CITY OF SAN LEANDRO ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS
PUBLIC DRAFT
Prepared for:
City of San Leandro
June 20, 2024
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
0 TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. 0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 5 ANALYSIS FINDINGS ....................................................................................................................... 7 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES ............................................................................................................. 14 VISION STATEMENT ..................................................................................................................... 15 GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND ACTION STEPS .................................................................................. 16 Goals .................................................................................................................................................. 16 Strategies and Actions...................................................................................................................... 17 Implementation Action Steps Matrix................................................................................................ 28 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................ 47 San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
City Council
Juan González III* Mayor
Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton Council Member District 1
Bryan Azevedo Council Member District 2
Victor Aguilar, Jr.* Council Member District 3
Fred Simon Council Member District 4, Vice Mayor
Xouhoa Bowen* Council Member District 5
Pete Ballew Council Member District 6
*Members of the Finance Committee, which provided ongoing input throughout the strategy development process.
Focus Group Participants and Other Interviewees
Deborah Acosta, WeAccel
Angela Ajetomobi, On the Runway
Kristin Anderson, Eric F. Anderson, Inc.
Nathan Ball, Quino Energy
Ed Del Beccaro, TRI Commercial
Jesse Becerra, ProLogis
Tracy Coleman, D.M. Chabot Las Positas CCD
DeWayne Cornelious, San Leandro Black Chamber
of Commerce
Dan Dillman, Bal Theatre
Mark English, Mark English Architects
Janet Galvez, ProLogis
Michael Givvin, BlueFrog Screen Printing &
Embroidery
Emily Griego, San Leandro Chamber of Commerce
Michael Hamer, City of San Leandro
Matt Holmes, Retail West
Nikita Johnson, Nikita’s Beauty Bar
Karmilla Jones, Hilton Garden Inn
Jan Klube, Electriq Power
Derick Lee, PilotCity
Shasta Marlowe, PupTown
Michelle Nemits, Biocom CA
Charlie Olsen, Westlake Urban
Kimberly Pace, Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro
Harvinder Pal, Indian Grill
Ruth Pardue, CrossFit San Leandro
Andrew Reeder, Spruce CRE
Angela Rezab, Jones Lang LaSalle
Louis Rigaud, Halus Power Systems
Grecia Sarabia, La More Eats
Robert Scribner, RH Scribner Properties
Tim Seiler, Cumbelich and Associates
Soni Singh, Ace Tots
Michael Sinor, City of San Leandro
Matt Sweeney, Econic
Carol Therien, Retail Pacific
Gayle Tomasson, Electriq Power
Matt Walla, Fifth Wave Auto
Yan Liu Zeng, Fusion Delight
Community Workshop Participants
Many thanks to the numerous San Leandro community members who shared their expertise and perspectives at this project’s two community workshops.
City Staff
Fran Robustelli, Former City Manager
Janelle Cameron, City Manager
Tom Liao, Community Development Director
Avalon Schultz, Assistant Community Development Director Katie Bowman, Economic Development Manager
Dhez Woodworth, Economic Development Specialist II
Lars Halle, Economic Development Specialist I
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The San Leandro Economic Development Strategy is a policy document that will guide the City’s economic development activities over the next five to ten years. The strategy prioritizes and focuses the City’s resources on initiatives with the greatest potential to grow San Leandro’s economy and improve quality of life for residents. This strategy document builds on prior policy documents, including the Economic Development Element of San Leandro’s General Plan.
The ideas and strategies in this document are the culmination of research, community engagement, and a collaborative process conducted from Fall 2023 through Summer 2024. Strategic Economics, in partnership with Winter Consulting and the Alex Greenwood Group, worked with San Leandro City staff to conduct a technical analysis; engage community members through interviews, focus groups, and community workshops; and gather insights on San Leandro’s unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
The Strategy document sets forth a new Economic Development Vision for a prosperous San Leandro.
The Vision was informed by in-depth analysis and stakeholder input regarding San Leandro’s unique economic role and opportunities. The Strategy identifies goals, strategies, and actions to achieve the Vision by leveraging opportunities and addressing known challenges. Ultimately, this Strategy seeks to expand and improve jobs, improve amenities, support businesses, and generate continued revenue for public services in the city.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 2
VISION
The San Leandro Economic Development Strategy is centered around a guiding vision for the future of San Leandro’s economy. The Economic Development Vision that follows is the product of extensive community engagement and prioritization with San Leandro community members business leaders, City staff, and City leadership.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION FOR SAN LEANDRO
San Leandro will become the East Bay’s premier location for innovation-based industry. The city will remain a diverse and welcoming community, with a vibrant dining and cultural scene. The City of San Leandro will champion: equitable workforce and entrepreneurship opportunities, small business support, more high-quality retail, and transformative development opportunities—including Bay Fair, Downtown, and Shoreline—to position the city for long-term economic vitality. Through branding, marketing, and service delivery the City will build a strong public image and become widely recognized as a destination for creativity, technology, and production.
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GOALS AND STRATEGIES
The goals and strategies that follow respond to the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified through community input and economic research conducted for this plan. Together, these goals and strategies chart a course for achieving San Leandro’s Economic Development Vision.
Goal 1: Accelerate innovation and growth of target industries.
San Leandro is a well-established business destination for the Health Care, Construction, Retail, and Manufacturing sectors. In the case of Manufacturing, San Leandro has a particularly strong legacy in food and beverage production, precision machining, casting, and advanced manufacturing. From these strengths, new opportunities are emerging in several target industries, including Clean Tech, Food Tech, Biomedical/Life Sciences, and Hardware/Robotics. Strategies to support innovation and business growth include:
• Attracting innovation-based businesses in target industries. • Launching a branding and marketing effort to improve the visibility, image, and identity of San Leandro.
• Retaining and supporting existing value-add industry sectors. • Exploring opportunities to develop the creative economy in San Leandro, with specific focus on: digital film production, culinary arts, and a potential arts & entertainment district.
Goal 2: Support transformative development opportunities.
During the next 10 to 20 years, San Leandro can facilitate the development of several large-scale, transformative projects that will help to reposition the entire city for greater investment, high-quality employment, and fiscal sustainability. Strategies to support development focus on:
• Facilitating transformational projects with high quality urban design at Bay Fair TOD, Kaiser North, and Shoreline.
• Updating City Zoning and streamline City review and approval processes.
Goal 3: Preserve industrial districts and address infrastructure needs.
San Leandro’s industrial areas and infrastructure are vital to support the jobs, investment, transportation, and services of today and tomorrow. Strategies to ensure that San Leandro’s industrial areas attract and retain value-add businesses include:
• Developing and implementing focused plans for the city’s industrial areas’ unique needs. • Improving transportation infrastructure to promote transit and alternative travel modes, attract shoppers to Downtown and other key retail nodes, and facilitate commuting to industrial commercial destinations.
Goal 4: Create vibrant gathering places with quality retail, dining, hospitality, and entertainment businesses.
Strategies to foster the creation and growth of community amenities and exciting gathering places in major retail centers and destinations, while retaining and growing the quality of San Leandro’s retail and restaurant offerings, include:
• Supporting changes to the tenant mix of shopping centers and that include: high-quality retail, entertainment and family-oriented businesses, and shopping and services that reflect the city’s diverse population.
• Providing support to shopping centers to make safety, capital, and aesthetic improvements.
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• Installing urban design (“placemaking”) improvements to enhance the Downtown shopping experience and strengthen Downtown’s role as a destination for culture and events. • Supporting improvements along East 14th Street to include more active mixed-use and walkable districts—including a potential arts-focused district near the Bal Theatre. • Supporting the flexibility and evolution of major regional retail centers to meet evolving market forces.
• Evaluating the opportunity for new upscale hotels.
Goal 5: Ensure resident workforce training and education for access to high-quality job opportunities.
San Leandro residents, businesses, and the community at large benefit when residents are prepared for the jobs of the future. Addressing the complexities of this relationship can reduce unemployment, encourage high-wage positions, and support increased business efficiency. The City may serve as coordinator and connector to ensure that education and training providers provide the training that businesses and residents need:
• Working with businesses and workforce development partners to ensure relevant workforce development services are provided to local residents and businesses. • Increasing awareness of local job opportunities and connecting residents to “career-ladder’ jobs in local industries.
• Exploring the potential for higher education institutions and scientific labs to locate or partner with San Leandro workforce stakeholders
• Reducing barriers to employment by improving awareness, delivery, and accessibility of existing childcare services.
Goal 6: Support small businesses and entrepreneurship.
San Leandro’s small businesses not only create job and income opportunities for San Leandro residents and families, they also define and reflect the community’s diverse and welcoming character.
Strategies to support small businesses and entrepreneurs include:
• Expanding partnerships to promote business planning and other technical assistance, training, and financial resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs. • Making San Leandro more customer-friendly to small businesses, with transparent, fast, and understandable permitting processes.
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INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The San Leandro Economic Development Strategy provides a vision statement and set of goals, strategies, and actions that will guide the City’s economic development activities over the next five to ten years. The purpose of this strategy is to prioritize and focus the City’s resources on initiatives with the greatest potential to grow San Leandro’s economy and improve quality of life for residents. This strategy document builds on prior policy documents, including the Economic Development Element of San Leandro’s General Plan (2016) and the Next Generation Workplace Districts study (2013).
The Strategy sets forth a new Economic Development vision for a prosperous, innovative, and equitable San Leandro. This vision was informed by in-depth analysis and stakeholder input regarding San Leandro’s unique economic role and opportunities. The Strategy identifies goals, strategies, and actions to achieve this vision by leveraging opportunities and addressing known challenges. It also provides an implementation matrix that outlines responsible parties, performance objectives, and time frames for completion of each action step. Through completion of each of these actions, this plan seeks to expand and improve jobs, improve amenities, support businesses, and generate continued revenue for public services in the city.
PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY The ideas and strategies in this document are the culmination of research, community engagement, and a collaborative strategy development process conducted from the Fall of 2023 through Summer of 2024. The strategy’s content is the product of input from more than 100 San Leandro community members, business leaders, and City staff or leadership. Strategic Economics, in partnership with Winter Consulting and the Alex Greenwood Group, worked with San Leandro City staff to conduct a technical analysis; engage community members through interviews, focus groups, and community workshops; and gather insights on San Leandro’s unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The strategy development process included the following efforts:
• Data Analysis of Economic Conditions and Opportunities: Analyzed San Leandro’s employment, demographic, industry, business, and occupation trends over the past five to ten years— including detailed analysis of the city’s retail and industrial subareas. • Topic-Specific Focus Groups: Conducted a series of focus groups with 28 business representatives, real estate industry professionals, and non-profit and institutional stakeholders. Each focus group brought together multiple individuals to discuss an economic development topic, including small businesses; industrial businesses and real estate; youth and entrepreneurship; large retailers; technology or emerging industries; and the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce’s priorities.
• Interviews: Held six individual conversations with representatives of individual businesses, education and cultural institutions, and technology and infrastructure leadership in San Leandro.
• Door-to-Door Business Outreach: Visited and surveyed 21 business representatives in two San Leandro shopping centers to identify business needs and opportunities. • Community Workshops: Facilitated two community workshops on November 28th, 2023 and March 13th, 2024 with approximately 40 to 50 people in attendance at each workshop.
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Participants learned about the study’s research findings, identified community priorities, and shared perspectives on proposed economic development strategies. • Meetings with the City Finance Committee: Met twice with the San Leandro City Council’s Finance Committee to provide overviews of key findings from data analysis and community engagement, gather direction on City Council priorities, and collect feedback on draft strategies.
The data analysis and initial community and stakeholder outreach provided an understanding of San Leandro’s competitive strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—as well as the community’s priorities. These conclusions drove the creation and subsequent iterative refinement—through continued engagement with San Leandro’s community members, elected officials, and City staff—of the vision statement, goals, strategies, and implementation action steps described in this document.
CONTENTS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
In addition to the previous sections, this document includes the following sections: Section IV describes the key conclusions of the data analysis and stakeholder engagement efforts. Section V summarizes the community’s economic development priorities, as expressed during two workshop events. Section VI describes the Vision Statement for San Leandro’s economy based on the community priorities, and Section VII provides detailed economic development goals, strategies, and action steps.
The appendices contain further details and research that informed the economic development strategy. Appendix I: Technical Analysis Report presents the technical analysis, which includes the findings of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis. Appendices II and III summarize the results of the first and second workshops conducted to inform the Economic Development Strategy. Appendix IV includes a summary of analysis by CVL Economics to assess opportunities to build the creative economy in San Leandro. Appendix V includes a summary assessment of funding opportunities to help implement the recommendations of the Strategy.
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ANALYSIS FINDINGS
The Economic Development Strategy’s vision, goals, strategies, and actions are rooted in the findings and conclusions of analyses and stakeholder input regarding San Leandro’s opportunities and challenges. The following information provides a high-level summary of San Leandro’s key strengths, opportunities, and challenges for future economic development efforts. Appendix I of this report provides detailed information.
San Leandro’s economy is driven by health care, retail, and sectors that take advantage of its strategic location and presence of industrial lands for manufacturing, construction, and goods movement. The city has a strong history of industrial innovation. Industries like Manufacturing, Construction, Transportation and Warehousing benefit from San Leandro’s large industrial land supply and proximity to the Oakland Airport, the Port of Oakland, I-880, and I-580. San Leandro is particularly strong in advanced manufacturing and food and beverage product manufacturing. San Leandro’s employment is also highly concentrated in the Health Care and Retail Trade sectors, led by the presence of major hospitals and shopping centers.
FIGURE 1: SHARE OF JOBS BY MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTOR IN SAN LEANDRO VS. EAST BAY, 2022 Source: Lightcast, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023.
Note: Job numbers refer to employment in San Leandro zip codes rather than exact city limits. East Bay totals include Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
San Leandro’s diverse retail destinations attract shoppers from across the Bay Area. The city’s retail offerings include transit-oriented retail, big-box centers, commercial strip centers, and downtown walkable retail options. These diverse business spaces, led by Downtown retail and shopping centers 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
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such as Bayfair Center, West Gate Shopping Center, and Greenhouse Marketplace, have helped San Leandro attract far more retail sales per capita than the Alameda County and East Bay averages—as shown in Figure 2. The city also outperforms the Alameda County average in business to business, construction, transportation (auto sales and gas stations), and food sales that benefit from San Leandro’s industrial land supply. However, small business owners and community workshop participants expressed that safety, cleanliness, and appearance improvements are needed at many of San Leandro’s aging shopping centers.
FIGURE 2: SALES TAXES COLLECTED PER CAPITA, BY SALES TAX CATEGORY AND LOCATION, AUGUST 2022 TO AUGUST 2023
Sources: Avenu Insights, 2024; Strategic Economics, 2024.
San Leandro has a large industrial land supply that is leveraged by precision machining, food product manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and construction companies. San Leandro’s total industrial square footage is competitive with larger cities such as Fremont, Oakland, and Hayward.
Industrial real estate brokers indicated that the smaller average sizes of San Leandro’s industrial building stock allow the city to accommodate greater diversity in its industrial tenant base. These strengths, alongside the city’s history of industrial innovation, have enabled San Leandro to develop high concentrations of metal, plastic, and rubber product manufacturing; food and beverage manufacturing; and specialty trade contractor employment, among other industrial sectors.
