BRT service after HSR service arrives in Bakersfield (see Figure 27). BRT-lite is typically considered a step above express bus service and is defined by increased frequency of service, transit-priority street lights, and pre-paid boarding. BRT-lite can leverage the existing streetscape improvements on Chester Avenue and upgrade transit amenities like route branding, upgraded transit shelters and other amenities. Full BRT is defined by the addition of a dedicated bus lane, and on and off-boarding stations where you pay to enter the “station”, thereby more rapidly on and off-boarding the bus.

BRT does not preclude the use of bike lanes or on-street parking on Chester or California Avenues. It would, however, reduce automobile travel lanes from two lanes to one lane in each direction. Making Chester Avenue a transit corridor would generally slow autotraffic and make it local serving, which further enhances the pedestrian friendly nature of historic Downtown.
43 43
Chester Ave
Intersection
Chester Ave
Existing
Chester Ave
Mid Block

MIXED-USE RETAIL

INFILL WALK DRIVE WALK EXISTING EDGE
116’

BIKE BUS VEG DRIVE BUS BIKE PARK
15’ 15’ 12’
BUS

SHELTER
8’ 12’ 8’
TURN
5’ 12’ 1’ 11’ 12’ 5’
5’ 15’ 30’

MIXED-USE RETAIL
INFILL

WALK DRIVE WALK EXISTING EDGE
116’

PARK BIKE BUS VEG DRIVE BUS BIKE PARK
15’ 8’ 5’ 12’ 12’ 12’ 12’ 5’ 8’ 15’ 12’
5’ 15’ 30’

MIXED-USE RETAIL
INFILL

WALK DRIVE WALK EXISTING EDGE
116’

PARK BIKE BUS VEG DRIVE BUS BIKE PARK
15’ 8’ 5’ 12’ 12’ 12’ 12’ 5’ 8’ 15’ 12’
5’ 15’ 30’
44 44
Downtown Shuttle
A circulator shuttle would help connect the many districts, institutions, amenities and experiences across Downtown (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix). The shuttle is proposed to travel on an upgraded F and 34th Streets (complete streets), down Q Street to the Amtrak station, then on to California Avenue, and over to Chester Avenue before completing the loop back to F Street.

The idea of a “trolley on wheels” has been tried in the past and further discussion is needed for how to pay for it (potential funding services include GET, Kern County or potentially the proposed Downtown BID). Regardless, it is imperative for the Downtown shuttle to be bi-directional, connect the Amtrak station to the future HSR station site, and the flexibility to augment its service to coincide with the growth of Downtown.

This shuttle could be an autonomous vehicle pilot, which would provide the ancillary benefit of attracting transportation technology companies to Bakersfield. Such autonomous shuttles are already in service in the United States, but not yet for use by public transit agencies or the general public.

Mobility Hubs
The Vision Plan recommends the creation of two new mobility hubs in Downtown, in addition to an upgraded GET transit center that would function as the third mobility hub. These mobility hubs would be at the future HSR station and the current Amtrak station (the site of the proposed commuter rail station). A mobility hub consists of layering of multiple transit and transportation options either at the origin, destination or transfer point for a significant portion of trips (in this case, all three). The locations would each have their own unique hierarchies, but would generally include passenger rail (either HSR or commuter rail in the future), bus (of various frequencies and lines), bike (bike share, lockers, racks and other amenities) and pedestrian connectivity within a 15 minute walking distance.

More information about mass transit upgrades can be found in both the Implementation Plan in Chapter 4: Phased Development Strategy (see also Appendix I: Implementation Matrix).

Figure 28 (page 45)
Example of Transit Graduation, using
California Avenue streetscape as a
pilot study
Figure 29 (page 46 and 47):

Chester Avenue at Wall Street
Pedestrain Paseo crossing
45 45
Existing Situation
California Avenue
California Avenue
California Avenue
BRT Lite
Bus Shelter
Bus “station” with
expedited ticketing
Dedicated
Bus Lane
Central
Bus Lanes
Full BRT
120’

EXISTING EDGE WALK
7’
PARK
8’
PARK
8’

WALK EXISTING EDGE
7’
DRIVE
12’
DRIVE
12’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
VEG
20’

EXISTING EDGE WALK
7’
BUS
STOP
8’
BUS
STOP
8’

WALK EXISTING EDGE
7’
BRT
12’
BRT
12’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
VEG
20’
120’
15’ 30’

EXISTING EDGE WALK EXISTING EDGE
7’
PARK
8’
PARK
8’
WALK
7’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
BRT
12’
VEG
20’
BRT
12’
DRIVE
11 1/2’
120’
5’
46 46
An eye-level view of the new Chester Avenue
looking north towards the new HSR Station
District.
47 47
48 48
Bike Context
Bike facilities are critical in ensuring rider safety and teaching drivers how to responsibly share the road. An upgrade of certain facilities, expansions of others and the introduction of new typologies are all important steps to creating a comprehensive bicycle network in Downtown. Local bicycle advocacy groups, such as Bike Bakersfield, support bike network expansion efforts. These supporters are a critical component for advocacy, rider education, and events all to grow the number of local bike riders. Downtown Bakersfield has the opportunity to build on its current bike network and with relative ease increase bike use for both work and recreation.

Bike Vision
To complement the upgraded transit facilities and make Downtown more livable, the Vision Plan proposes a continuation of current policy to expand the bike network across Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. This strategy seeks to close existing gaps while creating new opportunities to expand the regional trail system such as the Kern River Trail into other currently under-served parts of Downtown. Such mobility enhancements also came with important public health and safety benefits.

This Vision Plan focuses on the three strategies below (see Figure 30) for expanding the bike network, connecting directly with transit, and overall Making Downtown Bakersfield more bike-friendly.

Enhanced E-W Connection along
and upgraded 21st Street bike
corridor
Enhanced N-S Connection along K
Street with a new bike boulevard
A continuous Bike network that closes
gaps in the existing system
Figure 30 (below)
Improved bike connectivity by closing
gaps and introducing new and enhanced
facilities
Figure 31 (page 49)
Bike Upgrades Plan
49 49
Memorial
Hospital

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Q ST

K STL ST

M STP ST

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)

K ST (BICYCLE)L ST (AUTO)M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
99 FWY
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
OAK ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Jastro
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Valley Oaks
Charter School

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Bike Upgrades
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
C
C
GARCES
CIRCLE
Improved Intersections
Kern River
Expanded Bike Facilities
21st Street Bike Enhancements
K Street Bike Boulevard
D Existing Bike Lanes
D
D
D
D
Multi-modal HSR Station at F Street
GET Transit Center
Multi-modal Amtrak (Future Commuterail)
Station at Truxtun
50 50
Bike Implementation Actions
The current bike network in Downtown Bakersfield forms the backbone of future expansion plans. Building on the current facilities, it is important to think of bike facilities in the same way that you can graduate a bus from express to BRT-lite to full BRT. The general progression of bike facilities are from sharrows to bike lanes to protected bike lanes to cycle tracks and/or then bike boulevards. Each step in the hierarchy requires minimal investment that builds on the previous improvements. 21st Street Bike Enhancements
These incremental steps are also easily tested to define what works and does not work for Bakersfield. For instance, 21st Street is categorized as the primary east-west bike corridor in the City’s Bicycle Plan. The current bike lane should not only be extended to connect directly to the Kern River Trail, but also upgraded to a protected bike lane or other facilities over time where it is warranted by safety and traffic concerns (see Figure 33). As the bike facility passes through the more busy streets of Downtown, it should be determined if and where it could be upgraded to a protected bike lane or even a cycle track in the future. It is more important, however, to have a continuous facility than a facility that transitions between typologies.

Figure 32 (above)
Bike Best Practices:

Protected bike lane, Los Angeles, CA
Bike/Ped Trail, Denver, CO
Bike Boulevard, Copenhagen, Denmark
Figure 33 (page 51)
Example of Bike Graduation, using 21st Street
streetscape as a pilot study
51 51
Existing Bike Lane
Protected Bike Lane
Cycle Track 5’ 15’ 30’

EXISTING EDGE WALK WALK
11’
BIKE
7’
VEG
4’
DRIVE
11’
DRIVE
11’
76’
PARK
8’
PARK
11’ 8’
5’ 15’ 30’

LK WALK
11’
BIKE
7’
VEG
4’
DRIVE
11’
DRIVE
11’
76’
PARK
8’
PARK
’ 8’

EXISTING EDGE WALK
11’
WALK
11’
BIKE
7’
BIKE
7’
VEG
4’
VEG
4’
DRIVE
12’
DRIVE
12’
PARK
8’
76’

EXISTING EDGE WALK
11’
WALK
11’
PARK
8’
PARK
8’
BIKE
4’
BIKE
4’
DRIVE
10 1/2’
DRIVE
10 1/2’
CENTER
TURN
9’

EXISTING EDGE
21st Street
21st Street
21st Street
Bike lane protected
from traffic by planter
Bike lane protected
from traffic by planter
Shading Vegetation
Shading Vegetation
52 52
K Street Bike Enhancements
The K Street Bike Boulevard is a new type of facility in the region. A bike boulevard uses the deficiencies of an existing street to the benefit of bicycle service. With minimal improvements, K Street, between Garces Circle and 17th Street, could be converted into a comfortable biking corridor and complimentary alternative to the more hectic and busy Chester Avenue bike lane. This new bike boulevard would only exist in the historic core of Downtown, but still connect to a future HSR station and thereby the larger, regional bike network. K Street has bulb outs, angled parking, and a vacated street between 21st and 22nd Streets, before dead-ending at 17th. These existing characteristics reduce automobile traffic.

This Vision Plan recommends painting the street to “announce” that this is not just a street for cars, providing new back-in angled parking to increase visibility of drivers, new signage, and other enhancements (see Figure 34). A bike boulevard would essentially convert all of K Street into a woonerf (see Figure 32) or a road where bikes and pedestrians are prioritized, but still share the roadway with automobiles, and where interventions seek to actively make automobile traffic less convenient.

Regional Bike System
Finally, a unique opportunity to Bakersfield is its vast network of urban canals. These agriculture canals have had a large city grow up around them. When you look at a regional map of these canals, they are literally a direct route to every corner of the Bakersfield metropolitan region. A precedent for this type of shared use that exists today is the Mill Creek Linear Park. While such regional bike facilities do not need to mimic the Mill Creek project, they could very simply allow bikes on their access roads with minimal improvements (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix). Such a regional network would create a confluence of bike routes into and out of Downtown, and serve as a real, convenient alternative to the automobile.

Figure 34 (page 53):

K Street bike boulevard
53 53

MAINTAIN BULB

CUT THROUGH
PLAZA

WAYFINDING

SIGNAGE
BIKE

BOULEVARD

STENCIL

MINI TRAFFIC
CIRCLE

INTERSECTION

TREATMENTS

CONVERT

PARKING TO

BACK-IN
54 54
Parking Context
The HSR Authority estimates that the HSR Station will require approximately 400 parking spaces by 2029, and 890 spaces at full build-out. Additionally, the HSR Station will encourage private development in Downtown Bakersfield, which will also need to accommodate parking either on-site or at a combined off-site facility. Parking needs can be accommodated, in part, by using existing underutilized capacity within walking distance or short transit ride of the station in accordance with the City’s shared parking Municipal Code requirements. HSR will develop a Multimodal Access Plan prior to the design and construction of parking facilities at the future HSR station.

This Plan will be done in coordination with the City of Bakersfield and will include a strategy that addresses and informs the final location, amount and phasing of parking.

Parking Vision
Future growth in Downtown Bakersfield’s population, visitors, and businesses will make on-street parking a valuable commodity. Therefore, it will be important to develop a strong parking strategy (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix) to facilitate economic development, provide ease of access to Downtown and reduce vehicle miles traveled. Policies should focus on the design of private parking facilities, reducing parking requirements near transit, and promoting alternative modes of transportation.

Parking Implementation Actions
The existing City-operated parking structure at 18th and Eye streets will accommodate some of this parking demand increase; however, it is also necessary to consolidate existing surface parking lots throughout Downtown to free up land for infill development. The design of any new parking facility should seek to prevent blank walls and provide ground floor uses to activate the street. The facilities should also be situated in a manner to leverage the coverage of the existing public parking structure, capture drivers at the primary entrances to Downtown, and encourage them to park once as opposed to drive to multiple locations (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix).

Figure 36 identifies four opportunity areas for consolidated parking, including:
• HSR Station;
• Mill Creek Entertainment Area;
• 34th Street Corridor; and,
• M Street and Golden State.

Figure 35 (above)
Parking Examples:

Streetscape Improvements, Lancaster, CA;
Wrapped Parking Structure, Emoryville, CA;
Automated Parking, West Hollywood, CA.

Figure 36 (page 55)
Parking Plan
55 55
Memorial
Hospital

CALIFORNIA AVE

TRUXTUN AVE
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Q ST

L STM STP ST

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)K ST (BICYCLE)L ST (AUTO)M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
99 FWY
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
OAK ST
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Jastro
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Valley Oaks
Charter School

0.25 0.50 1
mile

0.5 mi Radius (10 min walk)
Potential Parking Stuctures
Parking Upgrades
Multi-modal HSR Station at F Street
GET Transit Center
Multi-modal Amtrak (Future Commuterail)
Station at Truxtun
GARCES
CIRCLE
56 56

FIX BRT
An aerial view of Downtown looking south that
shows the new HSR Station connecting to
Chester Avenue at Garces Circle and connecting
to the historic core via walking, biking and transit.
57 57
LANES
58 58

3.5 HSR Integration
A review of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and HSR station case studies from around the world proves the importance that a strong pedestrian and transit connection from the station to the urban core has on economic development. The integration of HSR into the city fabric is imperative to optimize development potential in the HSR station area and Downtown increment of return on investment.

With a strong baseline of growth in Bakersfield, HSR will serve to both focus and expand future development. The table below shows that improved HSR connectivity and other enhancements (e.g. streetscape improvements, pedestrian safety and accessibility upgrades, expanded bike facilities, etc.) will increase the amount of Figure 37 (page 56 and 57):

Garces Circle HSR entry plaza
Figure 38 (page 59)
Entrance Pavilion Location Possibilities
30 years (2045)
Office (square feet) 505,000 1,130,000
Residential (units) 2,160 5,140
Retail (square feet) 356,015 625,837
Hotel (rooms) 608 1,413
20 years (2035)
Office (square feet) 300,000 585,000
Residential (units) 1,270 2,660
Retail (square feet) 222,461 346,108
Hotel (rooms) 359 732
10 years (2025)
Office (square feet) 135,000 155,000
Residential (units) 540 660
Retail (square feet) 100,379 109,993
Hotel (rooms) 156 186
Scenario
High
revita
Baseline (No HSR Integration) Mid (HSR Integration without Downtown revitalization)
30 years (2045)
Office (square feet) 505,000 1,130,000
Residential (units) 2,160 5,140
Retail (square feet) 356,015 625,837
Hotel (rooms) 608 1,413
20 years (2035)
Office (square feet) 300,000 585,000
Residential (units) 1,270 2,660
Retail (square feet) 222,461 346,108
Hotel (rooms) 359 732
10 years (2025)
Office (square feet) 135,000 155,000
Residential (units) 540 660
Retail (square feet) 100,379 109,993
Hotel (rooms) 156 186
Scenario
High
revitaBaseline (No HSR Integration) Mid (HSR Integration without Downtown revitalization)
30 years (2045)
Office (square feet) 505,000 1,130,000 2,005,000
Residential (units) 2,160 5,140 8,570
Retail (square feet) 356,015 625,837 905,988
Hotel (rooms) 608 1,413 2,413
20 years (2035)
Office (square feet) 300,000 585,000 1,085,000
Residential (units) 1,270 2,660 4,440
Retail (square feet) 222,461 346,108 493,509
Hotel (rooms) 359 732 1,272
10 years (2025)
Office (square feet) 135,000 155,000 365,000
Residential (units) 540 660 1,100
Retail (square feet) 100,379 109,993 150,223
Hotel (rooms) 156 186 360
Scenario
High HSR + Downtown
revitalization (Full HRS
Integration)
Baseline (No HSR Integration) Mid (HSR Integration without Downtown revitalization)
projected growth in Downtown Bakersfield by an order of magnitude.

A critical means to create this integration is to have multiple points of ingress and egress out of the proposed HSR station, and creating a new entry plaza. Specifically, automobile traffic could route around the southern and eastern edge of Garces Circle with two coordinated lights at Chester and 30th to control queuing (see Figure 37).

Between 30th and 34th Streets, north and south bound bus lanes will be separated from automobile traffic so both directions of travel can directly access the HSR transit plaza (see Figure 38).

Portions of Garces Circle could be used for a new busway through the HSR plaza.

The 30th and 34th Street intersections with Chester Avenue would include a transitonly signal so buses could transition back into mixed-traffic heading south and north.

Pedestrians would have routes around or through Garces Circle and into the HSR station site. Bicycle lanes would continue along Chester Avenue and connect with the K Street Bicycle Boulevard, which would use the vacated eastbound on-ramp of Golden State Highway to connect into the new Garces Circle and link up with the multimodal trail within the HSR alignment. Once within the new open space, the multimodal trail will cross into the site via a pedestrian bridge over the sunken portion of Chester Avenue.
59 59

TRANSIT-ONLY SIGNAL

PHASE ALLOWS BUSES TO

CROSS OVER BRT EXCLUSIVE

OUTER LANES

BRT EXCLUSIVE OUTER LANES

SB LANES

CONVERTED TO BUS
LANE

BUSWAY THROUGH

STATION PLAZA

TRANSIT-ONLY SIGNAL

PHASE ALLOWS BUSES TO

CROSS OVER

NB LANES CONVERTED TO
2-WAY TRAFFIC

SIGNALIZED

INTERSECTION

SIGNALIZED

INTERSECTION

GARCES CIRCLE

BRIDGE OVER

CHESTER UNDERPASS

PED/BIKE PATHS

K ST BIKE BLVD

TRANSITION TO PATH

ON E SIDE OF

CHESTER AVE

K ST BIKE BLVD

SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
Chester Ave Chester Ave Chester Ave

GARCES CIRCLE

GARCES CIRCLE
Ped/Bike Paths
Bus Rapid Transit
Automobile Traffic
60 60
Location of HSR Station Footprint - Eastward vs. Westward The F Street property provides a large swath of land for the eventual construction of the HSR Station; and the actual footprint of the Station could occur somewhere between the Kern River (west end) and Chester Avenue (east end). The final location of the Station’s entrance pavilion, its relation to the platform, and how the HSR Station addresses the Downtown area impact the viability of HSR (see Figure 40). These factors will also have a direct correlation to the spread of HSR’s induced development and economic prosperity across Downtown Bakersfield and adjacent neighborhoods.