However, most of San Leandro’s industrial development occurred prior to 1980, and increasing construction costs, permitting process issues, and financing challenges are currently limiting new development for commercial buildings as well. As shown in Figure 3, San Leandro’s industrial building stock is older than most of its East Bay peers, meaning that the city is less well-equipped to accommodate modern R&D and advanced manufacturing tenants’ needs for clear-height and power capacity. The Prologis Logistics Center and Torani building were completed in San Leandro subsequent to the data shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4; these projects indicate promising potential for future development that can gradually modernize San Leandro’s industrial building stock.
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FIGURE 3: TOTAL SQUARE FEET OF INDUSTRIAL AND R&D/FLEX PROPERTY BY DECADE BUILT, 2023 Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024.
Note: Includes industrial and flex buildings completed as of early 2023. May be missing some current and recently-completed development projects in each city.
FIGURE 4: SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY IN SAN LEANDRO, BY DECADE BUILT AND PROPERTY TYPE, 2023
Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023.
Note: Includes industrial and flex buildings completed as of early 2023. May be missing some current and recently-completed development projects in each city
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Residents of San Leandro have lower levels of educational attainment than those of some nearby cities. Just 32 percent of San Leandro adults have attained at least a Bachelor’s degree—far lower than the Alameda County average of 50 percent, and suggesting an ongoing need for workforce training and education to ensure residents can access “career-ladder” jobs that pay a living wage, have lower barriers to entry, and are able to take advantage of opportunities for advancement. San Leandro’s median household income is currently lower than those of Hayward, Newark, Union City, and Fremont—which also creates challenges for attracting retailers that prefer large concentrations of higher income households.
Several of San Leandro’s existing industry strengths provide opportunities to promote career-ladder jobs. Many of San Leandro’s available training programs and key industrial strengths pair well with career-ladder jobs: jobs that provide moderate to high-income opportunities without requiring a Bachelor’s degree. Some examples of these jobs include licensed nurses, auto mechanics, and electrical engineering technicians.
FIGURE 5: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF POPULATION AGED 25 AND OLDER IN SAN LEANDRO AND NEARBY CITIES, 2021
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2021; Strategic Economics, 2023.
San Leandro’s racial and ethnic diversity supports the growth of its rich retail, restaurant and cultural offerings. Though San Leandro was a predominantly white community fifty years ago, the city’s racial diversity is increasing, and three different racial or ethnic groups now constitute at least 20 percent of its population: Asian; Hispanic or Latino; and white. Furthermore, more than 50 percent of San Leandro residents speak a language other than (or in addition to) English at home. Strong ethnic populations of Mexican, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Salvadoran residents help to support a diverse and flourishing array of restaurants, community organizations, and local businesses. 0%
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San Leandro’s culinary strengths, affordable business spaces, and proximity to regional entertainment markets provide opportunities for culinary innovation and new entertainment spaces. San Leandro’s entertainment and media sectors have not kept pace with region-wide growth—as shown in Figure 6.
However, the city’s strong restaurant sector and affordable business spaces mean that opportunities abound for new culinary innovation. In addition, the city has strong assets such as the Bal Theatre, and is situated within a thriving regional entertainment market. These assets provide new opportunities for the emergence of entertainment districts and locating film and virtual production businesses within San Leandro.
FIGURE 6: ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA SECTOR JOB GROWTH, 2013 TO 2023 Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023; U.S. Census, 2023; Lightcast, 2023; CVL Economics, 2024.
Many innovative industry opportunities are emerging in San Leandro, such as renewable energy research and production, biomedical technology, and food and beverage technology. San Leandro has significant opportunities for innovation-based entrepreneurship and venture capital investment.
Several innovation-based sectors are growing from San Leandro’s existing industry strengths in food manufacturing, healthcare, and its industrial strengths. Over the past five years, eight of San Leandro’s 22 venture capital deals were related to food or beverage technologies—as shown in Figure 7. An additional nine venture capital deals in the city were in hardware tech or life sciences, with many of the former related to renewable energy technologies. During the course of engagement for this study, business representatives from several renewable energy companies indicated that their firms were drawn to San Leandro for its location, the affordability of its industrial and warehouse space, and the growing cluster of similar firms that are located in the city.
San Leandro includes three development project areas that, coupled with new innovative industry opportunities, can potentially expand the city’s economic diversity and introduce new types of businesses. Several current development opportunities present the potential to transform San Leandro and provide new spaces for creativity or innovation, such as the Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development; the Kaiser North Parcel; and the Shoreline Development. The value provided by San Leandro’s two BART stations will dramatically increase in future years as the system is expanded to San Jose and new commuters enjoy convenient access to jobs and amenities at Bayfair and Downtown.
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FIGURE 7: DISTRIBUTION OF VENTURE CAPITAL DEALS, BY INDUSTRY, SAN LEANDRO VS. PEER CITIES, 2019 TO 2023
Source: Crunchbase, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023
Notes:
Many of San Leandro’s Hardware Tech deals were related to renewable energy technology.
Other Industries includes manufacturing, logistics, and consumer goods.
San Leandro data comes from five years of observations, from 2019 to 2023. Peer cities data are just from 2023, and include Hayward, Union City, Fremont, and Newark
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Recent Successes in San Leandro
• Gate 510
o This tech and biotech campus represents a creative reuse of a former automotive plant. It provides incubator and maker spaces for scientists, creators, and visionaries. The initial investments in this facility were made in 2014, and it expanded in 2019, enabled in part by San Leandro’s Lit San Leandro fiber optic network investments.
• Bayfair Center Redevelopment
o This longtime regional shopping center maintains some anchor tenants, such as Target, but its interior is in the process of being re-imagined as a transit-oriented research and development facility. The City is actively involved, through plans and partnerships, in ensuring that this center continues to be a vital and growing node in San Leandro’s economy.
• Residential & Commercial Development in Downtown
o Despite a challenging real estate environment, developers continue to pursue commercial and residential projects in San Leandro’s downtown. Recent approved or completed projects include Loro Landing (affordable housing), Centro Callan (mixed-use multifamily housing), San Leandro Tech Campus (office), and Fieldwork Brewing (restaurant).
• Updates and improvements to Marina Faire Shopping Center o San Leandro leveraged incentives and grants to facilitate improved landscaping, security, signage, and interior renovations at Marina Faire Shopping Center.
• Post-Covid-19 Shop Local/Business Reopening Campaign
o San Leandro’s Shop Local campaign, commercial relief grants, and marketing support helped sustain local businesses to re-open after the pandemic.
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COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
San Leandro community members provided input on the economic development strategy at every stage of its development. Stakeholders—including business owners and residents—provided input through one-on-one interviews, focus groups, a community workshop focused on community concerns and priorities, and a second community workshop to provide input on potential strategies.
Approximately 40 to 50 residents, business representatives, and other community stakeholders attended each workshop, and Strategic Economics, Winter Consulting, and the City of San Leandro further engaged with more than 40 additional stakeholders via door-to-door outreach, individual interviews, and focus groups. Stakeholders identified the following top needs, opportunities, and economic development goals.
• Key Industries
o Promoting clean technology (such as battery technology) and other green industries o Explore opportunities for more advanced food technology business investment o Leveraging Bay Fair Center for scale-up innovation opportunities • Development and Zoning
o Cultivating mixed-use and transit-oriented development o City permit process improvements and streamlined permitting in industrial areas o Zoning flexibility
• Industrial Districts and Infrastructure
o Improving pedestrian safety and walkability along East 14th Street. o Addressing challenges for power upgrades or new installations at industrial sites o Preparing for electric vehicle needs and funding infrastructure improvements in industrial areas
o Improving multimodal connectivity and access to transit • Retail and Restaurants
o Need for e-commerce and marketing assistance for existing small businesses o Concerns about safety and cleanliness in retail shopping centers o Attraction of more entertainment and family-oriented retail options o Downtown plaza improvements, event opportunities to help small businesses • Workforce and Education
o Increasing job access for current residents and local graduates o Educational partnerships to increase training opportunities o Cultivating business partnerships to improve school to employment pathways o Promoting childcare access to support workforce opportunities o Ensuring new job opportunities provide equitable and inclusive access for all residents • Small Business and Entrepreneurship
o Marketing assistance for new and growing businesses
o Ensuring safety and security at existing businesses
o Access to capital and affordable business spaces
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VISION STATEMENT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION
From an economic development perspective, San Leandro’s location within the Bay Area creates both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, San Leandro can harness the Bay Area’s workforce, financial institutions, innovation ecosystem, educational resources, customer base, and other assets.
On the other hand, San Leandro must compete as a business location with several other Bay Area cities that have vivid, iconic, nationwide reputations.
To develop an Economic Development Vision for San Leandro, the analysis first clarified the city’s current position in the regional economic development market—i.e., how San Leandro is viewed today by the region’s business and development community. Based on stakeholder interviews, community engagement, and the data analyses described in Section IV and Appendix I, San Leandro is currently well established as a regional center for retail, manufacturing, food production, and other industrial activities; and a friendly, diverse community with a variety of dining options and cultural activity.
Based on San Leandro’s current market position, its strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities San Leandro can leverage during the next economic and market cycle, the following Economic Development Vision of the future emerges:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION FOR SAN LEANDRO
San Leandro will become the East Bay’s premier location for innovation-based industries. The city will remain a diverse and welcoming community, with a vibrant dining and cultural scene. The City will champion: equitable workforce and entrepreneurship opportunities, small business support, more high-quality retail, and transformative development opportunities—including Bay Fair, Downtown and Shoreline—to position the city for long-term economic vitality. Through branding, marketing, and service delivery the City will bolster its public image and become widely recognized as a destination for creativity, technology, and production.
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GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND ACTION STEPS
Goals
In order to achieve San Leandro’s new Economic Development Vision, the following six goals will be pursued through corresponding strategies and action steps.
Goal 1: Accelerate innovation and growth of target industries:
• Attract and expand innovation-oriented businesses that are positioned for growth in the clean tech, food tech, hardware/robotics, and biomedical industries. • Preserve and strengthen existing clusters of manufacturing, construction, food, and related industry sectors.
• Harness both new and traditional businesses to provide high-quality jobs and attract outside investment.
Goal 2: Support transformative development opportunities:
• Plan and support high-quality, transformational development opportunities at Bay Fair, Downtown, Shoreline, and other major sites.
• Update the City’s development standards and permit processes to align with the real estate and facility needs of target industries.
Goal 3: Preserve industrial districts and address infrastructure needs:
• Ensure that industrial areas and infrastructure support the jobs, business investment, passenger transportation, and services of today and tomorrow.
Goal 4: Create vibrant gathering places with quality retail, dining, hospitality, and entertainment businesses:
• Foster the creation and growth of community amenities and spaces. • Support and expand the city’s diverse, neighborhood-serving shops and restaurants. • Strengthen and improve the city’s regional-serving retail. • Attract family-friendly and experience-oriented entertainment, recreation, and retail.
Goal 5: Ensure resident workforce training and education for access to high-quality job opportunities:
• Facilitate enhanced education and training opportunities, partnerships with businesses and institutions, and other initiatives to support equitable job access and opportunities for high-quality jobs of the future.
Goal 6: Support small businesses and entrepreneurship:
• Support local entrepreneurs and small businesses with technical assistance, access to capital, and other support needed to adapt, thrive, and provide local jobs.
Each goal is supported by strategies with action steps that together follow a "SMART” framework to ensure that they are implementable. This framework includes the following components:
Specific: The strategy is clear and focused.
Measurable: The strategy will have outcomes.
Actionable: The strategy is achievable, even if it is ambitious.
Relevant: The strategy relates directly to the vision statement.
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Time-bound: The strategy has a clearly delineated timeline for implementation, which fits within the five to ten-year time-frame for full implementation of the Economic Development Strategy.
Strategies and Actions
GOAL 1: ACCELERATE INNOVATION AND GROWTH OF TARGET INDUSTRIES San Leandro is a well-established business destination for the Health Care, Construction, Retail, and Manufacturing sectors. In the case of Manufacturing, San Leandro has a particularly strong legacy in food and beverage production, precision machining, casting, and advanced manufacturing. From these strengths, new opportunities are emerging in several target industries, including:
• Clean Tech – including renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, water conservation, green building materials, decarbonization, etc. • Food Tech - Next-generation food production
• Biomedical - Life Sciences with a focus on therapeutic and pharmaceutical drug development, Digital Health, medical device, diagnostics, etc.
• Hardware/Robotics - Advanced Engineering, Automation and Robotics • Other emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence The following strategies seek to support businesses in key existing and emerging industries that have potential for long-term growth and high-quality jobs:
Strategy 1. Attract innovation-based industries to transform and expand the city’s industrial base. • Action 1.1. Develop an Innovation Action Strategy to attract and retain innovative businesses in the target industries (noted above), which will be based on ongoing outreach and research, described in the following additional actions. • Action 1.2. Conduct outreach to industry representatives and intermediaries (including brokers, developers, trade organizations, etc.) to learn more about the trends and issues of the target industries, understand site selection criteria, increase the City’s visibility and credibility, and build relationships for future collaboration. Partner with organizations such as East Bay EDA, AMBayArea, and NAIOP to participate at trade shows and business events. • Action 1.3. Meet with businesses in the target industry groups. Use these visits to identify the business needs and opportunities of existing businesses in San Leandro in the target industries and link businesses to available services and resources.
• Action 1.4. Conduct an assessment of major industrial opportunity sites to help prepare them to for future development. Work with the property owners to explore ways to invest, improve, and effectively market the properties to the target industries.
• Action 1.5. Perform direct outreach to nearby incubator spaces, equity-investors, and other representatives of target industries to strengthen San Leandro’s regional reputation and opportunities in these industries.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 18
• Action 1.6. Explore long-term initiatives to attract, develop, and expand creative industries, including efforts to:
o Attract film/media businesses, including virtual film production, sound stages, Digital Media Streaming, and other similar industries. o Invest in programs and partnerships to grow culinary entrepreneurship and culinary tourism;
o Develop an arts, entertainment and cultural district on East 14th Street, anchored by the BAL Theater;
o Modify current zoning in commercial and industrial areas to be more flexible in allowing creative industries; and
o Partner with university and professional organizations to facilitate education, training, apprenticeship, and other support for creative entrepreneurs.
Strategy 2. Launch a branding and marketing effort to improve the visibility, image, and identity of San Leandro.
• Action 2.1. Create a clear, simple, and vivid branding strategy that will articulate San Leandro’s vision and identity, and will communicate the city’s economic opportunities and advantages as a manufacturing and emerging innovation hub. • Action 2.2. Develop a marketing plan that includes specific marketing materials and engagement activities, including the following:
o Online messaging (via website, blog, social media channels, etc.); o Press and media;
o CEO, business champion, and business leader testimonials; o Outdoor advertising;
o Business-focused events (Manufacturing Week, developer tours, etc.); o Participation at trade shows and industry events;
o Leveraging special events to promote economic development goals; o Identification of differentiators and value-adds of doing business in San Leandro;
o Brochures/handouts for business meetings;
o Industry partnerships, sponsorships and collaboration; and o A robust library of indexed photos and videos.