While this Vision Plan does not ‘design’ the HSR station itself, it frames the conversation based on input from the public, City staff, California HSR Authority, and transportation experts. The recommendations of this Vision Plan seek to make Downtown Bakersfield a more connected, livable and prosperous place by integrating the HSR station into the city, prioritizing pedestrian, and removing physical and psychological barriers to the historic core.

This section explores various considerations of how the HSR Station should be positioned at the F Street Station location and accounts for primary automobile access at Golden State Avenue (Highway 204), with a Multi-Modal entrance for pedestrians, cyclists, transit and automobiles along F and 34th Streets; the main pedestrian and bike entrance being Garces Circle Pedestrian Plaza described above.

Related infrastructure improvements will serve to provide multiple points of entry into the HSR site and will frame future development within and around the HSR station.

Figure 39 (above)
Transportation Hierarchy
Figure 40 (page 61)
Entrance Pavilion Location Possibilities
61 61
Me
Ho
A
B
F ST.
34TH ST.

GARCES

CIRCLE CHESTER AVE

GOLDEN STATE HWY

STATION LOCATION

POSSIBILITIES

PLATFORM

STATION AREA

OPEN SPACE

MIXED USE

DEVELOPMENT
(OFFICE/

RESIDENTIAL)

GET TRANSIT CENTER
Entrance Pavilion Location Possibilities
F St Location A - Closer to Garces Circle and Chester Avenue F St Location B - Further from Garces Circle and Chester Avenue Development Focus
A
B
Memorial
Hospital

0.25 0.50 1
mile

0.25 0.50
62 62
34TH ST
CHESTER AVE.

F ST.

GOLDEN STATE HWY

MULTIMODAL
GATEWAY 2

MULTIMODAL
GATEWAY 1

GARCES CIRCLE

PARKING

FACILITY
LOCAL

TRAFFIC

REGIONAL

TRAFFIC
KISS-ANDRIDE
Figure 41 (above):

HSR Concourse location Option A;
Access when HSR is located near Garces Circle
34TH ST
CHESTER AVE.

F ST.
204

GARCES CIRCLE

DEVELOPMENT
NODE

RESIDENTIAL
BUFFER

GARCES CIRCLE
Figure 42 (above):

HSR Concourse location Option A;
Development potential when HSR is located near Garces Circle Option A – Eastward, Proximate to Chester Avenue
Locating the HSR station closer to Chester Avenue provides multiple access points for both local and regional traffic. This configuration provides opportunities for independent access for active transit (bicycles, pedestrians and BRT) from Chester Avenue, and access for private vehicles and multimodal transit (local shuttle, other bus, carpooling, transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft) on F Street via the upgraded Golden State Avenue interchange.

The Station’s proximity to Chester Avenue also separates the local traffic on Chester Avenue from regional trips on F Street, further strengthening Chester as Downtown’s primary commercial corridor.

Locating the HSR station near Chester Avenue maximizes
the urban vitality of the Chester Corridor and creates a clear development node at Garces Circle. If Golden State Avenue (Highway 204) is grade separated from F Street, there is an additional potential to create pedestrian access and into and out of the station plaza, beneath the freeway between F Street and Chester Avenue. Furthermore, a buffer is maintained between the residential areas west of the HSR site and new, higher density TOD at Garces Circle.

Memorial
Hospital

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Mem
Hos
B

0.25 0.50
63 63
34TH ST
CHESTER AVE.

CHESTER AVE.

F ST.

GOLDEN STATE HWY

MULTIMODAL

GATEWAY

GARCES CIRCLE

PARKING

FACILITY
LOCAL

TRAFFIC

REGIONAL

TRAFFIC
KISS-ANDRIDE
Figure 43 (above):

HSR Concourse location Option B;
Access when HSR is located on F Street intersection
34TH ST
CHESTER AVE.

F ST.
204

DEVELOPMENT
NODE

GARCES CIRCLE

REDUCED
BUFFER
Figure 44 (above):

HSR Concourse location Option B;
HSR on F Street intersection
Option B – Westward, Proximate to F Street
Locating the HSR station closer to F Street creates only one point of access that would be shared by local and regional traffic, de-emphasizing the Chester Avenue commercial corridor.

Additionally, the Chester BRT would need to reroute via 34th Street increasing travel times and reducing convenience. The F/34th Street access would also diminish access to the kissand-ride and parking facilities as they would be “in” the HSR station site, as opposed to on its edge and adjacent to the existing street grid.

Locating the HSR station closer to F Street draws development away from Chester Avenue. Pedestrian connectivity between areas north and south of the 204 will be compromised by on and off ramps and there will be less separation between existing residential areas and the proposed HSR District.

Recommendation
While this Vision Plan is not intended to design the HSR Station, this analysis highlights the importance of the design of this facility. The Vision Plan assumes Option A to better illustrate the rectified priorities defined by the public. 64 64
Photo by David Seibold
65 65

PHASED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
66 66

4.1 Reinvestment Framework
Efforts are already underway to implement this Vision Plan:
• The City of Bakersfield’s investment in the Mill Creek Linear Park, Q Street improvements, and a variety affordable housing projects throughout the area; • The City of Bakersfield’s adoption of an Economic Opportunity Area Plan; • The Downtown Business Association launched the Downtown Business Development Corporation (DBDC); which is now leading an effort to create the first Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID); • Businesses have moved into the historic core and invested in the Arts District; • Private investment has led to renovation of the Padre Hotel, construction of new market rate housing, and much more in Downtown Bakersfield; and, • Downtown Bakersfield is a hub for a variety of important employers; including government agencies, non-profits and private offices.

Building on these initiatives, the Phased Development Strategy is broken into three 10-year segments (2015-2045) that correspond to the market analysis and the buildout of California HSR System:
• The first 10 years (2015-2025) focuses on strengthening the historic core of Downtown and connecting it to the Mill Creek Entertainment District; • The second 10 years (2025-2035) focuses on preparing Downtown to connect to and develop a new node of activity around the future HSR station; and, • The third 10 years (2035-2045) focuses on responding to continued growth around the HSR station and spreading it’s benefits equitably across Downtown and its adjacent neighborhoods.

The projected development assumes a sliding scale of adaptive reuse over the 30 year planning horizon. A percentage of each 10 year projection (approximately 25% for first 10 years, 20% for the second 10 years and 15% for the third 10 years) was set aside for filling underutilized space in existing buildings, which decreases over time due to diminishing supply. This set-aside percentage is included in the total projection numbers, but not included as “new” development in any of the renderings.

Additionally, residential units are assumed to be 1,100 square feet (sf) and hotel rooms 350sf in order to provide a physical dimension for representing “new” development in the aforementioned visualizations.

4.2 Implementation Strategy
Development of the Vision Plan has shown that specific implementation actions are needed to support the Phased Development Strategy (see Section 4.6: Economic Development Plan and Appendix 1: Implementation Matrix).

Figure 45 (page 67)
Transit-Oriented Development
Best Practices:

1. Balancing development and
open spaces

2. Active ground floor uses

3. Complete streets

4. Bike Lames

5. Mix of Uses

6. Mobility Options

7. Transit Integration

8. Historical preservation

9. Building Massing and
Orientation

10. Infrastructure Reinvestment

11. Pedestrian safety

12. Wayfinding
CHAPTER 4

PHASED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
67 67
1 4
7 10
2 5
8 11
3 6
9 12
68 68

4.3 Phase 1: Strengthen (Now-2025)
Phase I of the Vision Plan (Now-2025) lays the groundwork for continued growth by focusing squarely on strategic investments and incentivizing targeted infill development and adaptive reuse of existing buildings (see Figure 46). Making Downtown Bakersfield HSR-ready is synonymous with revitalizing Downtown Bakersfield. The goal of Phase 1 is to build on past investments to continue to create a vibrant destination with multiple points of interest, accommodation and unique character.

Downtown Bakersfield has a unique sense of place due to a variety of investments, which are already in place to frame this first decade of projected growth (1,110 residential units, 360 hotel rooms, 365,000sf office and 150,223sf of retail). Vacant parcels and existing buildings, and other underutilized, low-density development in the historic core should be prioritized for redevelopment efforts (see Figure 47).

The proposed extension of the existing Wall Street pedestrian alley between Eye Street and Chester Avenue into a paseo that connects all the way to Mill Creek Linear Park, will create a strong pedestrian connection and unique civic space that unites the Mill Creek Entertainment District with the historic core. This project will attract private redevelopment and commercial activity along the new pathway while the Mill Creek Entertainment District master plan continues its build-out. A new overlay district could set development standards and provide additional incentives in the area between Downtown’s historic core and Mill Creek Linear Park (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix).