• Action 2.3. Explore a “Work Local, Live Local” campaign designed to encourage persons working in San Leandro to seek out local housing opportunities. The campaign would promote the benefits of living in the city, the environmental and personal benefits of reduced commute times, and links to local real estate and housing opportunities.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 19
Strategy 3. Retain and support existing industry sectors associated with industrial lands.
• Action 3.1. Meet regularly with businesses in existing value-add industries—e.g., food production, construction, and precision machining—to monitor ongoing infrastructure, workforce, and safety needs, and provide support services to help retain them.
• Action 3.2. Participate in regional industry organizations and efforts (such as AMBayArea and East Bay EDA) and monitor industry trends and economic/market changes that could impact the retention and growth of industrial businesses, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), supply chain, or other issues. • Action 3.3. Connect industrial businesses with available resources via the website, meetings and training. Partner with Manex Consulting and/or other organizations that can provide technical assistance for industrial firms.
GOAL 2: SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES During the next 10 to 20 years, San Leandro has the opportunity to facilitate the development of several large-scale, transformative projects that will help to reposition the entire city for greater investment, high-quality employment, and fiscal sustainability. If these key developments are accompanied by improvements in zoning and development regulations, they have the potential to catalyze additional developments and growth across the city in San Leandro’s industrial and commercial districts.
Strategy 4. Facilitate transformational development projects. • Action 4.1. Pursue implementation of capital improvements and partnerships to support the creation of a mixed-use innovation node at Bayfair Center, including placemaking, space for scale-up opportunities for R&D businesses, restaurants, retail, and housing within the surrounding Bay Fair TOD area. Partner with property owners and agency partners to prepare Development Plan for Bay Fair TOD SubArea 1 utilizing MTC Priority Development Area Grant Funds. • Action 4.2. Provide staff support, consulting services and investments to accelerate high quality and fiscally sustainable development in the Shoreline area, including housing, commercial, hotel, restaurant and/or recreational amenities to residents. Continue interdepartmental support of cleanup and beautification.
Allocate key staff in the Economic Development, Planning, Building, and Engineering & Transportation Divisions to facilitate development and permitting.
Continue seeking grant funding for City park through interdepartmental grant team.
• Action 4.3. Encourage development of the "Kaiser North" parcel located north of the Kaiser Permanente Hospital with uses such as restaurants, a hotel and conference center, destination retail, business services, personal services, and offices and workspaces. The design of new development should create an active street presence along Merced Street, with wider sidewalks and ground floor storefronts, as well as interior activity streets and public spaces, including outdoor dining areas.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 20
• Action 4.4. Convene regular meetings with brokers, developers, and property owners to provide updates regarding major development projects and other City efforts/conditions, receive input regarding concerns and upcoming changes, and to promote opportunities at transformational development projects. • Action 4.5. Implement Housing Element policies and programs to enable development of housing close to BART stations and retail nodes—including Downtown San Leandro, Bay Fair, and major retail concentrations along East 14th Street, which will support retail businesses, improve resident access to amenities, and reduce resident transportation costs. Complete Housing Element Annual Progress Report each year by State Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department deadline, which demonstrates actions taken to implement Housing Element annually.
Strategy 5. Update City Zoning and streamline City review and approval processes to offer improved efficiency, clarity, and certainty to new and expanding businesses. • Action 5.1. Complete an assessment of the City’s Development Review Process and implement changes to improve efficiency and communication. Include an analysis of cultural and language diversity needs in the permit process. • Action 5.2. Enhance one-stop permitting and rapid review of permit applications.
When appropriate, have Economic Development and/or Planning staff serve as a concierge to help businesses navigate the permitting process. • Action 5.3. Promote a faster, more efficient process for non-City permits (e.g., utility service) by educating local businesses and linking them efficiently to the appropriate agency representatives.
• Action 5.4. Review commercial zoning regulations and development standards for the City’s commercial districts to allow greater ability to include entertainment and experiential uses, dining, services, professional/medical services, or other nontraditional uses.
• Action 5.5. Review industrial zoning and development standards to ensure alignment with industry site requirements and development standards for the target industries, as well as the ability to respond to evolving facility needs over time.
GOAL 3: PRESERVE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS The strategies that follow seek to ensure that San Leandro’s industrial areas and infrastructure retain value-add businesses and support the jobs, investment, transportation, and services of today and tomorrow.
Strategy 6. Develop and implement focused plans for the city’s industrial areas that lay out a development vision, infrastructure needs, and funding mechanisms. • Action 6.1. Perform a feasibility study to evaluate the potential of district-based planning approaches for industrial areas to streamline environmental review processes, bring PG&E and other utilities into the planning process, and evaluate infrastructure capacity for additional development.
• Action 6.2. Partner with industrial developers, tenants, and property owners to plan for the future electrical infrastructure needs of key industrial sites—and jointly San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 21
advocate for increased electrical service from PG&E to meet projected electrical demand.
• Action 6.3 Inventory existing city properties and facilities that are leased or licensed to private entities, evaluate the best means for the City to manage property agreements, identify additional staffing and funding needs. • Action 6.4. Evaluate alternative means to fund operations of existing facilities or new infrastructure investments through public-private partnerships. • Action 6.5. Work with a consultant to review the Fiber Optics Master Plan and evaluate the ability of the existing City-supported fiber optic network (Lit San Leandro) to attract and retain businesses. Evaluate the future vision and business model for the City’s participation, if any, in deployment, promotion, and use of the San Leandro fiber optic network.
Strategy 7. Improve transportation infrastructure to promote transit and alternative travel modes, attract shoppers to Downtown and other key retail nodes, and facilitate commuting to industrial commercial destinations.
• Action 7.1. Support City, regional, and State projects to install bicycle, pedestrian, and infrastructure improvements and ensure that urban design and local business needs are incorporated into the public improvements. In particular, this includes TOD areas and industrial areas. • Action 7.2. Coordinate with BART to facilitate safety improvements, maintenance investments, and pedestrian access improvements at Bay Fair station to support business attraction at Bay Fair and the surrounding properties. Formalize the City’s working relationship with BART by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to guide the provision of policing, parking enforcement, maintenance, and other ongoing services necessary for the ongoing functioning of the Bay Fair area. Kick off the Bay Fair Community Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) and recommend adoption of CBTP to City Council.
• Action 7.3 Encourage business-serving transportation services, including Transportation Management Plans for larger developments, AC Transit bus services, and the LINKS industrial area shuttle. Facilitate the renewal of the LINKS Shuttle program and additional funding to provide a successful service.
GOAL 4: CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY, AND
ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES
The following strategies foster the creation and growth of community amenities and exciting gathering places in each major retail center and destination, while retaining and growing the quality of San Leandro’s retail and restaurant offerings.
Strategy 8. Support changes to the tenant mix of shopping centers that include: high-quality retail, entertainment and family-oriented businesses, and shopping and services that reflect the city’s diverse population.
• Action 8.1. Develop a Retail Action Strategy, including evaluations of retail shopping patterns, influence of demographic changes on future retail spending, and leakage to other communities in particular sectors. The Strategy should include programs to San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 22
retain the diverse retail culture, and attract new retailers in entertainment, experiential, and family-oriented retail.
• Action 8.2. Continue retail recruitment efforts through the City's Office of Business Development, including preparation of retail real estate prospectus and updated demographic and market information for prospective businesses. • Action 8.3. Partner with a retail and restaurant consultant to provide technical assistance to help older restaurants pivot or update their business to meet evolving demographics and market changes.
• Action 8.4. Continue collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and other local partners to encourage Shop Local efforts, promote local merchants, and reduce retail leakage to other cities.
• Action 8.5. Support alternative/public-private means to assist commercial districts, including the renewal and potential expansion of the Downtown Community Benefit District, and evaluate ways to partner and provide additional support to other commercial districts.
Strategy 9. Provide support to shopping centers to make safety, capital, and aesthetic improvements and help diverse local businesses respond to current market changes. • Action 9.1. Evaluate and update the Commercial Incentive Program to respond to changing business and market needs and develop outreach strategy to support continued maintenance and aesthetic improvements to centers. • Action 9.2. Support safety and security upgrades and services at shopping centers through such means as grants, public-private partnerships, merchant and property owner groups and other collaborative initiatives.
• Action 9.3. Work with owners of local retail centers to encourage them to improve their customer experience and tenant mix and to offer blended, experiential centers with family-friendly options
• Action 9.4. Encourage shopping centers to continue reinvestment in their facilities to increase their attractiveness, and better integrate them into the walkable urban fabric of the city. Explore opportunities for incentive or assistance programs, pilot projects, or other public-private partnerships.
Strategy 10. Install urban design (“placemaking”) improvements to enhance the Downtown shopping experience and strengthen Downtown’s role as a destination for culture and events. • Action 10.1 Assess the public improvement needs in Downtown to enhance the pedestrian experience and attract visitors. This may include projects to: add bike lanes, install streetscaping and/or traffic calming measures, widen sidewalks, enhance and expand plazas, expand parkland along San Leandro Creek, and upgrade infrastructure to support new mixed-use development. • Action 10.2. Design and implement cohesive improvements to downtown plazas and walkways. Evaluate potential to expand or augment downtown plazas to support public events. Pursue funding for comprehensive improvements to plazas. • Action 10.3. Design and install wayfinding, murals, and art throughout the downtown area to enhance the pedestrian experience and direct drivers to parking.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 23
• Action 10.4. Install public improvements in Downtown to enhance the enhance the quality and usability of streets and public spaces as gathering places and recreation areas. This may include projects to: add bike lanes, install streetscaping and/or traffic calming measures, widen sidewalks, expand parkland along San Leandro Creek, and upgrade infrastructure to support new mixed-use development.
• Action 10.5 Develop and implement strategies that help to improve the mix of retail and service businesses Downtown, with an emphasis on higher-end retail shops, sit-down restaurants, and experiential, family-oriented and entertainment uses.
Strategy 11. Support the phased improvement of East 14th Street into more active mixed-use and walkable districts.
• Action 11.1. In conjunction with East Bay Greenway improvements, pursue complimentary public improvements to East 14th Street which make the street more transit- and pedestrian-friendly, especially in Downtown San Leandro. These improvements could include wider sidewalks, specially designed pedestrian crossings at key intersections, street trees, undergrounding of utilities, improved transit waiting areas, and landscaping.
• Action 11.2 Explore the feasbility and requirements of creating arts districts or other means to support the performing arts and creative industries in Downtown or other commercial centers.
• Action 11.3. Explore creative business models and public-private partnerships to re-invest in the Historic Bal Theatre as an anchor to catalyze entertainment and retail in the surrounding area.
• Action 11.4. Focus City programs and grants at key nodes along East 14th Street that can form mixed-use and walkable shopping and/or entertainment districts.1 Locations include: the East 14th Street and Hesperian area, the blocks adjacent to the Historic Bal Theatre, the downtown blocks between Callan Avenue and Williams Street, and the northern portion of E 14th from Dutton to Broadmoor Avenues. In the areas along East 14th Street between the nodes, enable the transition of vacant properties to housing.
Strategy 12. Support the flexibility and evolution of major regional retail centers, including big box stores and automobile dealerships, to meet evolving market forces. • Action 12.1. Continue to monitor sales tax performance of major sales tax generators (including non-retail businesses); provide targeted outreach and explore ways to support businesses experiencing significant declines in sales. • Action 12.2. Conduct annual outreach to each of the top 10 sales tax revenue generators to share resources and learn about and respond to any pending business changes.
1 In some of these areas, it may be beneficial for the City to partner with or help form new business association, especially in areas where there is a strong concentration of businesses and/or cultural institutions serving a particular cultural or ethnic community. For more on City partnerships with Asian or Latino business associations, see Action 19.3.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 24
• Action 12.3. Respond to the unique needs of auto dealerships, particularly along Marina Boulevard. Continue ongoing conversations and assistance. Hold a dealers’ meeting to discuss their needs and challenges and explore the possible renewal of a dealership association to allow more effective response to shared needs.
Strategy 13. Evaluate opportunities for new upscale hotels. • Action 13.1. Evaluate the feasibility of attracting additional hotel uses (including analysis of current hotel market and performance of existing hotels, market gaps, financial issues, and recruitment strategy recommendations). Gain feedback from prospective hotel developers and major chains.
• Action 13.2. Identify and assess opportunity sites for potential new hotels and perform outreach to potential hotel brands and property owners as appropriate.
GOAL 5: ENSURE RESIDENT WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
San Leandro residents, businesses, and the community at large benefit when residents are prepared for the jobs of the future. Addressing the complexities of this relationship can reduce unemployment, encourage high-wage positions, and support increased business efficiency. The City may serve as coordinator and connector to ensure that education and training providers offer the training that businesses and residents need. Many education and training providers play a role in this effort, including: colleges, school districts, labor institutions like the Zero Net Energy Center, and the Alameda Workforce Development Board, as well as community organizations, employers and residents.
Strategy 14. Work with businesses and workforce development partners to ensure relevant and impactful workforce development services are provided to local residents and businesses. • Action 14.1: Develop a Workforce Partnership Strategy to engage with businesses and workforce partners to discuss workforce challenges and opportunities, share needs and available resources, and explore new partnerships and programs.
Consider holding an annual meeting of workforce partners. Workforce partner engagement may include:
• Business associations and San Leandro businesses in target industries to learn about the businesses’ workforce issues and needs, connect them with appropriate recruitment and training resources, and encourage them to participate in workforce development discussions and programs, including internships, mentorship programs, job fairs, and related activities. Share findings on needs with workforce service providers.
• Workforce service providers, which may include the Workforce Development Board, Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, and California State University East Bay, labor union training providers, and other service providers and regional partners to share information and resources about student, jobseeker, and employer needs, as well as available workforce programs.
Encourage service providers to use this information to help guide and shape curricula and workforce development policies.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 25
• Local schools and youth-serving nonprofit organizations—including the San Leandro and San Lorenzo School Districts and Boys and Girls Club—to discuss workforce needs, available programming, and new initiative opportunities for high-school students and young adults.
• Action 14.2: Coordinate with workforce partners to identify needs and opportunities, and develop programs as appropriate related to such areas as:
• Creation of educational and training programs that respond to the existing and future hiring needs of San Leandro employers, particularly the target industries.
• Expanded mentorships, internships, job training programs, and other partnerships supporting educational resources and on the job training. • Job pathways to well-paying careers for local high school students, postsecondary students, and residents with limited job skills to foster equitable and inclusive training and hiring practices within the target industries. • Industry partnerships to increase awareness and interest among San Leandro students and residents to pursue careers in target industries.
Strategy 15. Increase awareness of local job opportunities and connect residents to “careerladder” jobs (i.e., jobs that pay a living wage, provide advancement opportunities, and do not require a college degree) in local industries.
• Action 15.1. Develop a resident and business outreach plan to promote better job placement in San Leandro, with a focus on target industries and “career-ladder” jobs that are accessible without a college degree, pay living wages, and provide opportunities for advancement in local industries.
• Action 15.2. Conduct additional outreach to businesses based upon the recommendations of the outreach plan, inviting them to participate in job fairs, partner with local training programs, and expand their mentorship, internship, and on-the-job training options.
• Action 15.3. Assist in promoting local workforce programs or events for local residents as needed, based on the recommendations of the outreach plan. Seek to promote workforce opportunities at events and programs that are culturally and/or ethnically diverse and inclusive, such as LGBTQ events and Asian and Latino cultural events.
• Action 15.4. Create a job-seeker “resource guide” on the San Leandro website to share information about available jobs and workforce development programs, local job and career fairs, workshops, trusted community organizations, and other means of job placement.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 26
Strategy 16. Explore the potential for higher education institutions and scientific labs to locate or partner with San Leandro workforce stakeholders
• Action 16.1. Research East Bay higher education institutions with an eye to creating and strengthening partnerships and expanding service offerings physically located in San Leandro. This includes evaluating the potential for a community college, university presence, or a business incubator with an educational partner in San Leandro. Based on research, implement approaches that will support goals.
Strategy 17. Reduce barriers to employment by improving awareness, delivery, and accessibility of existing childcare services
• Action 17.1. Evaluate the current availability and affordability of childcare for workers living in San Leandro. Identify and implement action items as part of this evaluation to enhance affordability, improve access, or promote existing resources as needed.
GOAL 6: SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
San Leandro’s small businesses not only create job and income opportunities for residents and families, but also define and reflect the community’s diverse and welcoming character. The City can play a critical role in enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities through technical support partnerships, culturally relevant services, and transparent City processes.
Strategy 18. Expand partnerships to promote business planning and other technical assistance, training, and financial resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs. • 18.1 Update the Small Business Technical Assistance (TA) Workplan to provide direction on work in the following areas:
• Expand virtual and in-person technical assistance, training, and funding support opportunities for entrepreneurs via specialized technical service partners like the East Bay Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. The technical assistance may include a range of topics, including business planning, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, website and digital marketing, procurement, import/export opportunities, lease negotiations, personnel management, and other business management issues.
• Partner with the Small Business Administration, CDFIs (such as Working Solutions or ICA Fund), and/or other organizations to facilitate access to capital for local businesses, including crowdfunding, micro-lending, venture capital investment, City-sponsored business incentive programs, and traditional lending resources.
• Use the City’s website, San Leandro NEXT, and social media channels to help connect local businesses and entrepreneurs to Federal, State, nonprofit, and private organizations and programs that can provide access to capital, technical assistance, and other support.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 27
• Partner with the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the San Leandro Black Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations to facilitate and promote under-represented business services, such as business seminars, one-on-one business consulting, and other technical assistance to local businesses that traditionally have not received the same level of service, attention, and access as more traditional, mainstream businesses. This includes women-owned businesses, LGBTQ entrepreneurs, and small businesses within San Leandro’s Latino, Asian American, and African American business communities.
• Action 18.2. Explore the feasibility of creating a small business center for entrepreneurship assistance that provides a resource for persons operating or considering operating a business in San Leandro.
Strategy 19. Make San Leandro more customer-friendly to small and diverse businesses, with transparent, fast, and understandable permitting processes. • Action 19.1. Improve and update online and physical materials outlining City processes and resources for small businesses and home-based businesses on an ongoing basis. Create and maintain Spanish and Chinese translations of all materials.
• Action 19.2. Conduct outreach to landlords and event organizers (such as farmers markets, festivals, etc.) to identify low-barrier-to-entry opportunities for small businesses and home-based businesses, such as pop-up activations of vacant spaces and sales spaces at events. Evaluate the potential of developing a pop-up retail program by doing outreach to existing commercial pop-up program providers and/or consultants and develop or participate in a program as appropriate. • Action 19.3 Perform outreach and work with multi-cultural, women, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses and business service providers to better share information, identify needs, help navigate permitting, help prevent small business displacement, and develop culturally appropriate services. Assist businesses in forming, or participating in, local business organizations as appropriate.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 28
Implementation Action Steps Matrix
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
GOAL 1: ACCELERATE INNOVATION AND GROWTH OF TARGET INDUSTRIES
1. SectorFocused
Recruitment
1.1 Develop an Innovation Action Strategy to attract and retain innovative businesses in the target industries (noted above), which will be based on ongoing outreach and research,
including:
Economic
Development
Innovation Action
Strategy Year 1
1.2 Conduct outreach to industry representatives and
intermediaries (including brokers, developers, trade
organizations, etc.) to learn more about the trends and issues of the target industries, understand site selection criteria, increase the City’s visibility and credibility, and build relationships for future collaboration. Partner with organizations such as East Bay EDA, AMBayArea, and NAIOP to participate at trade shows and business events.
Economic
Development
Target Industry
Stakeholder
Outreach
Ongoing
1.3 Meet with businesses in the target industry groups. Use these visits to identify the business needs and opportunities of existing businesses in San Leandro in the target industries and link businesses to available services and resources.
Economic
Development
Target Industry
Business Meetings Ongoing
1.4. Conduct an assessment of major industrial opportunity sites to help prepare them to for future development. Work with the property owners to explore ways to invest, improve, and effectively market the properties to the target industries.
Economic
Development
Industrial
Opportunity Site
Assessment
Year 3
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 29
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
1. SectorFocused
Recruitment
1.5. Perform direct outreach to nearby incubator spaces, equityinvestors, and other representatives of target industries to strengthen San Leandro’s regional reputation and opportunities in these industries.
Economic
Development
Business Incubator
Outreach Ongoing
1.6. Explore long-term initiatives to attract, develop, and expand creative industries. This includes: (a) seeking to attract film production firms, (b) programs and partnerships to grow culinary entrepreneurship and culinary tourism; (c) explore the
development of an arts, entertainment and cultural district on East 14th Street, anchored by the BAL Theater; (d) modify current zoning in commercial and industrial areas to be more flexible in allowing creative industries; and (e) explore partnerships with university and professional organizations to facilitate education, training, apprenticeship, and other support for creative entrepreneurs.
Economic
Development
Creative Economy
Strategy Year 2
2. Branding &
Marketing
2.1 Create a clear, simple, and vivid branding strategy that will articulate San Leandro’s vision and identity, and will
communicate the city’s economic opportunities and advantages as a manufacturing and emerging innovation hub.
Economic
Development
& City
Manager's
Office
City Branding
Strategy Year 2
2.2 Develop a marketing plan that includes specific marketing materials and engagement activities, including online
messaging, press and media, events, trade shows, publications, and other marketing assets.
Economic
Development
Economic
Development
Marketing Plan
Year 3
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 30
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
2. Branding &
Marketing
2.3 Explore a “Work Local, Live Local” campaign designed to encourage persons working in San Leandro to seek out local housing opportunities. The campaign would promote the
benefits of living in the city, the environmental and personal benefits of reduced commute times, and links to local real estate and housing opportunities.
Economic
Development
"Work Local, Live
Local" element in
Marketing Plan
Year 4
3. Supporting
Legacy Industry
Sectors
3.1. Meet regularly with businesses in existing value-add industries—e.g., food production, construction, and precision machining—to monitor ongoing infrastructure, workforce, and safety needs, and provide support services to help retain them.
Economic
Development
Value-Add Industry
Business Meetings Ongoing
3.2. Participate in regional industry organizations and efforts (such as AMBayArea and East Bay EDA) and monitor industry trends and economic/market changes that could impact the retention and growth of industrial businesses, such as
generative artificial intelligence (AI), supply chain, or other issues.
Economic
Development
Industry Trend
Monitoring Ongoing
3.3. Connect industrial businesses with available resources via the website, meetings and training. Partner with Manex
Consulting or other organizations to provide technical assistance to industrial firms.
Economic
Development
Update information
on Industrial
Resources on City
Website, hold 1
industry-focused
seminar or event per
year
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 31
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
GOAL 2: SUPPORT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND UPDATE ZONING
4. Facilitate
Transformational
Development
Projects
4.1 Pursue implementation of capital improvements and
partnerships to support the creation of a mixed-use innovation node at Bayfair Center. Partner with property owners and agency partners to prepare Development Plan for Bay Fair TOD SubArea 1 utilizing MTC Priority Development Area Grant Funds.
Planning
Development Plan
for Bay Fair TOD
Sub-Area 1
Year 1-3
4.2 Provide staff support, services and investments to
accelerate high quality and fiscally sustainable development in the Shoreline area, including housing, dining, lodging, entertainment, and recreation amenities to residents. Continue interdepartmental support of cleanup and beautification.
Allocate key staff in the Economic Development, Planning, Building, and Engineering & Transportation Divisions to facilitate development and permitting. Continue seeking grant funding for City park through interdepartmental grant team.
Economic
Development,
Planning,
Building,
Engineering,
Public Works,
City Manager's
Office
Support cleanup and
beautification;
facilitate
development and
permitting; seek
grant funding for City
park
Ongoing
4.3 Encourage development of the "Kaiser North" parcel located north of the Kaiser Permanente Hospital with uses such as restaurants, a hotel and conference center, destination retail, business services, personal services, and offices and
workspaces. The design of new development should create an active street presence along Merced Street, with wider
sidewalks and ground floor storefronts, as well as interior activity streets and public spaces, including outdoor dining areas.
Economic
Development,
Planning
2 or more meetings
a year with Kaiser
representatives
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 32
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
4. Facilitate
Transformational
Development
Projects
4.4 Convene regular meetings with brokers, developers, and property owners to provide updates regarding major
development projects and other City efforts/conditions, receive input regarding concerns and upcoming changes, and to
promote opportunities at the transformational development projects.
Economic
Development
Annual Development
Breakfast Ongoing
4.5 Implement Housing Element policies and programs to
enable housing development close to BART stations and retail nodes—including Downtown San Leandro, Bay Fair, and major retail concentrations along East 14th Street, which will support retail businesses, improve resident access to amenities, and reduce resident transportation costs. Complete Housing
Element Annual Progress Report each year by State Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department deadline, which
demonstrates actions taken to implement Housing Element annually.
Planning &
Housing
Housing Element
Annual Progress
Report
Ongoing
5. City Processes
5.1 Complete an assessment of the City's Development Review Process and implement changes to improve efficiency and communication in the permit process. Include an analysis of cultural and language diversity needs in the permit process.
Planning &
Building
Development
Process Evaluation Year 1-2
5.2 Enhance one-stop permitting and rapid review of permit applications. When appropriate, have Economic Development and/or Planning staff serve as a concierge to help businesses navigate the permitting process.
Planning,
Building,
Economic
Development
Development
Process Evaluation Year 1-2
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 33
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
5. City Processes
5.3. Promote a faster, more efficient process for non-City permits (e.g., utility service) by educating local businesses and linking them efficiently to the appropriate agency
representatives.
Planning &
Building
Outside Agency
Information page on
City website
Year 2
5.4. Review commercial zoning regulations and development standards to allow greater ability to include entertainment and experiential uses, dining, services, professional/medical services, or other nontraditional uses.
Planning &
Building
Non-Residential
Zoning Amendments
Project
Year 1-3
5.5. Review industrial zoning and development standards to ensure alignment with industry site requirements and
development standards for the target industries, as well as the ability to respond to evolving facility needs over time.
Planning &
Building
Non-Residential
Zoning Amendments
Project
Year 1-3
GOAL 3: PRESERVE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
6. Industrial
Infrastructure
6.1. Perform a feasibility study to evaluate the potential of district-based planning approaches for industrial areas to streamline environmental review processes, bring PG&E and other utilities into the planning process, and evaluate infrastructure capacity for additional development.
Planning
Community Facilities
District Feasibility
Study
Year 2
6.2 Partner with industrial developers, tenants, and property owners to plan for the future electrical infrastructure needs of key industrial sites – and jointly advocate for increased electrical service from PG&E to meet projected electrical demand.
Economic
Development
Develop Electrical
Needs and Capacity
Study scope and
cost, perform study
as feasible
Year 2-3
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 34
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
6.3 Inventory existing city properties and facilities that are leased or licensed to private entities, evaluate the best means for the City to manage property agreements, identify additional staffing and funding needs.
City Managers
Office
City Real Estate
Assessment
Year 3
6. Industrial
Infrastructure
6.3 Evaluate alternative means to fund operations of existing facilities or new infrastructure investments through public private partnerships.
City Manager’s
Office
City Facility Public
Private Partnership
Feasibility Analysis
Year 4
6.4. Work with a consultant to review the Fiber Optics Master Plan and evaluate the ability for the existing City-supported fiber optic network (Lit San Leandro) to attract and retain businesses.
Evaluate the future vision and business model for the City’s participation, if any, in deployment, promotion, and use of the San Leandro fiber optic network.
Economic
Development
& Information
Technologies
City Fiber Network
Market Evaluation Year 5
7. Transportation
Infrastructure
7.1. Support City, regional, and State projects to install bicycle, pedestrian, and infrastructure improvements and ensure that urban design and local business needs are incorporated into the public improvements. In particular, this includes TOD areas and industrial areas.
Public Works -
Engineering
Complete Pedestrian
and Bicycle Master
Plan Update by
December 2024 and
engage business
representative
groups throughout
process.
Year 1
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 35
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
7.2. Coordinate with BART to facilitate safety improvements, maintenance investments, and pedestrian access
improvements at Bay Fair station to support business attraction at Bay Fair and the surrounding properties. Formalize the City’s working relationship with BART by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to guide the provision of policing, parking enforcement, maintenance, and other ongoing services
necessary for the ongoing functioning of the Bay Fair area. Kick off the Bay Fair Community Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) and recommend adoption of CBTP to City Council.
Planning
Enter into MOU with
BART by December
2024; Kick of CBTP
by December 2024
and recommend
adoption to Council
by December 2026.
Year 1-3
7.3 Encourage business-serving transportation services, including Transportation Management Plans for larger
developments, AC Transit bus services, and the LINKS industrial area shuttle. Facilitate the renewal of the LINKS Shuttle program and additional funding to provide a successful service.
Public Works &
Economic
Development
LINKS Shuttle
expanded funding
and renewal
Year 5
GOAL 4. CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY, AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES
8. Support Retail
& Restaurant
tenant mix to
adapt to changing
demographics
and market
dynamics
8.1. Develop a Retail Action Strategy, including evaluations of retail shopping patterns, influence of demographic changes on future retail spending, and leakage to other communities in particular sectors. The Strategy should include programs to retain the diverse retail culture, and attract new retailers in entertainment, experiential, and family-oriented retail.
Economic
Development
Retail Action
Strategy Year 1
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 36
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
8.2. Continue retail recruitment efforts through the City's Office of Business Development, including preparation of retail real estate prospectus and updated demographic and market
information for prospective businesses.
Economic
Development
Retail marketing
materials Year 2
8.3. Partner with a retail and restaurant consultant to provide technical assistance to help older restaurants pivot or update their business to meet evolving demographics and market changes.
Economic
Development Consultant contract Year 3
8.4. Continue collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and other local partners to encourage Shop Local efforts, promote local merchants, and reduce retail leakage to other cities.
Economic
Development
Annual promotion of
benefits of shopping
local
Ongoing
8.5. Support alternative/public-private means to provide support to commercial districts, including the renewal and potential expansion of the Downtown Community Benefit District, and evaluate potential means to partner and provide additional support to other commercial districts.
Economic
Development
Renewal of
Downtown
Community Benefit
District
Year 3
9. Retail Center
Improvements
9.1. Evaluate and update the Commercial Incentive Program to respond to changing business and market needs and develop outreach strategy to support continued maintenance and
aesthetic improvements to centers.