The core development zone will be bolstered by the advancement of already planned transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Bus Rapid Transit upgrades along Chester and California Avenues will provide more frequent service and ridership into Downtown. A new bi-directional circulator shuttle will link the many attractions, providing yet another transportation option. New bike facilities and upgrades will begin to close the gap in the bicycle network, directly linking the 21st Street bike lane to the Kern River trail, and developing a new typology, the bike boulevard, to complement and provide a more leisurely alternative to the busy Chester Avenue bike lanes. Enhanced pedestrian crossings along the soon to be upgraded 23rd and 24th Streets will improve north-south connectivity. And both F and 34th Streets will see traffic and streetscape improvements that provide multimodal facilities and safety enhancements as they become gateways into the HSR site.

Figure 46 (page 69)
Wall Street entrance from
Chester Avenue, mixed use,
pedestrian prioritization
Figure 47 (page 70 and 71)
Strengthen the core,
0-10 Year Phased Development
Strategy plan
69 69
70 70

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Existing
Proposed
Study Area Boundary
Rail
Bike Lane
Bike/Ped Trail
Open Space (Park)
School
Hospital
HSR Station Zone
Transit Center
Amtrak
Development Node/Absorption
Respond Development Zone
Complete Street
Bus Rapid Transit
Shuttle
Bike Lane
Bike Boulevard
Protected Bike Lane
Urban Boulevard
Pedestrian Paseo
Improved Intersections
0-10 Year Map
365,000 Sf Office; 1100 Residential Units;
150,223 Sf Retail; 360 Hotel Rooms

CALIFORNIA AVE
99 FWY
OAK ST
Jastro
Park
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
71 71
Memorial
Hospital

TRUXTUN AVE
Q ST

L STM STP ST

BAKER ST

BEALE AVE

CHESTER
AVE

BERNARD ST UNION AVE
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)
34TH ST K ST (BICYCLE) L ST (AUTO) M ST (AUTO)

F ST F ST
UNION
AVE
178 W FWY
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
23RD ST
24TH ST
(PED) WALL ST
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
18TH ST
17TH ST
21ST ST
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Stramler
Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Weill
Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakerseld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Valley Oaks
Charter School
72 72
Implementation Actions
To implement Phase 1 of the Vision Plan, 26 Policy Strategies and 15 Physical Strategies were identified. These include the following (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix):

Policy Actions

1. Launch a Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID)

2. Enhance the Economic Development Function within the City

3. Activate Downtown Economic Opportunity Area and Explore Additional Tool

4. Set a Goal of Reaching 10,000 Residents by 2030 and 25,000 Residents in Downtown by 2035

5. Implement an Iconic and Catalytic Housing and Mixed Use Development Project

6. Adopt an Overlay Zone to Support Development along the Wall Street alley area from D Street to the Mill Creek Linear Park

7. Use Vision Plan as a Platform for a Future Downtown Land Use Plan

8. Adopt a Downtown Walkability Plan

9. Adopt a Series of Zoning Updates that Incentivize Downtown Redevelopment

10. Leverage Publically-Owned Parcels for Economic Development

11. Develop a Downtown Infrastructure Masterplan for Downtown

12. Codify the Vision

13. Downtown Urban Design Guidelines

14. Downtown Pedestrian Design Guidelines

15. Downtown Wayfinding Strategy

16. Adaptive Reuse Ordinance

17. Develop a Downtown Smart Cities Strategy

18. Incorporate Shared Mobility into Downtown Planning

19. Enhance Downtown Economy and Livability through Mobility Improvements

20. Shared Parking Ordinance

21. Wall Street Overlay Zone

22. Business Support Initiatives

23. Downtown Core - Mills Act

24. Mill Creek Entertainment District P3

25. Downtown Core - PACE Program

26. Downtown Core - Façade Easement
Physical Actions

1. Chester and California Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Phase 1

2. Chester and California Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Phase 2

3. Garces Circle Retrofit

4. Downtown Circulator Shuttle

5. F Street Complete Street

6. 34th Street Complete Street

7. 23rd and 24th Street Intersection Improvements

8. Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo Phase 1
73 73

9. Wall Street Clock Tower

10. K Street Bike Boulevard

11. 21st Street Bike Improvements

12. Baker Street Bike Lane

13. Franklin Elementary Safe Route to School

14. Q Street Bike Expansion

15. Downtown Parklets Program
Additionally, in order to set a foundation for long term economic growth, the “Top 11 Implementation Actions” were identified (See Section 4.6: Economic Development Plan).
74 74

4.4 Phase 2: Prepare (2025-2035)
The projections for the second phase of implementation (2025-2035) coincide with the first few years of HSR operations. The projections for this time period (3,340 residential units, 912 hotel rooms, 720,000 sf of office and 343,286 sf of retail) take a significant bump as HSR service will be in operation north to San Francisco and expand into the Los Angeles basin by 2029. It is important for the City to be patient and hold to the envisioned level of development.

The biggest mistake would be to allow for large-scale, automobile-oriented development on a potential redevelopment parcel adjacent to the HSR station that was planned for high-density transit-oriented development. Such ill-conceived projects would deter development that is more in line with the community’s vision of a compact, mixed-use and livable transit-oriented community both adjacent to the site and throughout Downtown.

While the main focus area for development continues to be Downtown at this phase, there is also a focus on connecting the historic core to the HSR station along Chester Avenue (see Figure 48). It is also expected that in the second implementation period, renovations of existing buildings will begin to slow as supply diminishes due to on-going conversion activity. The Mill Creek Entertainment District will continue to see development through its own 30-year build-out of its master plan, as well. New incentives and investment must now begin to grow Downtown along Chester Avenue north to the HSR site as a means to provide supportive land uses that integrate the pedestrian and transit corridor into Downtown. This strategy also has the added benefit of supporting and guiding ongoing development and improvements around the San Joaquin Community Hospital campus (see Figure 49).

This second wave of development will begin to shape a new gateway into Downtown at the historic Garces Circle, transforming an automobile-oriented roundabout into a high-density, mixed-use retail, residential and office district. This new district will be supported by rehabilitating adjacent mixed-use and single-family neighborhoods (see Appendix 1, Implementation Matrix) and providing key connectivity and open space investments. The main investment in the second 10 year period is the connection of the Kern River Trail along and through the HSR site to the Mill Creek Linear Park. By pulling the Kern River into the city’s heart and connecting the area’s most recognized open blue space, this new multimodal trail creates a central amenity that expands alternative modes of transportation and recreation and creates an open space experience unique to Bakersfield.

This multimodal trail corridor will be supported by more bicycle facilities and other gap closures that reach into Old Town Kern and the Westchester neighborhood, including a new school-toschool bike facility that provides a secondary east-west bike corridor Downtown on 18th Street (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix). As the HSR station opens, the circulator shuttle route will adjust to take advantage of transit improvements on F and 34th Street connecting all three major transit facilities Downtown (HSR, Amtrak and the GET transit center) and everything in-between.

Figure 48 (page 75)
Chester Avenue looking towards Garces
Circle Development Node, intermodal
“Main Street”
Figure 49 (page 76 and 77)
Prepare the Spine, 10-20 Year Phased
Development Strategy plan
75 75
76 76

0.25 0.50 1
mile
Existing
Proposed
Study Area Boundary
Rail
Bike Lane
Bike/Ped Trail
Open Space (Park)
School
Hospital
HSR Station Zone
Transit Center
Development Node/Absorption
Respond Development Zone
Residential Infill
Rehabilitation
Shuttle
Bike Lane
Pedestrian Paseo
Bike/Ped Trail
Improved Intersections
HSR Mobility Hub
Amtrak Mobility Hub
10-20 Year Map
Δ720,000 Sf Office ( ∑ 1,085,000 Sf); Δ3,340 Residential Units ( ∑ 4,440 Units); Δ343,286 Sf Retail( ∑ 493,509 Sf); Δ912 Hotel Rooms ( ∑ 1,272 Rooms)

0.25 0.50

CALIFORNIA AVE
99 FWY
OAK ST
Jastro
Park
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Complete Street
Bus Rapid Transit
Bike Boulevard
Protected Bike Lane
Urban Boulevard
Pedestrian Paseo
10 Y Development
Zone
77 77
1 mile
N
Memorial
Hospital

TRUXTUN AVE

WALL ST
18TH ST
17TH ST
Q ST

L STM STP ST

BAKER ST

BEALE AVE

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)
34TH ST K ST (BICYCLE) L ST (BIKE/AUTO)

M ST (AUTO)
F ST
F ST
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
(PED)
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Stramler
Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Weill
Park
MLK Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Valley Oaks
Charter School
78 78
Implementation Actions
To implement Phase 2 of the Vision Plan, 15 Policy Strategies and 8 Physical Strategies were identified. These include the following (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix):

Policy Actions

1. TOD Implementation

2. Expand PBID

3. PBID Storefront

4. Property Owner Investments

5. Downtown Parking Plan

6. Residential Infill Overlay Zone

7. Residential Rehabilitation Overlay Zone

8. Small-lot Subdivision Ordinance

9. Impact Fee Study

10. Evaluate Downtown FAR

11. Downtown Neon Sign Ordinance

12. Downtown Historical Structure Inventory

13. EOA Update

14. Amtrak District P3

15. Downtown Government Attraction Strategy
Physical Actions

1. HSR Multi-modal Corridor

2. Golden State Pedestrian Improvements

3. Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo Phase 2

4. 17th Street School-to School Bike Lane

5. Extend 30th Street Bike Lane

6. Amtrak Pedestrian Bridge

7. Downtown Shuttle 2.0

8. HSR Site Development
79 79
80 80

4.5 Phase 3: Respond (2035-2045)
The development projections for the third and final phase (2035-2045) of the Vision Plan coincide with the full build-out of the statewide HSR system from Sacramento to San Diego (2040), which is where the most significant bump in induced development occurs (See Figure 50). The projections for this time period (4130 residential units, 1141 hotel rooms, 920,000 sf of office and 412,479 sf of retail) will retain its primary focus on the historic core, expand the HSR district to further integrate and connect the station into the city’s fabric and bring north and south Downtown together. Highdensity, mixed-used directly adjacent to the HSR station will, further build the HSR district as an activity center.