Economic
Development
Updated
Commercial
Incentive Program
Year 1
9.2. Support safety and security upgrades and services at shopping centers through such things as grants, public-private partnerships, merchant and property owner groups and other collaborative initiatives.
Economic
Development
Continue Small
Business Security
Grant Program
Year 1
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 37
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
9.3. Work with owners of local retail centers to encourage them to improve their customer experience and tenant mix, to offer blended, experiential centers, and to modernize and upgrade their properties.
Economic
Development
Work with shopping
centers to
implement Retail
Action Strategy and
attract quality retail
Year 2-5
9.4. Encourage shopping centers to continue reinvestment in their facilities to increase their attractiveness, and better integrate them into the walkable urban fabric of the city. Explore opportunities for new incentive or assistance programs, pilot projects, or other public-private partnerships.
Economic
Development
Grant all funds in
annual Commercial
Incentive Program,
implement new
programs as
appropriate
Ongoing
10.1 Assess the public improvement needs in Downtown to enhance the pedestrian experience and attract visitors. This may include projects to: add bike lanes, install streetscaping and/or traffic calming measures, widen sidewalks, enhance and expand plazas, expand parkland along San Leandro Creek, and upgrade infrastructure to support new mixed-use development.
Economic
Development
& Public Works
Downtown Public
Improvements
Needs Assessment
Year 3
10. Downtown
Placemaking
10.2. Design and implement cohesive improvements to
downtown plazas and walkways. Evaluate potential to expand or augment downtown plazas to support public events. Pursue funding for comprehensive improvements to plazas.
Public Works Downtown Plaza
Feasibility Analysis Year 3
10.3. Design and install wayfinding, murals, and art throughout the downtown area to enhance the pedestrian experience and direct drivers to parking.
Economic
Development /
Public Works
Install new
downtown
wayfinding, continue
public art as feasible
Year 4
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 38
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
10. Downtown
Placemaking
10.4. Install public improvements in Downtown to enhance the enhance the quality and usability of streets and public spaces as gathering places and recreation areas. This may include projects to: add bike lanes, install streetscaping and/or traffic calming measures, widen sidewalks, expand parkland along San Leandro Creek, and upgrade infrastructure to support new mixed-use development.
Economic
Development /
Public Works
Propose a list of
downtown public
improvements and
placemaking
projects for Capital
Improvement Plan
Ongoing
10.5. Develop and implement strategies that help to improve the mix of retail and service businesses Downtown, with an emphasis on higher-end retail shops, sit-down restaurants, and experiential, family-oriented and entertainment uses.
Economic
Development
Implement
Downtown element
of Retail Action
Strategy
3 Years
11. Developing
East 14th Street
11.1. In conjunction with East Bay Greenway improvements, pursue complimentary public improvements to East 14th Street which make the street more transit- and pedestrian-friendly, especially in Downtown San Leandro. These improvements
could include wider sidewalks, specially designed pedestrian crossings at key intersections, street trees, undergrounding of utilities, improved transit waiting areas, and landscaping.
Public Works /
Economic
Development
Propose and
advocate for
streetscape
improvement
projects in the City's
Capital Improvement
Plan;
Support
jurisdictional
transfer of E 14th
St. from CalTrans to
the City, per criteria
in General Plan
Action T-8.5.A
Year 3
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 39
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
11.2 Explore the feasbility and requirements of creating arts districts or other means to support the performing arts and creative industries in Downtown or other commercial centers.
Economic
Development
Downtown Arts
District Feasibility
Analysis
Year 3
11. Developing
East 14th Street
11.3. Explore creative business models and public-private partnerships to re-invest in the Historic Bal Theatre as an anchor to catalyze entertainment and retail in the surrounding area.
Economic
Development
Bal Theatre
Feasibility Analysis Year 3
11.4. Focus City programs and grants at key nodes along East 14th Street that can form mixed-use and walkable shopping and/or entertainment districts. Locations include: the East 14th Street and Hesperian area, the blocks adjacent to the Historic Bal Theatre, the downtown blocks between Callan Avenue and Williams Street, and the northern portion of E 14th St, from Dutton to Broadmoor Avenues. In the areas along East 14th Street between the nodes, enable the transition of vacant properties to housing.
Economic
Development /
Planning
Each year, focus City
programs and grants
at one of the key
nodes along East
14th St to maximize
visual impact
Ongoing
12. Support
Major Retail, Big
Box & Auto
Dealerships to
adapt to evolving
market forces
12.1 Continue to monitor sales tax performance of major sales tax revenue generators (including non-retail businesses).
Provide targeted outreach and explore ways to support
businesses experiencing significant declines in sales.
Economic
Development
4 meetings with HdL
/ year, perform
outreach to
businesses in
decline
Ongoing
12.2 Conduct annual outreach to San Leandro’s top 10 sales tax revenue generators to share resources and learn about and respond to any pending business changes.
Economic
Development
Reach out to top 10
businesses each
year and schedule
meetings as
appropriate.
Maintain updated
contacts.
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 40
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
12. Support
Major Retail, Big
Box & Auto
Dealerships to
adapt to evolving
market forces
12.3 Respond to the unique needs of auto dealerships,
particularly along Marina Boulevard. Continue ongoing
communications and assistance. Hold a dealers’ meeting to discuss their needs and challenges and explore the possible renewal of a dealership association to allow more effective response to shared needs.
Economic
Development
1 meeting w/ auto
dealers Year 2
13. Hotel
Attraction
13.1 Evaluate the feasibility of attracting hotel uses (including analysis of market gaps, primary opportunity sites, and recruitment strategy recommendations). Gain feedback from prospective hotel developers and major chains.
Economic
Development
Hotel feasibility
study Year 3
13.2 Identify and assess opportunity sites for potential new hotels and perform outreach to hotel brands and property owners as appropriate
Economic
Development
Promote prospective
sites to major hotel
brands.
Year 4
GOAL 5. ENSURE RESIDENT WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES
14. Increase
Services and
Opportunities
14.1 Develop a Workforce Partnership Strategy to engage with businesses and workforce partners to discuss workforce
challenges and opportunities, share needs and available resources, and explore new partnerships and programs.
Consider holding an annual meeting of workforce partners.
Workforce partner engagement may include:
Economic
Development
Workforce
Partnership Strategy Year 1
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 41
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
14. Increase
Services and
Opportunities
14.1.1 Business associations and San Leandro businesses in target industries to learn about the businesses’ workforce issues and needs, connect them with appropriate
recruitment and training resources, and encourage them to participate in workforce development discussions and
programs, including internships, mentorship programs, job fairs, and related activities. Share findings on needs with workforce service providers.
Economic
Development
Annual meetings
with key business
stakeholders
Ongoing
14.1.2 Workforce service providers, which may include the Workforce Development Board, Chabot-Las Positas
Community College District, and California State University East Bay, labor union training providers, and other service providers and regional partners to share information and resources about student, job-seeker, and employer needs, as well as available workforce programs. Encourage service providers to use this information to help guide and shape curricula and workforce development policies.
Economic
Development
Annual meetings
with key workforce
service providers
Ongoing
14.1.3 Local schools and youth-serving nonprofit
organizations—including the San Leandro and San Lorenzo School Districts and Boys and Girls Club to discuss
workforce needs, available programming, and new initiative opportunities for high-school students and young adults.
Economic
Development
Annual meetings
with local schools
and youth-serving
nonprofits
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 42
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
14. Increase
Services and
Opportunities
14.2. Coordinate with workforce partners to identify needs and opportunities, and develop programs as appropriate related to such areas as:
• Creation of educational and training programs that
respond to the existing and future hiring needs of San
Leandro employers, particularly the target industries.
• Expanded mentorships, internships, job training
programs, and other partnerships supporting
educational resources and on the job training.
• Job pathways to well-paying careers for local high school students, post-secondary students, and residents with
limited job skills to foster equitable and inclusive
training and hiring practices within the target industries. • Industry partnerships to increase awareness and
interest among San Leandro students and residents to
pursue careers in target industries.
Economic
Development
Collaborate on the
development of
programs as
appropriate
Ongoing
15. Prepare
Workers for
Career-Ladder
Jobs in Targeted
Industries
15.1. Develop a resident and business workforce outreach plan to promote better job placement in San Leandro, with a focus on target industries and “career-ladder” jobs that are accessible without a college degree, pay living wages, and provide opportunities for advancement in local industries.
Economic
Development
Workforce Outreach
Plan Year 2
15.2. Conduct additional outreach to businesses based upon the recommendations of the outreach plan, inviting them to participate in job fairs, partner with local training programs, and expand their mentorship, internship, and on-the-job training options.
Economic
Development
Ongoing business
outreach Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 43
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
15. Prepare
Workers for
Career-Ladder
Jobs in Targeted
Industries
15.3. Assist in promoting local workforce programs or events for local residents as needed, based on the recommendations of the outreach plan. Seek to promote workforce opportunities at events and programs that are culturally and/or ethnically diverse and inclusive, such as LGBTQ events and Asian and Latino cultural events.
Economic
Development Ongoing Ongoing
15.4. Create a job-seeker “resource guide” on the San Leandro website to share information about available jobs and workforce development programs, local job and career fairs, workshops, trusted community organizations, and other means of job placement.
Economic
Development
Updated website
content Year 3
16. On-site
Educational
Facility
16.1. Research East Bay higher education institutions with an eye to create and strengthen partnerships and expand service offerings physically located in San Leandro. This includes evaluating the potential for a community college, university presence, or a business incubator with an educational partner in San Leandro. Based on research, implement approaches that will support goals.
Higher Education
Partnership
Feasibility
Study/report
Year 2
17. Reduce
Barriers to
Employment
17.1. Evaluate the current availability and affordability of childcare for workers living in San Leandro. Identify and implement action items as part of this evaluation to enhance affordability, improve access, or promote existing resources as needed.
Economic
Development
Childcare Services
and Needs
Assessment
Year 3
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 44
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
GOAL 6. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
18.1 Update the Small Business Technical Assistance (TA) Workplan to provide direction on work in the following areas:
Economic
Development
Updated Small
Business Technical
Assistance Workplan
Year 1
18. Partnerships
and Connections
18.1.1 Expand virtual and physical technical assistance, training, and funding support opportunities for entrepreneurs via specialized technical service partners like the East Bay Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and Renaissance
Entrepreneurship Center. The technical assistance may include a range of topics, including business planning, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, website and digital marketing, procurement, import/export opportunities, lease negotiations, personnel management, and other business management
issues.
Economic
Development
Technical Assistance
Contracts as
recommended in
Workplan
Ongoing
18.1.2 Partner with the Small Business Administration, CDFIs (such as ICA Fund), and/or other organizations to facilitate access to capital for local businesses, including crowdfunding, micro-lending, venture capital investment, City-sponsored business incentive programs, and traditional lending resources.
Economic
Development
CDFI partnerships as
recommended in
Workplan
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 45
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
18.1.3. Use the City’s website, San Leandro NEXT, and social media channels to help connect local businesses and
entrepreneurs to resources from Federal, State, nonprofit, and private organizations and programs that can provide access to capital, technical assistance, and other support.
Economic
Development
Update resource
webpage at least
once-year, share
information on
appropriate
communication
channels
Ongoing
18. Partnerships
and Connections
18.1.4. Partner with the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce the Oakland Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the San
Leandro Black Chamber of Commerce and other business
organizations to facilitate and promote under-represented business services such as business seminars, one-on-one business consulting, and other technical assistance to local businesses that traditionally have not received the same level of service, attention, and access as more traditional, mainstream businesses. This includes women-owned businesses, LGBTQ entrepreneurs] and small business within San Leandro’s Latino-, Asian-, and African-American business communities.
Economic
Development
Service Provider
Contracts as
recommended in
Workplan
Ongoing
18.2. Explore the feasibility of creating a small business center for entrepreneurship assistance that provides a resource for persons operating or considering operating a business in San Leandro.
Economic
Development Summary memo Year 3
19. Ease of Doing
Business
19.1 Improve and update online and physical materials outlining City processes and resources for small businesses on an ongoing basis; maintain Spanish, and Chinese translations of all materials.
Economic
Development
Publishing of online
and printed
materials
Year 1
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 46
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Time Frame
19. Ease of Doing
Business
19.2 Conduct outreach to landlords and event organizers (such as farmers markets, festivals, etc.) to identify low barrier-to-entry opportunities for small businesses such as pop-up activations of vacant spaces and sales spaces at event. Evaluate the potential of developing a pop-up retail program by doing outreach to existing commercial pop-up program providers and/or
consultants and develop or participate in a program as
appropriate.
Economic
Development
List existing
opportunities (e.g.-
Artisan Market) on
website, Evaluate
feasibility of Pop-up
Retail Program
Year 3
19.3 Perform outreach and work to better connect with and serve in culturally appropriate ways San Leandro’s diverse business communities including women business leaders and those from disadvantaged, linguistically isolated, immigrant, LGBTQ+ and other groups directly and through new and/or existing intermediaries trusted within those communities.
Economic
Development
Quarterly touch base
with diverse
business service
providers
Ongoing
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy 47
APPENDICES
Appendix I: Technical Analysis Report
This appendix is currently under development and will be included in a future revised draft of the Economic Development Strategy.
Appendix II: First Community Workshop Summary
Appendix III: Second Community Workshop Summary
Appendix IV: Summary Report on Developing the Creative
Economy in San Leandro
Appendix V: Summary Analysis of Funding Opportunities
This appendix is currently under development and will be included in a future revised draft of the Economic Development Strategy.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
1 Introduction
The City of San Leandro is preparing a new Economic Development Strategy that will guide the City’s economic development actions over the next five years and beyond. The Economic Development Strategy will identify San Leandro’s best opportunities to promote high-quality jobs, improve economic opportunity for San Leandro businesses and population groups, and respond to the impacts of COVID-19, new industry trends, and regional economic trends.
Through this strategy, the City also aims to:
• Organize their economic development resources and efforts in the most efficient and effective way possible.
• Develop programs to help all San Leandro businesses, including groups who historically have been underserved or faced discrimination.
• Expand the City’s status and visibility in the Bay Area development community.
A two-hour Open House was held on November 18th, 2023, at 10:30am at the San Leandro Boys and Girls Club to discuss and gather feedback on the following topics:
● General Community Priorities
● San Leandro Economy Overview
● Retail & Personal Services
● Industrial & Office Employment Areas
● Workforce & Job Training
● Small Businesses & Entrepreneurship
Around 50 San Leandro community members attended the Open House to learn about the City’s Economic Development Strategy, share their feedback, and participate in an interactive 20-minute presentation. Katie Bowman, the City’s Economic Development Director, welcomed participants and oriented them to the event. Derek Braun, of Strategic Economics, then gave a presentation that walked participants through the technical content of each workshop station.
The presentation included participant engagement via four informal interactive polling questions. Questions covered participants’ relationships to San Leandro (resident, worker, etc.), Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
2 use of economic development services, and two “trivia” questions related to data in the presentation.
The presentation closed with a brief question and answer period.
Figure 1: Katie Bowman, San Leandro Economic Development Manager, kicks off the workshop presentation.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
3 Input Notes
1. GENERAL COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
Participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the statements and to indicate priorities for San Leandro’s economic development by placing a dot sticker in the corresponding column on the board.
Figure 2a: Attendees placed a dot to share their level of agreement with the statements.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
4 Figure 3b: Attendees placed a dot to share their level of agreement with the statements.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
5 Figure 3: Workshop staff listen to participants' thoughts on the future of San Leandro's economic development.
Summary:
Ensuring safety in San Leandro was the most popular priority selected, with 25 people considering it the highest priority. Noteworthy is that no participant selected this as a low priority. The creation of vibrant public spaces had nearly the same number of highest-priority selections, with 22 people considering it the highest priority. Additionally, supporting local businesses is a key focus, as 14 people prioritize creating a favorable environment for small businesses, and 15 people see providing support and services for entrepreneurs as the highest priority. Affordable housing is also significant, with 13 people prioritizing it highly. Job opportunities in one's occupation/profession and transportation options show varied perspectives, with an equal number of people assigning them low, medium, or high priority, highlighting diverse community needs and preferences.
2. SAN LEANDRO ECONOMY OVERVIEW
Participants were asked about San Leandro’s Top Strengths and Top Challenges for Supporting and Growing Businesses.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
6 Summary:
Participants commented that the city’s strengths for business growth include its location, affordability, safety, community support, and access to transportation. Community members highlight the diverse population, convenient transit options, and a small-town feel as additional strengths. Challenges include a slow and expensive permitting process, a need for technical training in schools, and a focus on downtown support to the exclusion of other areas. Concerns also encompass crime, funding for new businesses, and coordination between school performance and workforce development. Suggestions for improvement include faster permit processing, increased police services, and addressing homelessness and traffic enforcement.
3. RETAIL AND PERSONAL SERVICES
Participants were asked what type of retail, restaurants, or services they would like to see more of in San Leandro. They were also asked which retail/restaurant centers, if any, need upgrades or revitalization. They were asked to describe why and what is needed.
Summary:
Participants highlighted areas in San Leandro needing upgrades, such as Pelton Plaza, Alvarado, and the Rite Aid shopping center, citing issues like cleanliness and safety concerns. Suggestions include improvements for walkability at Pelton Plaza, a central plaza parking structure at the downtown Safeway, and beautification along East 14th Street. Residents desire more upscale restaurants, better grocery stores, and family-friendly venues, emphasizing a preference for locally owned and environmentally conscious businesses.
4. INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE EMPLOYMENT AREAS
Participants were asked what kinds of changes or improvements would make industrial districts more attractive places to work or operate a business. They were also asked which types of jobs or businesses that would be helpful to see in these industrial and office employment areas.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
7 Figure 4: Participants' input and opinions were written on sticky notes and placed on boards with prompt questions.
Summary:
Participants expressed a desire for diverse job opportunities in industrial and office areas, such as advanced manufacturing, tech, and entertainment. Their priorities include housing, environmentally conscious businesses, and spaces dedicated to youth. Suggestions for improving industrial districts focused on safety, green spaces, air quality monitoring, and initiatives to address crime and homelessness, reflecting a community seeking balanced development and enhanced quality of life.
5. WORKFORCE AND JOB TRAINING
Participants were asked which types of training programs or facilities the City should pursue.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
8 Figure 5: Many stations included background information for participants to learn more facts about San Leandro, such as where residents commute to for work.
Summary:
Participants provided a variety of recommendations for training programs, including attracting tech companies, implementing trade programs from high school to manufacturing, and aligning initiatives with regional sectors. They emphasized the importance of computer literacy for adults, green industry jobs addressing climate change, and vocational apprenticeships, while also advocating for partnerships with businesses and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Additionally, suggestions covered transportation access, supporting seniors in aging in place, and teaching essential life skills such as driving, finances, and professional development.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
9 6. SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Participants were asked what kinds of barriers or challenges exist for small businesses or entrepreneurs in San Leandro. They were also asked what additional programs or resources would be helpful for supporting small businesses or entrepreneurs.
Figure 6: Attendees visited stations to discuss San Leandro's future with workshop staff.
Summary:
Participants shared that San Leandro small businesses and entrepreneurs encounter challenges such as crime, slow permitting, and a lack of grant awareness. Suggestions for support include incentives, technical assistance academies, apprenticeships, and fiscal sponsorship. The need for a more efficient city website and promotion of local non-chain restaurants are also emphasized as crucial resources for business development.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
10 Transcription of Feedback
STATION 1
What should be the top priorities for San Leandro? (See Appendix A) How well is San Leandro meeting your needs? (See Appendix B) STATION 2
What are San Leandro’s top strengths for supporting and growing businesses? • Space, proximity, cleanliness.
• Easier permitting, safe streets, housing for employees. • Access to public transportation.
• Our location.
• Community support.
• Location, access to transportation. Population is thirsty for more options, climate regional police.
• Location, BART, affordability (rents and values).
• Incoming businesses that attract additional businesses, diverse population, proximity to transportation: freeway, BART, and Oakland.
• It is safer than Oakland & San Francisco.
• Motivated citizens, diversity is great, and has convenient transportation. • Location and ability to be affordable while being near commute routes and near mass transit.
• Industrial area in addition to retail area.
• Location, weather, space, safety, affordability.
• People!! Small-town feel while being friendly. Leverage lived experiences from a diverse population. (x2)
• Public transit. 2) Location in East Bay.
• How come businesses can’t put advertisements in the library? Why only non-profits? We don’t make money.
• Space for industry.
• BART stops. (x2)
• Accessible staff who are open to suggestions.
• Please share what is presently open. Very little exposure; seems like a friends-only zone. • Support city staff.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
11 What are San Leandro’s top challenges for supporting and growing businesses? • Approval process for permits is one of the worst in the Bay Area. Very expensive, slow, and preferential.
• Bring back technical training in schools. Bring back manufacturing businesses. • Current mixed-use development favors chain-store retail. We need support for independent businesses.
• Current development is not creating a walkable center, which supports small businesses.
• Crime. Average income means higher-priced retail/restaurants; operations struggle.
Downtown is not vibrant, clean, safe, doesn’t appear attractive - no curb appeal. • Too much focus on downtown support to exclusion of other areas. • Funding and grants for new businesses to be incentivized to be in San Leandro and stay in San Leandro
• Cost of living.
• More police & other public safety support. More streetlights & cameras. • Have the city support & mentor internship programs in high schools to help students not going on to college.
• Rental reform – evidence-based goals and objectives must be used. Set realistic baseline. Live and walk in the community is not realistic for every income level. • Permits & licenses like business permits, fire department permits are too slow. Need to be faster. Scares businesses away.
• Not coordinating San Leandro Unified School District school performance to workforce & talent development.
• Rental reform - do not duplicate ordinances already established at state or county level.
This increases expenses and liabilities for small-business landlords. • Too many unlicensed trucks and vendors, especially near Home Depot • Homelessness, traffic enforcement, potholes.
• Lots of windows boarded up. Prosecute crime. Vandalism and theft. • Street lighting and safe walking at night.
• Support for small landlords should be considered. Today it is skewed towards rental/tenant too far. Must consider how to attract more capital for housing and if landlords are not supported, this will be difficult.
• More police services and manpower.
• People worry about safety. Business owners can chip in to pay fees every month to hire security.
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Community Workshop Summary & Input
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12 • Median income needs improvement. Public safety/crime. • Awareness. Ease of shopping and safety.
• Streets are not kept clean or feeling safe.
• Rent prices taking up disposable income.
• Creating spaces that feel welcoming, with bike and pedestrian access, instead of cars. • High crime rate.
• We need to increase the minimum wage to living wage - $20/hour. • Coordination of business license process - clear steps and updates via more than email i.e. robocall updates.
• Transportation.
• Permits and crime. (x2)
• Urban blight, homelessness.
STATION 3
What retail/restaurant centers, if any, need upgrades or revitalization? Please describe why, or what is needed.
• All of them! Trash needs picking up regularly, planters need regular care and tending, homeless and panhandlers need to be addressed, more light at night. • Retail needs to be able to reduce theft, shoppers need to feel safe. • Pelton Plaza could be revitalized. Downtown parking meters are confusing to use. • Rite Aid shopping center at MacArthur.
• The Greenhouse!!
• Alvarado is good for biking. But what happened to Dick’s Diner? • All except Marina Square Center. Need more high-end, safe shopping; tired of going to Alameda to CVS + Walmart.
• Increase the grant program for more property owners to use. • Parking at Downtown Safeway = underground to create a central plaza. • 14th street overall, cleanliness and homelessness.
• We need a lounge, place to go for 55+ to play cards, hang out, visit, bring our own food • Pelton Plaza could be great. Walkable parking. But few businesses in there I want to go to.
• Wider sidewalks. A lounge E. 14th in downtown area.
• Offer more City community projects to help the senior population, home improvement, clean-up weekends to beautify their homes, etc.
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San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
13 • Retain senior friendly recreation e.g. Monarch Bay executive golf courses is being downsized and blocked from Bay View to build apartments. Also, make senior recreation affordable.
• Reinvest sports fees back into the sports facilities i.e. golf courses. • Green market.
• More high-end restaurants and shops. Appeal to residents who like dining and shopping options closer to home.
• Plant trees! And make removal of heritage trees illegal. Should not be possible to remove redwoods without approval!
• Revitalize E. 14th around Dutton (creek to Oakland). Too many empty lots/store fronts.
Incentives? Eminent domain?
• I want a center I can go to, drive once, and find many different businesses rather than driving to multiple places.
• Downtown plaza and BART station need to be kept clean. • Near freeways and all shopping centers require being cleaned. • Diversity + good retail + restaurants in all areas, not just downtown. • Focus on obtaining + retaining top quality educators. i.e. pay the good ones more + more affluent residents who want good education options. • The manor could use some beautification.
• Bay Fair Mall, crime, no longer serves people's needs. Need to be cleaner. • Corner of E. 14th and Estudillo Ave. Old bank can turn into venue. • Downtown Safeway Plaza - more elevated restaurant options. Build. • E. 14th road needs to sweep the leaves on the street. It’s everywhere now. • Less nail salons and hair salons. Move car/auto centers off of E. 14th street. (x2) • Diversity good, retail and restaurants on all areas, not just downtown. • Encourage people to buy in San Leandro for more sales tax. Don’t buy a car in Oakland or Fremont, buy in San Leandro. Increase the bargains in San Leandro, don’t increase the sales tax itself.
• E. 14th needs beautification - new paint and plants.
• Clean streets, clean bus stops.
• All need to be kept cleaner. I realize that this is a huge challenge. • Manor and Marina areas.
• Upgrade buildings on E. 14th between Dutton and Davis. • Pelton Center outdated stores. Washington - dirty, homelessness. • Reduce traffic on E. 14th. Make it more a walking street to come into businesses.
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Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
14 • Safety first, beautification second.
What type of retail, restaurants, or services would you like to see more of in San Leandro? • Put in Bocce courts, pickleball and more small golf courses. Seniors are numerous in San Leandro, resources for them are not.
• I would like a cafe with healthy food choices and a pleasant seating area where I could feel comfortable alone or with others. Sometimes between fast casual and Paradiso. • I would like a combination food hall (with lots of restaurants) and craft hall (with kiosks for vendors to sell gifts handmade items.
• Fewer nail salons.
• More places for young people to go to.
• More Italian restaurants.
• Breakfast options.
• Better grocery store options or retail stores that sell more diverse food products. Better nursery (plants). Attractive downtown with specialty shops. • Higher-end restaurants, better grocery stores.
• Better restroom facilities in/on Main Street retail locations. Better retail stores, city services i.e. DMV, upscale cafes, restaurants, etc.
• Art centers, community gallery, live performance venue, night markets, family activities/experiences, public arts and festivals, independent restaurants. • Home goods, miss having Bed, Bath and Beyond.
• Pool of housekeepers.
• Fun experience venues.
• Specialty markets such as Market hall or Castro Valley marketplace. • Food quality, live music, Trader Joe’s.
• Clean and safe grocery stores.
• Family friendly venues.
• Downtown E. 14th street needs vibrancy.
• No more fast -food restaurants, nail shops, 7-11, etc. • Higher-end grocery stores.
• No more low-wage nail salons, fast food and cheap retail shops; poor wages, no benefits • Pool of personal care workers.
• Better grocery stores i.e. Trader Joes and local music venue.
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January 9th, 2024
15 • More upscale small retailers, not chains, more like bookstores and clothing and specialty stores. Similar to 4th street in Berkeley.
• Services that acknowledge impact to planet.
• More access to the senior center - have it open on the weekends (as it is a warming and a cooling center for seniors).
• Locally owned restaurants and retail. No more chains. • E. 14th needs revitalization, falling leaves everywhere. • Third spaces like parks, gardens, free space to gather. • Climate - wise and more plant-based options.
• Retail at BART stations.
• Wine bars.
• Ambassadors.
• More upscale.
• Bring farm-to-table restaurants and organic grocery stores. • Our environment reflects our values and beliefs. We can’t force specific stores/venues because there won’t be enough demand to sustain without artificial support. • There are zero options for people with families - no kid entertainment.
STATION 4
What types of jobs or businesses would be helpful to see in these industrial and office employment areas?
• Advanced manufacturing.
• Tech and manufacturing.
• Youth sports basketball.
• More recreational opportunities for young people in renovated warehouses - basketball, volleyball, badminton.
• Housing.
• More tech.
• Housing.
• Entertainment venues/live music. We spend all our money outside San Leandro. • Community gardens to activate the open/vacant spaces when people are not working. (After hours and weekends.)
• Less businesses that pollute - more start-ups and jobs that are climate smart. • More entertainment places for young people.
• Manufacturing, biotech, youth employment.
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16 • Businesses that are cleaner and provide local jobs to prevent long commutes. • Convert some of the empty business/industrial sites to additional navigation city e.g.
Bayfair North.
• Industries that give us self-sufficiency. Production, manufacturing, material supply, etc. • Biotech and tech business that climate change.
• Youth-dedicated spaces; work free reading institute.
• We need more tech and biotech businesses but don't turn us into Silicon Valley North. • Small groceries, non-Costco products, health related goods. • High-tech manufacturing. Bring into San Leandro, consumer repair center i.e. fix or repair electronics/appliances vs throwing things away.
• Hi-tech of course. If San Leandro were safer it might be more attractive to employers. • Affordable housing, more beer breweries so that San Leandro is a destination. Whatever happened to attracting tech companies with our fiber optic loop? • Give credits for working in community gardens. Grow food to donate local food programs. Include nutrition, education, and caregiver involvement.
What changes or improvements would make industrial districts a more attractive place to work or operate a business?
• As an employee, I look for two things: Is it safe and can I park there? • Bike lanes.
• Provide city subsidies for small/family-owned businesses. Make some locations affordable to promote starting new businesses. Westgate used to do that, now focused on $ businesses.
• Trees.
• Green spaces and landscaping.
• Establish air quality thresholds based on data to protect the public from poor air quality. • Repurpose empty buildings.
• Breweries/food options/gathering spaces.
• Community hub spaces similar to SLO gateway, create village vibe. • Tax incentives and grants for improvement projects.
• More air quality monitoring at and around truck routes and near childcare centers and schools to protect public health.
• More green spaces and trees.
• Green landscapes that contain native plants to improve air quality and reduce noise. • Better crime suppression, clean up trash, more street trees, address homeless encampments, more well-done murals.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
17 • More environmental assessments and engineering contracts to mitigate for environmental injustices.