Upon re-development of existing buildings Downtown, the focus will progress to new, infill development and commercial corridor redevelopments (see Figure 51). A mixed-use corridor will be incentivized (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix) on 34th Street, further connecting Memorial Hospital to the new HSR District, with additional redevelopment pushing north along Chester toward the Kern River.

North of the HSR site is the Kern County Museum and County-owned recreation fields. These areas provide a unique place-making and fiscal opportunity for both the County and City. Some form of public-private-partnership could redevelop the ballfield property to further reconnect the City to the Kern River, while developing a new ball-park district centered on a new AAA stadium or other major sports and/or entertainment facility.

Implementation Actions
To implement Phase 3 of the Vision Plan, 8 Policy Strategies and 2 Physical Strategies were identified. These include the following (see Appendix I: Implementation Matrix):

Policy Actions

1. 34th Street Medical Overlay District

2. Downtown Institution Attraction Strategy

3. Business Relocation

4. HSR Conference Center

5. Kern River District P3

6. Downtown Incentives
Physical Actions

1. Mill Creek Linear Park Extension

2. Union Avenue Bike Lane
Figure 50 (page 81)
Chester Avenue looking toward
Garces Circle Development Node,
intermodal main street
Figure 51 (page 82 and 83)
Respond to HSR, 20-30 Year Phased
Development Strategy plan
81 81
82 82

0.25 0.50 1
mile
` 20-30 Year Map
Δ920,000 Sf Office ( ∑ 2,005,000 Sf); Δ4,130
Residential Units ( ∑ 8,570 Units); Δ412,479 Sf Retail
(∑905,988 Sf); Δ1,141 Hotel Rooms ( ∑ 2,413 Rooms)

CALIFORNIA AVE
99 FWY
OAK ST
Jastro
Park
Beach
Park
Yokutus
Park
Existing
Proposed
Study Area Boundary
Rail
Bike Lane
Bike/Ped Trail
Open Space (Park)
School
Hospital
HSR Station Zone
Transit Center
Development Node/Absorption
Respond Development Zone
Bike/Ped Trail
Shuttle line
Improved Intersections
Stadium
HSR Mobility Hub
Amtrak Mobility Hub
Complete Street
Bus Rapid Transit
Bike Boulevard
Protected Bike Lane
Urban Boulevard
Pedestrian Paseo
10 Y- 20Y Development Zone
20Y Residential Infill
20Y Rehabilitation
83 83
Memorial
Hospital

TRUXTUN AVE
17TH ST
Q ST

L STM STP ST

BAKER ST

BEALE AVE

CHESTER
AVE
21ST ST

BERNARD ST
E 21ST ST
H ST

CHESTER AVE (TRANSIT)
34TH ST K ST (BICYCLE) L ST (BIKE/AUTO)

M ST (AUTO)
F ST
F ST
178 W FWY
Q ST

A STD ST

GOLDEN STATE AVE
23RD ST
24TH ST

UNION AVE UNION AVE
Mercy
Hospital
San Joaquin
Hospital
(BIKE)
(TRANSIT)

WALL ST
18TH ST
(PED)
Kern County
Museum
Kern River
Upland Park
Stramler
Park
Riverview
Park
Central
Park
Weill
Park
MLK Park
Franklin
Elementary
School
Bakers eld
High School
Kelly F Blanton
Education Center
Garces Memorial
High School
Valley Oaks
Charter School
84 84

4.6 Economic Development Plan (Now-2025)
Development of the Vision Plan has shown that the steps needed to continue the existing revitalization efforts in Downtown Bakersfield align with the necessary actions to make Downtown HSR-ready in the next 10 years. Specific implementation actions are needed to support the 3-Phased Development Strategy. Therefore, a comprehensive list of specific physical and policy implementation actions for the 10-, 20- and 30-year phased development strategy was developed (see Appendix I:

Implementation Matrix).

A Top 11 Implementations list includes multiple champions and collaborators that together encompass City staff, community leadership, non-profit organizations and private businesses working together to Make Downtown Bakersfield Hum:

1. Launch a Property Business Improvement District (PBID);

2. Enhance the Economic Development Function within the City;

3. Activate Downtown Economic Opportunity Area and Explore Additional Tools;

4. Set a Goal of Reaching 10,000 Residents by 2030 and 25,000 Residents in Downtown by 2035;

5. Implement an Iconic and Catalytic Housing and Mixed Use Development Project;

6. Adopt an Overlay Zone to Support Development along the Wall Street Pedestrian Plaza from D Street to the Mill Creek Linear Park;

7. Use Vision Plan as a Platform for a Future Downtown Land Use Plan;

8. Adopt a Downtown Walkability Plan;

9. Adopt a Series of Zoning Updates that Incentivize Downtown Redevelopment;

10. Leverage Publicly-Owned Parcels for Economic Development; and,

11. Develop an Infrastructure Masterplan for Downtown.
85 85

1. Launch a Property Business Improvement District (PBID) A dedicated organization should implement an efficient
property-based business improvement district (PBID) in the core area of Downtown. The initial PBID’s boundaries should be large enough to generate meaningful funding through property assessments, but small enough to serve as a pilot initiative with the long-term goal of expanding with the continued success of Downtown. In addition to ‘clean and safe’ neighborhood services and neighborhood marketing, potential enhancement projects include lighting, signage, wayfinding and Downtown events programming. This District could also be the foundation and genesis of a management team for other various Downtown strategies (e.g. infrastructure, parking, stormwater, energy management).

2. Enhance the Economic Development Function within the City
Historically, the City of Bakersfield included a fully staffed “Economic & Community Development Department,” which
served to provide the technical expertise needed to implement economic development activities, redevelopment projects and administration of federal HUD programs. However, when the State dissolved Redevelopment Agencies in 2011, the Department was drastically down-sized and eventually added as a unit within the Planning Division of the “Community Development Department.” There is now one part-time staff position dedicated to Economic Development activities for the entire City.

A strong economic development capacity within the City is imperative to deliver a successful, long-term revitalization strategy. Therefore, the City will endeavor to restore this capacity in future budget years and enhance the Economic Development Unit by retaining an experienced “Economic
Development Specialist” to assist in the coordination of economic development initiatives in the Downtown area. The enhanced Economic Development Unit will act as the main point of contact and clearinghouse for economic development activities throughout the City, and will collaborate closely with Visit Bakersfield, the Kern Economic Development Corporation, the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, and others to facilitate future growth.

In order to connect private property owners, businesses, entrepreneurs and developers with potential funding sources, the Economic Development Unit should engage in a variety of education and outreach strategies, including the creation of a one-stop website, public workshops, and philanthropic & developer summits. Potential funding sources are detailed below. These programs will likely continue to evolve over time, and new programs and opportunities may emerge through local, State and Federal legislation.

3. Activate Downtown Economic Opportunity Area and
Explore Additional Tools
The City has adopted Economic Opportunity Areas (EOAs), which are small-scale tax increment financing districts to help generate a dedicated source of funds for area-specific improvements and business assistance. If the EOA program proves to be successful, it may be beneficial to explore more robust tools that build on the EOA to provide potentially larger yields before property values potentially increase with the introduction of High-Speed Rail. Additional tools to be explored include:
• Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD): Though not yet proven effective due to administrative complexities 86 86
and limits, EIFD’s are intended to provide local governments with ways to fund capital projects, including parks and open spaces, affordable housing and infrastructure. While revenues generated by EIFDs cannot be used for operating costs, they can provide support for smaller projects like signage, wayfinding and streetscape improvements, as well as larger potentially catalytic projects.
• Community Revitalization and Investment Authority (CRIA):

Applicable to areas that meet various criteria related to income, crime, unemployment and physical deterioration, CRIAs are intended to fund economic development projects related to these issues, with an emphasis on affordable housing.
• Other TIF tools: In the future, the State may adopt new legislation expanding options for the use of TIF, which may be more robust or suitable for Downtown Bakersfield. The Economic Development Unit should track these changes and consider this possibility when weighing opportunities to use TIF programs.

In addition to TIF tools, there are a number of other tools that generally require two-thirds approval by property owners in an area. These include:
• Community Facilities Districts (CFDs)
• Benefit Assessment Districts
• Maintenance Districts
• Mello-Roos Districts

4. Set a Goal of Reaching 10,000 Residents by 2030 and
25,000 Residents in Downtown by 2035
Downtown Bakersfield currently has a daytime population of approximately 25,000, largely made up of government and healthcare employees, but has less than 5,000 residents, mostly in the Westchester neighborhood. A residential population base is key to fostering an economically prosperous and diverse Downtown, providing local businesses with a consistent and reliable source of customers, as well as better leveraging municipal resources like transit, utilities and public services.