• More diversified night markets.
• Green spaces & murals like the old polar building.
• Dead lawns from trees on E. 14th, impact my business a lot. No one sweeps the street. • Less crime through quick, consistent enforcement of just laws. • Better safety support.
• Homelessness situation, cleaner streets and sidewalks, crime. • E. 14th need bike police. Business can pay maybe $50 a month to safeguard. • Mixed living spaces.
• Heavy traffic from big vehicles damaging roads. Finding ways to mitigate road wear & tear.
• Crime, homeless situation. Cleaner streets and sidewalks.
STATION 5
What types of training programs or facilities should the City pursue? • How can we attract more tech companies, particularly semiconductor chip manufacturers, so we don’t get left behind/overlooked?
• Trade programs, high school to manufacturing.
• Trade schools + advanced manufacturing.
• City internship and fellowship like Coro fellows.
• Training kids on how to fully utilize our libraries.
• Align programs with the region's sectors.
• We should have a program or facility in computer literacy/tech skills that teaches adults how to use programs like MS Word, Excel, Apple products at the adult learning center. • Training in green industries/jobs - e.g., that address climate change issues (solar, energy, etc.) Possible to attract educational institutions to San Leandro? Programs we can be proud of.
• Trade apprenticeships.
• Vocational training beyond construction in partnership with Peralta & K-12. • Don’t take $$ from the education system. Collaborate! Use existing facilities for training. • Where are your union resources?
• Get businesses to sponsor apprenticeships/boy scout camps/ etc. for local kids/young adults.
• More high school and post-high school apprenticeships. Mentor training programs for the plumbing, electrical, and construction fields. High School should lead to jobs. • The City should encourage hiring of persons who live in San Leandro. • Healthcare & AI should be part of the training programs.
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San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
18 • Funding/grants for folks that have ideas to combat climate change and create local jobs. • Biotech, hi-tech, manufacturing Ed-tech.
• Support major industries in the area like Kaiser + manufacturing. • Transportation is important for access to jobs. I suggest moving the Amtrak station in Coliseum to San Leandro station, Coliseum isn’t accessible & appealing compared to San Leandro.
• Bring in guest speakers from the Military branches to high schools as career opportunities other than carrying a rifle. Learn a trade. • Monthly makers fair.
• Continue to emphasize internships at secondary level. High School graduation required.
Job fairs targeted at students. Business field trips for all grade levels. • What is the involvement of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in these workforce training programs?
• Career training programs for those that don’t go to college. • Cleaner/green jobs. Encourage folks to start their businesses focused on addressing our climate emergency.
• Construction trades.
• Develop non-traditional apprenticeships with the community college/Chabot serves this area.
• In-school economic education and finance, banking, saving, and economic independence for youth, sponsored by the City in partnership with local businesses. • We need to know from City what are the benefits that City offers to businesses in all languages.
• Reach out to seniors/aging population to help them age in place by funding accessible supports and minor home repairs, e.g. stairs and bathroom bars. In San Leandro there used to be a program that hires contractors to do this - with grants $3000 - $5000. New or diverse businesses or ones that train San Leandro youth from the high school in career and tech academy programs.
• Life skills need to be taught: driving-driver training, finances & checking, cooking, sewing, woodshops, repairs, ACCB - basic investing.
• Professional development. Etiquette and rapport-building workshops. Be kind.
STATION 6
What barriers or challenges exist for small businesses or entrepreneurs in San Leandro? • Crime will drive businesses away.
• Clean service-level agreements; they should be established and publicized. This is especially true for non-emergency law enforcement.
• Public safety and crime.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
19 • Provide more locations for startup businesses. Provide reduced taxes for small businesses, not the big box rich companies.
• Lack of knowledge of available grants or programs intuiting potential businesses to see San Leandro as business friendly.
• Need to speed up process to get permit.
• Permitting does not follow zoning requirements e.g. a single bedroom house in a singlefamily zone was allowed to become a 9-bedroom home, with 7,000 square feet. City said they approved it because the house belonged to a group of nuns. • Put a 7th station/category for community input on city government. They are often tone deaf to residents' needs.
• Businesses don’t want to open late due to safety. Business owners can pay a small fee every month to hire security.
• Slow permits.
• More bike support.
• Homeless people should be removed from malls/plazas because that would affect the business in a bad way. (Greenhouse Marketplace.)
• Crime and mentally unstable individuals.
• Incentives to be in San Leandro (i.e. tax credits) or a pathway to get needed permits and be a green business.
• 1) Crime 2) Cost 3) Permitting (x2)
• Zoning CWP help expense of CWP safety.
• Support diversity and equity all over San Leandro and invest in communities’ identities and visions too. Downtown is great, but it does not serve all of San Leandro. • Home-based individual business owners don’t have a venue for getting together to show ideas/support.
• Wider sidewalks along E. 14th in downtown area.
• Protect them from crime - grab + flee crime.
• Provide tax breaks for ecological improvements, e.g. xeriscaping/tree planting.
Homeowners are not being encouraged to help improve the city. • Crime to retail stores.
• Not enough recreation/tourism.
• Crime/safety, homeless population, cost of everything. • Need to attract foot traffic - sprucing up.
• Create safer community.
Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
20 • Small businesses believe the city is only interested in downtown and there’s no money to support one district’s own economy and business development plans. And it seems to be true!
• Getting permits and licenses is so slow. Work efficiency is low and scaring all the businesses away.
• Price pressure on residents due to inflation, crime/safety concerns, trash/poor visual environment in many vital areas that deter consumers.
What additional programs or resources would be helpful for supporting small businesses or entrepreneurs?
• More childcare facilities.
• Less school consultants and more technical education. • Build more schools and better teacher salaries.
• More efficient, usable City website. Bring it into the 21st century. • Training around businesses operating while being mindful of their carbon footprint and impact on planet.
• We want more locally-served, non-chain restaurants. But small businesses can’t afford to convert spaces to code. We should subsidize this to provide spaces that are restaurant ready. Maybe L.A., “cocina” style food incubators. • Incentives to start a business in San Leandro or provide funding. Help legacy businesses be better neighbors.
• Bring city employee salaries in line with comparable Bay Area communities. • Technical assistance academies: construction building, proposal writing, business administration, client identification, financial assistance. • Apprenticeships for high schools to support small businesses. • Fiscal sponsorship for folks with ideas to improve city. • Less taxes = more entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Promote new businesses and existing businesses.
• Technical resources.
• Provide teacher benefits.
• Ambassadors, rent support, fun events in the area.
• “Anoma” opening of new business on city websites, Flickrs, all Nextdoor channels, etc. free for businesses (Half the time we don’t know about them.) Future of San Leandro Open House
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
January 9th, 2024
1 Appendix A
0 5 10 15 20 25
High-quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession Transportation options in San Leandro that make it easy for me to get to work.
Great eating, drinking, and entertainment places.
Access to great education and/or job training opportunites in or near San Leandro.
Creating housing in San Leandro that is affordable to people and families with a range of different incomes.
Great environment for small businesses.
Adequate support and services for entrepreneurs and small business owners to start up or expand.
High-quality public spaces, such as parks, plazas, and walkable shopping streets.
Making San Leandro a safe place to live and work.
What Are Your Priorities for San Leandro?
Highest Priority Medium Priority Lower Priority
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San Leandro Economic Development Strategy
Community Workshop Summary & Input
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1 Appendix B
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
High-quality job opportunities in or near San Leandro.
Great environment for small businesses.
Offers adequate support or services for entrepeneurs and small-business owners to start up or expand.
Housing is affordable to people and families with a range of different incomes.
Existing transportation options in San Leandro make it easy for me to get to work.
High-quality public spaces, such as parks, plazas, and
walkable shopping streets.
Offers eating, drinking, and entertainment places.
Safe place to live and work.
How Well Does San Leandro Meet Your Needs?
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Not Sure Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop
Summary
San Leandro Senior Center, Main Hall | Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 6 - 8pm 1 1. Introduction
The City of San Leandro is preparing a new Economic Development Strategy that will guide the City’s economic development actions over the next five years and beyond. The Economic Development Strategy will identify San Leandro’s best opportunities to promote high-quality jobs, improve economic opportunity for San Leandro businesses and population groups, and respond to the impacts of COVID-19, new industry trends, and regional economic trends.
Through this strategy, the City also aims to:
● Organize their economic development resources and efforts in the most efficient and effective way possible.
● Develop programs to help all San Leandro businesses, including groups who historically have been underserved or faced discrimination. ● Expand the City’s status and visibility in the Bay Area development community.
2. Meeting Format and Overview
A two-hour Community Workshop was held on March 13, 2024, at 6 pm at the San Leandro Senior Community Center. Workshop goals included sharing analysis findings, presenting draft economic development strategies, and gathering feedback on 11 economic development strategies grouped within six topic areas.
Topic Area Strategy Emphasis
Key Industries: 1. Sector-focused recruitment
2. Branding & marketing
Infrastructure and Industrial Districts: 3. Industrial districts & zoning
4. Transit-oriented development (TOD)
Land Use and Real Estate
Development:
5. City processes
6. Facilitate key developments
Workforce and Education: 7. Increase services & opportunities
8. Recruit good jobs
Retail and Restaurants: 9. Retail & restaurant attraction
10.Retail center assistance
Small Business and Entrepreneurship: 11.Partnerships & connections San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
2 Around 40 San Leandro community members attended the Community Workshop to learn about the City’s Economic Development Strategy and participate in small group table discussions regarding the economic and workforce development strategies the City is considering.
Katie DeLeuw, of Winter Consulting, welcomed participants and oriented them to the event.
Derek Braun, of Strategic Economics, presented information to attendees regarding the Economic Development Strategy overview, results of input and analysis, and proposed economic strategies. Katie Bowman, City of San Leandro Economic Development Manager, also shared contextual information about how the Economic Development Strategy relates to San Leandro City Council priorities.
Figure 1: Derek Braun of Strategic Economics presenting to workshop participants on the key findings and proposed strategies for inclusion in the Economic Development Strategy.
3. Summary of Small Group Table Discussions
After the presentation, project team members led hour-long small group discussions, acting as table facilitators at eight different tables. Each table had 4-6 people participating in conversations. The facilitator led introductions and supported the group in identifying which topic areas and strategies were a high priority for discussion. Spanish- and Cantoneselanguage interpreters were available, and participants at one table used the Spanish interpretation services. Each group decided which topics and strategies to focus on in their time together, leading to a range of number of topics covered and depth of conversation on specific topics. For each of these topics, the community feedback and recommendations are San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
3 summarized below. Future documents will consolidate common strategies and themes with further synthesis where appropriate.
Figure 2: Project team members facilitated small group discussions with workshop participants to capture feedback on proposed economic development strategies and topic areas.
3.1. Key Industries
● Suggestions:
o Increase promotion of clean tech employers
o Bring a community college to San Leandro
o Improve housing and road infrastructure
o Be strategic with attracting artificial intelligence businesses o Focus on improving and growing current businesses
o Enhance connections to the fiber optic loop
o Use amenities to draw software businesses and overcome remote work trends o Ensure that, as these industries are attracted to San Leandro, the new jobs created are as inclusive and accessible as possible to local residents.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
4 o Conduct roundtable meetings and networking events
● Observations and questions related to industries:
o Understand how lack of vacancy tax affects industry
o Understand tech shuttle destinations and how to attract that workforce talent
3.2. Infrastructure and Industrial Districts
● Downtown and connections to transit, especially BART
o Advertise small businesses and retail
o Make downtown more walkable
o Envision future downtown
● Community building and vibrancy
o Organize festivals and community events with businesses and organizations o Support gathering places like coffee shops and breweries in areas where people live and work
o Support businesses in residences
o Make San Leandro more appealing for young families
● Safety improvements
o Establish neighborhood watch programs and volunteers
o Improve roadways for people walking or biking
● Incentives for business and industries that support the community and/or or sustainable in terms of jobs, environment
o Promote and build awareness of businesses
o Offer incentives for certain types of growth, like clean tech, sustainable businesses
o Institute a moratorium on warehouses
● City processes and tax structure
o Tax businesses and industries with higher impacts on community and infrastructure
o Forgive sales tax in exchange for direct contributions to infrastructure improvements
o Streamline process for starting new businesses
● Extend internet access through fiber optic connections accessible to residents, medical centers, businesses
● Housing and developments
o Implement more mixed-use developments
o Improve housing application process
o Better utilize BART and E. 14th St. development
o Build more affordable housing
o Integrate housing and retail, need more village markets like Fruitvale San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
5 ● Transit and transportation
o Improve transit through:
▪ Coverage and access overall, including access for seniors ▪ BART improvements, shuttles, autonomous vehicles, more school buses
o Encourage people to live and work near transit
o Improve connectivity to support businesses; better connect transit and business area, places people go
o Increase public art and bike lanes
o Improve use of roadway space by building more bike lanes, trees, and traffic calming measures
o Better maintain and improve safety at BART stations; these could be a place to promote businesses
3.3. Land Use and Real Estate Development
● Waterfront improvements
o Create public space along the waterfront, including more restaurants, businesses, and recreational spaces instead of hotels
o Encourage more foot traffic as this leads to increased safety ● Concerns with affordability and related suggestions
o Build more affordable housing on vacant lots by pooling community resources o Help slow increasing costs of housing, retail, and food by controlling price gouging
● Other development ideas
o Partner with education institutions and/or community ownership to advance Teagarden Street opportunities
o Develop housing plans that support business developments and allow people to both live and work in San Leandro
o Plan developments that attract both workers and businesses, while also focusing on improvements for current residents so they want to stay in San Leandro
o Support business incubators through funding by major corporations and sponsorship by the City
o Leverage developments to advance opportunities to rediscover San Leandro’s identity
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
6 3.4. Workforce and Education
Note: This was a popular topic among attendees; most of the small groups discussed this topic and its associated strategies of recruiting good jobs and increasing services and opportunities. Feedback from attendees included:
● Partnership opportunities
o Focus on seniors in addition to youth
o Develop long-term relationships between businesses and educators/workforce training, rather than one-time events o Connect businesses with schools through career days and year-round outreach
o Increase engagement with San Leandro Unified School District o Coordinate with local labor unions
o Partner with local employers
o Partner with Kaiser to promote health-related jobs
● Childcare is a significant need to support workforce
o Better support women with young children in reentering the workforce o Ensure that every student, including those from middle-class families, has access to before and after school care and that the hours are long enough to take commute time into account for those who commute outside of San Leandro
o Model childcare programs like the San Leandro Boys & Girls Club, which is a successful, relatively low-cost option
o Provide childcare options that are close to home and accessible for San Leandro residents; childcare associated with school sites would be beneficial o Support home childcare programs, which should be easy to operate within San Leandro
o Include childcare programs when planning or developing new community and social service centers
● Elder care programs are also needed
● Career pathways, awareness-building, growth, and support o Better understanding and awareness of employment opportunities and pathways is needed, for all including youth from middle/average incomeearning families o Partner with San Leandro High School to educate students on career options and pathways
o Offer paid programs to support youth in learning
o Leverage programs through the adult school; expand the curriculum to provide broader learning and opportunities
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
7 o Collaborate with trade unions on skill-building, certifications, apprenticeships, and providing incentives for local employers
o Educate people about options available to them beyond completing a fouryear college degree; vocational schools for junior high and high school students are needed
o Create pathways for formerly incarcerated
o Promote jobs to students and residents through community events like Cherry Festival, hosting career fairs, and leveraging campus resources and educational institutions
o Build awareness among warehousing industry around entry point and logistics for entering
● Success of economic strategies to improve workforce and education opportunities could look like:
o Increase in wages, average household income
o Promote upward mobility at all wage levels
o Increase in certification holders among residents
● Other City-related feedback
o Improve fiscal responsibility related to Measure J funds
3.5. Retail and Restaurants
● Accommodating a variety of business types to meet different needs o Support different types of businesses, such as automotive business needs, which are often local, small businesses, and big box stores which help meet personal needs
o Brand and market all local businesses (similar to restaurant week) o Support businesses in a way that takes into account the preferences and interests of different demographics
o Provide more options for family-oriented activities, such as jumpy houses, peewee golf, and rock climbing gyms
o Attract businesses that are popular such as breweries and Trader Joes, and temporary experience-based activities such as escape rooms, cultural events, art exhibits, and film festivals
o Support local, unique, independent, and specialty retail ● Business districts and shopping area improvements
o Make retail/business areas more intuitive to explore
o Improve safety at shopping areas, especially at night o Prioritize filling vacant storefronts such as the ones on 14th Street; provide incentives to landlords to fill the spaces
o Improve transit access to more shopping centers and grocery stores o Attract more electronic stores, such as Best Buy
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
8 o Focus on specific locations, such as Downtown and Marina Square o Identify areas for higher-end retail similar to Walnut Creek where strolling the shopping areas is an enjoyable experience
● City-process improvements
o Streamline process for permits for restaurants (ethnically specific) o Lower barriers to establishing restaurant and retail spaces through zoning code updates or other process improvements
o Advertise the City's streamlined process, which allows business representatives to directly call City staff
o Improve parking at/near shopping centers
3.6. Small Business and Entrepreneurship
● Improve access to resources
o Streamline resources and house them in one place; make resources easier to find and understand
o Provide physical presence for business services in each community; consider housing these services within libraries, similar to Fremont o Host events, such as networking with local businesses, resource fairs for small businesses, educational opportunities
● Partner with relevant organizations
o Expand resources for Chambers of Commerce and diversity chamber groups o Coordinate with the Latino Community Foundation on their accelerator program
o Reach out to Rotary clubs to provide more support for entrepreneurs ● Reduce and eliminate barriers
o Provide support to people in a way that is sensitive to language and cultural barriers
o Provide free parking
o Provide opportunities to hear directly from businesses o Provide start-up incentives for new businesses, such as tax exemptions o Host reduced-cost learning programs for aspiring entrepreneurs ● Accommodate and encourage business growth through development opportunities o Build housing on top of light industrial
o Allow more flexibility for mixed-use zoning
1.1. Other / Final Comments
As table group discussions wrapped up, some facilitators asked participants for their final thoughts related to economic development strategies in San Leandro. Participants also had San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
9 the chance to share final thoughts through a survey toward the end of the workshop (see the next section for survey results). Participants shared a variety of insights, including:
● Small businesses need support in terms of cost and financial resources, promotion, services, and hiring good workers; and support for businesses to recruit employees. ● Residents and workers need support with career pathways and securing employment, such as training centers; the City should be accountable to their commitment to support workforce development efforts; consider supporting formerly incarcerated people through hiring incentives for employers. ● Childcare is a significant need for supporting parents in the workforce. ● Attracting and assisting retail and restaurant centers could include improving downtown for walking, enforcing stop signs and parking, and improving public safety. ● Cost of living is high; housing and low wages compared to rent impacts ability to attract workers; school buses can help offset cost of gas, time and road infrastructure.