While Bakersfield and the surrounding region’s population is booming, much of this growth is occurring on the suburban fringe of Bakersfield rather than in Downtown Bakersfield.

According to the Bakersfield Housing Element, the City has a housing need of an additional 36,290 units by 2023 and can more easily accommodate that need with denser Downtown
development utilizing existing infrastructure.

The City Council has vocalized a goal to reach 10,000 Residents by 2030 and the Kern Council of Governments projects
25,000 residents in Downtown by 2035 in their Sustainable Communities Plan. The residential population goal will serve as a clear benchmark for the success of the City’s policies to attract residents and provide housing opportunities Downtown.

It can also serve as a symbol of the City’s commitment to direct growth Downtown and reinvigorate a vital core.

5. Implement an Iconic and Catalytic Housing and Mixed Use Development Project
A new housing development is key to attracting new residents Downtown and can be a pivot point to support further
residential, retail and entertainment development. Moreover, Downtown Bakersfield is a prime area to compete for and win funds from multiple agencies as a disadvantaged community such as the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), which administers grants backed by funds generated by the State’s Cap and Trade program that is set aside to fund projects that meet sustainability goals and that leverage other programs 87 87
such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Low
Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and Historic Tax Credits.

The SGC program is of particular interest for Downtown as it provides funding not just for the development of housing, but ties it to much needed infrastructure upgrades in Downtown that are adjacent to the project. Attracting sophisticated affordable housing developers to key sites, such as the revitalization of historic structures or the conversion of motels to veteran’s housing, for example, is critical to optimize the benefit of such a project across Downtown. The SGC funds affordable housing developments, particularly near transit and high-speed rail. Cities can leverage up to $20 million to fund nearby infrastructure, which Bakersfield can potentially use to help finance Phase I of Downtown’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Chester Avenue, a circulator shuttle, and/or the expansion of the Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo.

6. Adopt an Overlay Zone to Support Development along the Wall Street Pedestrian Plaza from D Street to the Mill Creek Linear Park
The Wall Street alley area, including existing improvements along 19th Street and new development activity along 18th Street presents an opportunity to create a unique sense of place that would attract pedestrian activity, future development, and provide a seamless east-west connection through Downtown.

In its current condition, Wall Street is an alleyway that, at some parts, is discouraging for pedestrians due to security concerns and cleanliness. Community groups have begun to make
improvements by painting murals that celebrate Bakersfield’s history, and has raised some money for lighting and other alley improvements.

This emerging district around the new Pedestrian Paseo could direct future growth via the adoption of an overly zone that would preserve the alley easements, provide various incentives, and establish design guidelines for development. Land within the overlay district may be subject to requirements such as targeted uses, site layout, facade design, rights-of-way, etc. The overlay zone should explore creating pedestrian connections through new development to the paseo, as well as tie upgrades to the alley to new development proposals.

Throughout the planning process, the idea of re-introducing the historic clock tower where the Wall Street Pedestrian Paseo crosses Chester Avenue has been identified as an opportunity to create an iconic Downtown landmark, gateway and point of orientation.

7. Use Vision Plan as a Platform for a Future Downtown Land Use Plan
A future Downtown Element of the General Plan, or similar plan, provides an opportunity to codify the vision of this HSR Station Area planning effort and establishes the appropriate regulatory framework for which new development can occur through such tools as urban design guidelines, street crosssections and other design standards.

This is also an opportunity to leverage the consensus developed during this planning process, and continue the public discourse over the past year and a half. This additional level of detail takes the values and strategies outlined in the Vision, and begins the work of building local capacity and creating tools for the City to prepare for future development in Downtown, specifically around the proposed High-Speed Rail station.
88 88

8. Adopt a Downtown Walkability Plan
Transportation has always played a dominant role in shaping our urban environment. Historically, cities were built around the basis of everyday activities on foot; consequently, the prominent urban form was dense, compact and mixed-use. As the most walkable district in the City, efforts to preserve and enhance walkability as the City grows will be key to enhancing livability in Downtown Bakersfield. Many challenges exist for planning professionals who want to enhance and balance transportation infrastructure and retrofit the existing public right-of-way to meet the needs of multi-modal transportation.

A Downtown Walkability Plan will help the City identify enhancements to the public realm, parking strategies, and the legibility of the City as part of this vision for creating a more livable city.

This presents an opportunity for cars to be directed to park in strategic areas then encourage people to explore Downtown.

Part of the Walkability Plan should be a mechanism by which local businesses and other uses share parking lots to reduce the amount of parking required for each new development. A strategic Walkability Plan will help to create greater capacity to accommodate shoppers/tourists/residents in the area.

This would also benefit the urban form of Downtown by
reducing space that might otherwise be given to parking for new development, and fostering a more welcoming pedestrian environment.

Improvements to the public realm could include the
expansion of the bike network, closing gaps and the upgrade of infrastructure (i.e. sidewalks, crosswalks, streetscape enhancements) for pedestrians and creating a fluid transition between transportation modes. In general, this process of expanding walkability is providing a comfortable and inviting experience for the pedestrian that encourages them to walk more and drive less around Downtown. Further information about how to improve walkability and create a greater mode shift can be found in the transportation demand management strategy in the Vision Plan’s Environmental Impact Report.

9. Adopt a Series of Zoning Updates that Incentivize Downtown Redevelopment
During the existing conditions analysis, a zoning code review highlighted several opportunities for both slight changes to existing zoning policy and the adoption of other best practices.

In order to support continued reinvestment in the historic core and greater Downtown Bakersfield, there are several approaches that the City should consider from a policy perspective to create greater certainty and incentives for future development.

Several such opportunities include the following:
• Architectural Overlay Zone: A Downtown Overlay with
specific facade and elevation standards.
• Adaptive Reuse Ordinance: An adaptive reuse ordinance can encourage the revitalization and reuse of Downtown’s historic buildings and unlock the potential value of historic buildings. An adaptive reuse ordinance would set standards for the conversion of older structures into housing, creative office and other uses. • Floor Area Ratio: Downtown Bakersfield currently has no height limits within the historic core, but a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) that effectively caps the developable envelope.

The City should explore adjustments, and possibly the complete removal of the FAR limitation.
• Graduated Density: Ordinance to allow higher density on larger sites in the CB and CC Zone Districts, subject to specific 89 89
development criteria. Consolidation of smaller parcels can incentive the assembly of smaller properties to create cohesive, connected and well-planned development.

10. Leverage Publicly-Owned Parcels for Economic
Development
There are a variety of underutilized and vacant parcels throughout Downtown that are both privately and publiclyowned. These parcels represent an opportunity to enhance existing development, increase density of future development, and maximize the use of future development on vacant parcels.

The City should create an inventory of underutilized and publicly-owned parcels in Downtown and establish a strategy to hold, merge, sell and/or lease parcels to ensure that future development meets established criteria that is consistent with the Vision for Downtown. This strategy should also define a process to expedite qualifying development around the HSR site and more broadly in Downtown.

11. Develop an Infrastructure Masterplan for Downtown
Prioritize Downtown capital improvement projects to
facilitate the identified strategic growth areas. While much of Downtown’s existing infrastructure was built for a far denser pattern of development than what currently exists, the age of this existing infrastructure and the intensity of development, specifically adjacent to the HSR Station site and around Garces Circle, will require further study.

12. Develop a Housing Strategy to Address Downtown Housing Needs
The City of Bakersfield’s Housing Element has identified a need for 36,290 housing units Citywide by 2023. Growth and Infill within Downtown Bakersfield can assist in meeting this need, and should include variety of housing options for various income levels and groups such as seniors, disabled, homeless persons, and more. The State has recently authorized a series of housing legislation that provide cities with various tools to address their housing needs; including the use of “Inclusionary Affordable Rental Housing Ordinances” that require that new housing developments include a certain percentage of affordable residential rental units, and development of Workforce Housing Opportunity Zones, which focus workforce and affordable housing in areas close to jobs and public transit options. 90 90

4.7 Economic Development Analysis
An “Economic Development Analysis” (see Appendix II: Economic Development Analysis) was developed to understand the net fiscal impact and potential value capture from development for the Vision Plan (the “project”). When realized, the HSR Vision Plan will transform Downtown Bakersfield into a vibrant, mixed-used district that will take advantage of its proximity to the high-speed rail station. The analysis summarizes the Vision Plan’s estimated annual net fiscal impact on the General Fund of the City of Bakersfield over the course of the 30-year phased build out, as well as the potential for value capture in the Vision Plan area to finance station area improvements.

Methodology
The Vision Plan’s net fiscal impact is based on inputs from the market analysis, completed in 2016. This analysis assumes that the Study Area will absorb an average of the low and high market absorption projections for the ‘high-speed rail scenario’ for all land uses (office, retail, residential, and hospitality) over the 30-year build out (see Table 2). It should be noted, however, to achieve the level of projected real estate absorption in this scenario, it was assumed that there are major strategic public realm and infrastructure investments in the area, in addition to high-speed rail service. The Vision Plan’s land uses are assumed to be absorbed at an even pace over each ten-year period with the exception of hospitality, which is absorbed incrementally to represent the opening of individual hotels.

The City’s General Fund budget was reviewed to estimate fiscal revenues and costs.

In the City’s FY 2016-2017 Budget, over 85 percent of the General Fund budget of $195,975,000 was generated by property tax (37%), sales tax (34%), charges for services (11%) and other taxes (5%). The majority of fiscal revenues fund public safety (Police, 44%; Fire, 19%), with the remainder supporting Public Works (13%), Recreation and Parks (9%), General Government (7%), Community Development (4%), and other non-departmental (4%).

Overall, the Vision Plan’s fiscal model assumptions are conservative and take into consideration the significant variability that is inherent in projecting fiscal revenues over a 30-year period. It was assumed that annual nominal inflation of 2.5% for all costs and revenues and real value appreciation of 2% for residential and commercial property values. For market rate sales values, it was assumed a residential sale price of $314,000 (in 2017 dollars), the median price of single-family homes built and sold in Bakersfield since 2015, as reported by Redfin. For commercial values, it was assumed an assessed value of $245 per square foot based on the average sales price for commercial properties in Bakersfield, built since 2010 and sold since 2015, according to CoStar. These assumptions drive Property Tax, Motor Vehicle License Fee InLieu (“MVLF In-Lieu”) revenues, and Property Transfer Tax estimates. Sales Tax and Transient Occupancy Tax (“TOT”) estimates are based on retail market demand 91 91
projections and average daily rates, respectively, determined by the market demand analysis. All other taxes as well as City service costs are based on a per “residentequivalent” calculation, which is a factor that combines employees and residents and their respective share of municipal service revenues and costs based on share of time spent in the City. Furthermore, it was assumed that HSR will create a value premium of 10% on base market rate values and hotel average daily rates following the opening of rail service, which is anticipated to occur in 2029.

Findings
As shown in Table 2, the Vision Plan is anticipated to contribute approximately $27.1 million in fiscal revenues to the City of Bakersfield General Fund on an annual basis at Project build out in year 2046 (in 2017 dollars). It should be noted that annual revenues are limited in the first decade. Annual revenues increase significantly in the second and third decade of the Project’s build out, as high-speed rail is anticipated to create additional demand for station-adjacent development after 2029.

On the cost side, the Project is expected to create approximately $16.1 million in additional city service costs to accommodate additional Vision Plan residents and commercial activity. Net of these costs, the City can anticipate an additional $11.0 million in net revenues on an annual recurring basis.

Table 2 (page 91):

Snapshot of Net Fiscal Impact on the
General Fund of the City of Bakersfield
at Years 10, 20 and 30 of the Phased
Project Development
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Net Fiscal Impact Analysis | 2 inflation of 2.5% for all costs and revenues and real value appreciation of 2% for residential and commercial property values. For market rate sales values, HR&A assumed a residential sale price of $314,000 (in 2017 dollars), the median price of single-family homes built and sold in Bakersfield since 2015, as reported by Redfin.
4 For commercial values, HR&A assumes an assessed value of $245 per square foot based on the average sales price for commercial properties in Bakersfield, built since 2010 and sold since 2015, according to CoStar. These assumptions drive Property Tax, Motor Vehicle License Fee In-Lieu (“MVLF In-Lieu”) revenues, and Property Transfer Tax estimates.5 Sales Tax and Transient Occupancy Tax (“TOT”) estimates are based on retail market demand projections and average daily rates, respectively, determined by HR&A in its market demand analysis. All other taxes as well as City service costs are based on a per “resident-equivalent” calculation, which is a factor that combines employees and residents and their respective share of municipal service revenues and costs based on share of time spent in the City. Residentequivalent calculations are shown in Appendix Table 3. Furthermore, HR&A assumes that high-speed rail will create a value premium of 10% on base market rate values and hotel average daily rates following the opening of rail service, which is anticipated to occur in 2029.

Findings
As shown in Table 1 below, the Project is anticipated to contribute approximately $27.1 million in fiscal revenues to the City of Bakersfield General Fund on an annual basis at Project build out in year 2046 (in 2017 dollars). It should be noted that annual revenues are limited in the first decade. Annual revenues increase significantly in the second and third decade of the Project’s build out, as high-speed rail is anticipated to create additional demand for station-adjacent development after 2029.

On the cost side, the Project is expected to create approximately $16.1 million in additional city service costs to accommodate additional Project residents and commercial activity. Net of these costs, the City can anticipate an additional $11.0 million in net revenues on an annual recurring basis.

Table 1: Snapshot of Net Fiscal Impact on the General Fund of the City of Bakersfield at Years 10, 20 and 30 of the Phased Project Development
4 Unless otherwise expressed as nominal dollars, all values in this memorandum are in current 2017 dollars. Though model inputs were inflated in the analysis appropriately over the 30-year build out, they were deflated for purposes of comparison.
5 MVLF In-Lieu revenues are a function of growth in the City’s property tax base.

Annual Revenues to the City of Bakersfield General Fund 2017 $ 2017 $ 2017 $
Property Tax Increment $997,000 $4,334,000 $9,640,000
MVLF In Lieu $646,000 $2,807,000 $6,245,000
Property Transfer Tax $46,000 $124,000 $174,000
Sales Tax $291,000 $735,000 $1,048,000
Transient Occupancy Tax $945,000 $3,812,000 $7,281,000
Other Taxes $377,000 $1,449,000 $2,722,000
Business License Tax $4,000 $16,000 $30,000
Total Annual Recurring Revenues to City's General Fund $3,306,000 $13,277,000 $27,140,000 Less: City Service Costs ($2,235,000) ($8,590,000) ($16,134,000) Net Fiscal Impact to City's General Fund $1,071,000 $4,687,000 $11,006,000 Prepared by: HR&A Advisors, Inc.
2046
Snapshot of Annual
Revenue at
Year 10
Snapshot of Annual
Revenue at
Year 20
Snapshot of Annual
Revenue at Year 30
(Project Buildout)
############ ############ ############
2026 2036
92 92
As shown in Table 3 , it was estimated that the Vision Plan will generate $309.5 million in revenues for the General Fund (in 2017 dollars) over 30 years of Project build out, with two-thirds of its impact occurring during the third decade when high-speed rail is fully operational. The Project’s components will also generate approximately $191.3 million in municipal service costs, leaving the City with a cumulative net fiscal impact of approximately $118.2 million in net present value (“NPV”) terms.

Figure 52 (above):

Annual Recurring Revenues by Source
at Project Build Out (2046)
Table 3 (page 92):

Cumulative Revenues and Costs to the
City of Bakersfield General Fund
A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Net Fiscal Impact Analysis | 3 e 1: Annual Recurring Revenues by Source at Project Build Out (2046) own in Table 2 on the following page, HR&A estimates that the Project will generate $309.5 million in ues for the General Fund (in 2017 dollars) over 30 years of Project build out, with two-thirds of its ct occurring during the third decade when high-speed rail is fully operational. The Project’s components so generate approximately $191.3 million in municipal service costs, leaving the City with a cumulative scal impact of approximately $118.2 million in net present value (“NPV”) terms.6 2: Cumulative Revenues and Costs to the City of Bakersfield General Fund Steps
ity of Bakersfield has a unique opportunity to capitalize on the State’s investment in high-speed rail to yze development in the City’s downtown. In particular, the City should develop a strategy to capture a antial portion of the anticipated property tax and MVLF in-lieu incremental revenues, which equal .9 million in present value terms over the course of the Project build out. ntly in California, there are limited tax increment finance (“TIF”) tools that the City can use for value re, though this may change in the future. Value capture mechanisms are intended to capture increased created by public investment in a property or area. Value capture mechanisms such as tax increment cing (“TIF”) allocate new, incremental property tax revenues due to future increases in property value present value calculations in Table 2 discount only for inflation (2.5%).

Property Tax
35%
MVLF In Lieu
23%
Property Transfer
Tax
1%
Sales Tax
4%
Transient
Occupancy
Tax
27%
Other Taxes
10% Business License Tax

0.1%
tive Revenues to the City of Bakersfield General Fund (2017$) Years 0-10 Years 10-20 Years 20-30 Years 0-30 2017 $ 2017 $ 2017 $ 2017 $
y Tax Increment $4,711,000 $26,384,000 $69,599,857 $100,694,857 Lieu $3,052,000 $17,091,000 $45,085,000 $65,228,000
y Transfer Tax $251,000 $941,000 $1,392,000 $2,584,000
ax $1,539,000 $5,428,200 $9,020,000 $15,987,200
t Occupancy Tax $3,683,000 $25,603,000 $57,496,000 $86,782,000 e Tax, Licenses and Permits, Charges for Services, Fines, and Misc. $1,963,000 $9,384,000 $20,927,000 $32,274,000 License Tax $413,000 $1,786,000 $3,795,000 $5,994,000
nnual Recurring Revenues to City's General Fund by Period $15,611,000 $86,616,000 $207,315,000 $309,542,000 y Service Costs ($11,635,000) ($55,622,000) ($124,048,000) ($191,305,000) tive Net Fiscal Impact to City's General Fund by Period $3,977,000 $30,995,000 $83,267,000 $118,239,000 d by: HR&A Advisors, Inc.

HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Net Fiscal Impact Analysis | 3 Figure 1: Annual Recurring Revenues by Source at Project Build Out (2046) As shown in Table 2 on the following page, HR&A estimates that the Project will generate $309.5 million in revenues for the General Fund (in 2017 dollars) over 30 years of Project build out, with two-thirds of its impact occurring during the third decade when high-speed rail is fully operational. The Project’s components will also generate approximately $191.3 million in municipal service costs, leaving the City with a cumulative net fiscal impact of approximately $118.2 million in net present value (“NPV”) terms.6 Table 2: Cumulative Revenues and Costs to the City of Bakersfield General Fund Next Steps
The City of Bakersfield has a unique opportunity to capitalize on the State’s investment in high-speed rail to catalyze development in the City’s downtown. In particular, the City should develop a strategy to capture a substantial portion of the anticipated property tax and MVLF in-lieu incremental revenues, which equal $166.9 million in present value terms over the course of the Project build out.

Currently in California, there are limited tax increment finance (“TIF”) tools that the City can use for value capture, though this may change in the future. Value capture mechanisms are intended to capture increased value created by public investment in a property or area. Value capture mechanisms such as tax increment financing (“TIF”) allocate new, incremental property tax revenues due to future increases in property value 6 Net present value calculations in Table 2 discount only for inflation (2.5%).

Property Tax
35%
MVLF In Lieu
23%
Property Transfer
Tax
1%
Sales Tax
4%
Transient
Occupancy
Tax
27%
Other Taxes
10%
Business License Tax

0.1%
Cumulative Revenues to the City of Bakersfield General Fund (2017$) Years 0-10 Years 10-20 Years 20-30 Years 0-30 2017 $ 2017 $ 2017 $ 2017 $
Property Tax Increment $4,711,000 $26,384,000 $69,599,857 $100,694,857 MVLF In Lieu $3,052,000 $17,091,000 $45,085,000 $65,228,000 Property Transfer Tax $251,000 $941,000 $1,392,000 $2,584,000 Sales Tax $1,539,000 $5,428,200 $9,020,000 $15,987,200
Transient Occupancy Tax $3,683,000 $25,603,000 $57,496,000 $86,782,000 Franchise Tax, Licenses and Permits, Charges for Services, Fines, and Misc. $1,963,000 $9,384,000 $20,927,000 $32,274,000 Business License Tax $413,000 $1,786,000 $3,795,000 $5,994,000 Total Annual Recurring Revenues to City's General Fund by Period $15,611,000 $86,616,000 $207,315,000 $309,542,000 Less: City Service Costs ($11,635,000) ($55,622,000) ($124,048,000) ($191,305,000) Cumulative Net Fiscal Impact to City's General Fund by Period $3,977,000 $30,995,000 $83,267,000 $118,239,000 Prepared by: HR&A Advisors, Inc.

Next Steps
The City of Bakersfield has a unique opportunity to capitalize on the State’s investment in high-speed rail to catalyze Downtown development in downtown by capturing a substantial portion of the anticipated property tax and MVLF in-lieu incremental revenues, which equal $166.9 million in present value terms over the course of the Project build out.

Currently in California, there are limited tax increment finance (“TIF”) tools that the City can use for value capture, though this may change in the future. Value capture mechanisms are intended to capture increased value created by public investment in a property or area. Value capture mechanisms such as tax increment financing (“TIF”) allocate new, incremental property tax revenues due to future increases in property value in a designated area to fund improvement projects that will benefit property values in that area. Future taxes beyond a baseline amount are allocated towards a special purpose entity and can be bonded to fund station area improvements.

The City has been exploring an innovative new tool, Economic Opportunity Areas (“EOAs”), which will help generate a dedicated source of funds for area-specific improvements. The EOAs are a first step. If the EOA program proves to be successful, it may be appropriate to explore more robust tools that will build upon the EOA to provide potentially larger yields.

The State recently adopted two new value capture tools which are intended to fund economic development initiatives: Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (“EIFD”) and Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities (“CRIA”). As 93 93
Table 4 (page 93)
Illustrative TIF Bonding Capacity for the
City and County Shares of Property Tax
and MVLF In-Lieu Increment in Three
Tranches
Figure 53 (above):

Illustrative Bonding Capacity with City
and County Tax Increment
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Net Fiscal Impact Analysis | 5 Figure 2: Illustrative Bonding Capacity with City and County Tax Increment In many ways, potential fiscal revenues associated with the Project could be even greater if the City takes proactive steps in the high-speed rail station area, which may include infrastructure enhancements, a governance approach, branding and marketing. HR&A assumes an average of the low and high development absorption projections and baseline real appreciation in property values which may change if rail service stimulates additional demand. However, should the City achieve strong success in placemaking initiatives in the station area to encourage rail-adjacent development, the fiscal impact may be even higher. $0
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
Property Tax Increment (in nominal dollars)
2022
City and County
Increment: $1.1m
Bond Issue: $12.2m
2027
City and County
Increment: $2.1m
Bond Issue: $19.7m
2037
City and County
Increment: $14.7m
Bond Issue: $86.1m
HR&A Advisors, Inc. Making Downtown Bakersfield Net Fiscal Impact Analysis | 4 in a designated area to fund improvement projects that will benefit property values in that area. Future taxes beyond a baseline amount are allocated towards a special purpose entity and can be bonded to fund station area improvements.

The City has been exploring an innovative new tool, Economic Opportunity Areas (“EOAs”), which will help generate a dedicated source of funds for area-specific improvements. The EOAs are a first step. If the EOA program proves to be successful, it may be beneficial to also explore more robust tools that will build upon the EOA to provide potentially larger yields. The State recently adopted two new value capture tools which are intended to fund economic development initiatives: Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (“EIFD”) and Community Revitalization and Investment Authorities (“CRIA”). As described in the Implementation Strategy document, these two tools have their limitations, but the State may consider new tools within the next few years. The City should consider graduating its value-capture strategy to a TIF tool such as an EIFD or CRIA that is able to be bonded against, within the next three years. Though the existing TIF tools have yet to be implemented anywhere in the State, TIF mechanisms have potential to capture significant value for the City.

The City will need to issue bonds over multiple tranches to capture the value for upfront capital investment.

To illustrate, we have shown in Tables 3 and 4 as well as Figure 2 how the City can potentially capture approximately $75 million in property tax and motor vehicle license fee in-lieu revenues to finance station area improvements in three tranches.
7 In this scenario HR&A assumes that the City will issue bonds after 5, 10, and 20 years, with the bonding period terminating at the end of the 30-years. However, the City could bond more frequently to capture a greater portion of increment that is being missed in the example. Should the County contribute its share property tax increment (the net present value of which is equal to an additional $94 million over 30 years), another $43 million could also be captured under this same bonding scenario.
8 Table 3: Illustrative TIF Bonding Capacity for the City and County Shares of Property Tax and MVLF In-Lieu Increment in Three Tranches
7 HR&A assumed three bonding periods, after five, ten, and twenty years of Project build out, with all bonds maturing in the thirtieth year. HR&A’s financing assumptions for these bonds include a 5% interest rate, 80% loan-to-value ratio, and 5% cost of issuance. 8 The City’s bonding capacity is substantially larger than the County’s in this model for two primary reasons. First, for Tax Rate Areas (“TRA”) within the Project boundaries, the City’s average share of the General 1% property tax local levy is 18.19%; the County’s share for the same TRAs is 16.99%. In addition, the City receives MVLF In-Lieu revenues which are equal to approximately 60% of its property tax revenue; the County does not receive MVLF In-Lieu revenues.

Year City Share Alone
(cumulative $M)
Combined City and
County Share
(cumulative $M)
2021 $7.8 $12.2
2026 $20.3 $31.9
2036 $75.3 $118.0
described in the Economic Development Plan above (see Appendix I:Implementation Matrix) these two tools have limitations, but the State may consider new tools within the next few years.

Recommendations
The City could consider graduating its value-capture strategy to a bondable TIF tool, within the next three years. Though the existing TIF tools have yet to be implemented anywhere in the State, TIF mechanisms have potential to capture significant value for the City.

The Report also shows that Bonds may also be necessary to capture the value for upfront capital investment. Tables 3 and 4 show how the City can potentially capture approximately $75 million in property tax and motor vehicle license fee in-lieu revenues to finance station area improvements in three tranches. In this scenario it was assumed that the City will issue bonds after 5, 10, and 20 years, with the bonding period terminating at the end of the 30-years. However, the City could bond more frequently to capture a greater portion of increment that is being missed in the example. Should the County contribute its share property tax increment (the net present value of which is equal to an additional $94 million over 30 years), another $43 million could also be captured under this same bonding scenario.

In many ways, potential fiscal revenues associated with the Vision Plan could be even greater if the City takes proactive steps in the HSR station area, which may include infrastructure enhancements, a governance approach, branding and marketing. It was assumed an average of the low and high development absorption projections and baseline real appreciation in property values may change if rail service stimulates additional demand. However, should the City achieve strong success in place-making initiatives in the station area to encourage rail-adjacent development, the fiscal impact may be even higher.
94 94
Photo by David Seibold
95 95

APPENDIX

PLEASE VIEW SEPARATE DOCUMENT
Cecelia Griego, Project Manager
City of Bakersfield
1715 Chester Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93301
[email protected]
(661) 326-3788
makingdowntownbakersfield.us