● Development should include mixed-use buildings, residential in industrial districts, and prioritizing developing at spaces that are currently vacant. ● Ensure community input and the community’s ability to shape outcomes. ● Recommend a focus of equity and justice within economic development. ● Prioritize community building, through people-focused areas that are less car-focused and social housing which can also lower cost of living. ● Retain and attract businesses and residents.
● Address housing stability to preserve our communities and provide stable workforce. ● Implement marketing of these strategies; the City can foster a thriving ecosystem of local businesses operating on e-commerce platforms, stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and enhance the overall competitiveness and resilience of the local economy.
● Pursue many of the strategies concurrently for comprehensive economic development support for a variety of community needs.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
10 4. Survey Results
Toward the end of the workshop, table facilitators encouraged attendees to participate in a survey to help the project team understand the attendees’ interest in the proposed economic strategies, who was represented in the workshop, and how attendees found out about the workshop. Of the nearly 40 meeting attendees, 24 participated in the survey.
4.1. Strategies Feedback
Through the survey, attendees responded to two questions about the topic areas and strategies:
● Which two draft strategies stood out most to you as beneficial for the San Leandro community? (Please select two.)
● Why did these stand out to you? Why do you think these would benefit the community?
In response, participants selected their top two strategies from the list of 11 strategies, and shared some feedback about why those stood out. Participants most frequently selected strategies within the Workforce and Education and Infrastructure and Industrial Districts topic areas.
Each of the sections below shows the number of respondents selecting that strategy as one of their top two for benefitting San Leandro, and a summary of the respondents’ descriptions regarding why the strategy stood out to them.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
11 Key Industries
Sector-focused recruitment: Target expansion of advanced manufacturing in emerging industry clusters, such as clean tech, technology, food product and manufacturing innovation, biomedical. 3 respondents
● Attracting industry also benefits local businesses since people who work in San Leandro need places to dine and shop.
● San Leandro can become a Bay Area Leader in green and sustainable economic growth.
Branding & marketing: Update branding and marketing strategies to attract & retain businesses in legacy industries and grow emerging industry clusters.
3 respondents
● People have a difficult time identifying San Leandro’s competitive advantages and there isn’t a destination restaurant and retail experience in San Leandro.
Infrastructure and Industrial Districts
Transit-oriented development (TOD): Work with other agencies to develop plans, obtain funding, and improve infrastructure to support public transportation and mixed-use development in the Bay Fair and Downtown TOD areas.
8 respondents
● Let’s build homes above over business that can support it. ● Better housing options are important!
● We need to wisely use the limited amount of land that we have to develop businesses, housing, and parking.
● I think any of the other strategies derive from these. For example, marketing and branding derives from the businesses and amenities that the city has to offer.
Similar, workforce and education and retail and restaurants largely derive the city's businesses and amenities.
● Rebuild our community to provide social impact.
● Heal the brokenness, mental illness, and homelessness in our communities through developing affordable housing, jobs, and businesses.
Industrial districts & zoning: Create plans and update zoning for industrial districts to address current business site requirements, 1 respondents
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
12 power and other infrastructure needs, funding, and environmental review needs.
● Zoning will make a huge difference by allowing denser housing closer to light industrial and restricting warehouses will benefit the city overall by increasing the number of spaces available for light manufacturing and light industrial.
Land Use and Real Estate Development:
City process improvements: Update commercial zoning, permitting and entitlements processes to make them more efficient, understandable, and predictable.
5 respondents
● We need homes for people as they evolve in life, from starting their first job in San Leandro to retirement.
● Focusing on development requires agile processes for staff and public.
Facilitate key developments: Facilitate the successful development of transformative development & housing projects in key growth areas of the City.
4 respond
ents
[No comments we provided related to this topic.]
Workforce and Education
Increase services & opportunities: Partner with employers, community colleges, school districts, and service providers to provide increased workforce development services, career pathways, and educational and training opportunities for residents.
9 respondents
● Emphasize public health and supporting economic growth in a way that also protects the wellbeing of residents.
● Partnerships with schools, industries, agencies and businesses will help develop the next generation of creators, designers, construction workers, chefs, etc. ● College is expensive so we need vocational options.
● These types of services are currently lacking.
● Kids are our future. They need good education and opportunities. ● Providing good paying jobs to our residents will improve our city. ● We must prepare students and those changing careers for next generation job and entrepreneur opportunities.
● Education is pivotal to bringing community change.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
13 Recruit good jobs: Attract and retain growing industries that offer career pathways and skilled jobs for residents, such as healthcare, construction, manufacturing.
3 respondents
● San Leandro can reduce crime by providing trade education. ● Childcare and education are an important foundation.
Retail and Restaurants
Retail & restaurant attraction: Develop a retail attraction strategy to attract modern retail and restaurants, with a focus on experiential, family-oriented, and culturally-relevant businesses.
4 respondents
● Investing in safe and high quality grocery stores and restaurants, supporting community events, and providing safe places to shop can support residents’ quality of life so people can stay in San Leandro and enjoy the community. ● They improve the city's image.
● Community safety is important.
Retail center assistance: Partner and provide support to shopping centers to make safety and aesthetic improvements and help ethnically diverse businesses respond to current market changes.
3 respondents
● There are a lot of empty spaces currently.
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Partnerships & connections: Expand partnerships and funding to promote business planning and other technical assistance, training, and financial resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs. 1 respondent
● Small business entrepreneurs are important for city attraction.
4.2. Respondent Information and Representation
Business Sectors Represented
In response to a question asking attendees about the business categories they represent, respondents shared they are associated with:
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
14 ● Construction
● Consulting
● Development Strategies for Smart
Communities
● Education
● Food service
● Marketing - E commerce
● Real Estate
● Retail
● Salon and Spa/ Salón y Spa
● Science or Technical Services
● Social Assistance (2 people)
● Software
● Startup Idea | Potential Founder
● Transportation
Five respondents indicated that they are not associated with a business in San Leandro, and are interested community members and/or San Leandro residents.
Event Notification Source
In response to the question of how attendees found out about the event, most respondents indicated they received an email regarding the event. Some also learned of the workshop through San Leandro Next, word of mouth such as friends or neighbors, and the San Leandro Times. A few respondents reported hearing about it through social media, primarily Facebook, or another organization, naming the San Leandro Black Chamber of Commerce as a source.
Email
37%
San Leandro Next
13%
Word of mouth
13%
San Leandro Times
13%
Social Media
8%
Another organization
8%
Other
8%
How did you find out about today's event?
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
15 Additional comments or questions
In a final question on the survey form, attendees were asked if there were any other comments or questions they wanted to share. Responses include:
● Support for the community input opportunity and desire for continued discussion on the topic:
o Keep spreading awareness.
o More time would have been great. Maybe offer a follow up workshop for those interested.
o This was a great idea and I don't know why more people didn't attend. People are good about complaining without wanting to be at the decision table. o We had very productive discussions.
o Make sure community engagement is priority for BayFair development! Don't leave it up to B3 team - they don't care about community. Keep pressure up for mixed use and public spaces.
● Environmental justice and the office of sustainability efforts should be aligned with economic development not competing priorities but one and the same. Economic growth can help address climate change while helping residents to thrive and be able to live, work and play in one city.
● Desire to prioritize safety and childcare: Our group felt available local childcare needs to be the foundation of any economic development plan and strongly believe it should be included among the draft strategies.
● Desire for additional resources: I want to know about financing resources to improve my café.
Additionally, one respondent offered a variety of potential economic development strategies for the City to consider, with an explanation that “By implementing these strategies, the city can foster a thriving ecosystem of local businesses operating on e-commerce platforms, stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and enhance the overall competitiveness and resilience of the local economy.” Recommended strategies from this respondent include:
● E-commerce Incentives: Create incentives or grants for businesses that invest in ecommerce capabilities, such as subsidizing the cost of website development, online marketing campaigns, or e-commerce software subscriptions. These incentives can help offset the initial costs and encourage businesses to adopt e-commerce solutions.
● Local E-commerce Marketplace: Establish a centralized online marketplace or directory specifically for local businesses to sell their products or services online. This platform can help showcase the diversity of goods and services available in the city, making it easier for residents to support local businesses and shop online.
San Leandro Economic Development Strategy | Community Workshop Summary Wednesday, March 13, 2024
16 ● Collaboration with E-commerce Platforms: Partner with established e-commerce platforms or marketplaces to promote local businesses and products. Explore opportunities to feature local businesses in curated collections, special promotions, or local delivery services offered by these platforms.
● Digital Marketing Campaigns: Launch targeted digital marketing campaigns to promote local businesses and their e-commerce offerings. Utilize social media advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and influencer partnerships to raise awareness and drive traffic to local e-commerce websites. ● Networking and Collaboration: Facilitate networking opportunities and collaboration among local businesses, e-commerce experts, digital marketers, and technology providers. Organize industry events, networking mixers, and workshops where businesses can learn from each other and share best practices for succeeding in the digital marketplace.
● E-commerce Training Programs: Develop specialized training programs or academies focused on e-commerce skills and strategies. Offer courses on topics such as online storefront management, digital marketing tactics, customer relationship management (CRM), and fulfillment logistics to empower local businesses to thrive in the digital economy.
● Economic Development Partnerships: Collaborate with economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, business associations, and industry organizations to coordinate efforts and support local businesses' transition to e-commerce. Pool resources, share knowledge, and align strategies to maximize impact and reach.
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO CREATIVE ECONOMY:
LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS AND
STRATEGIC ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
APRIL 17, 2024
INTRODUCTION
1 The city of San Leandro finds itself at a critical juncture with respect to its economic future. As traditional industries evolve, new technologies emerge, and global competition intensifies, the need to diversify and cultivate new economic drivers becomes increasingly more important. The creative economy serves as one major pivot point that can both attract new growth opportunities in some cases and bolster the prospects of existing businesses in others.
These creative sectors not only generate significant economic activity but also foster innovation, attract talent, and contribute to the vibrancy and cultural richness of communities. By embracing the creative economy, San Leandro can position itself as a hub for creativity, entrepreneurship, and artistic expression, driving longterm economic vitality.
The goals for San Leandro are twofold. First, the city needs to identify ways to attract high-wage, high-skill industries to promote sustained, export-oriented growth. Proximity to major metropolitan centers, access to a diverse talent pool, and the region's reputation as a hub for innovation and technology create a fertile environment for creative industries to thrive. By capitalizing on these advantages, San Leandro can establish itself as a desirable destination for creative professionals, businesses, and investors.
Second, San Leandro should leverage existing assets and identify ways to expand opportunity for residents whose career pathways are less defined or otherwise limited.
This analysis in the following pages provides insights into how the city can position itself to achieve both goals through the development of a film and virtual production capacity (Strategy #1) and the formalization of a culinary arts ecosystem (Strategy #2).
Both strategies will ultimately feed into a third one — to establish an entertainment and/or cultural zone that is in part anchored by the Bal Theatre — which will be fleshed out in future phases of this project.
DEFINING THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
2 The creative economy comprises organizations
operating in creative sectors and individuals working
in creative occupations. Intuitively, creative
occupations are well represented in the creative
sectors. But individuals working in creative
occupations may work in non-creative sectors as well.
A graphic designer, for instance, may begin their
career as a contractor in the film production industry
and eventually decide to pursue a full-time
opportunity in the marketing department of a
financial services firm.
Similarly, the creative sectors also employ workers in
non-creative occupations. Many creative firms have
management and finance departments whose staff
are counted as creative sector workers since they
contribute to the production and commercialization of
creative goods and services. While an accountant
working at a financial services firm is not considered a participant in the creative economy, an accountant
working at a film production company would be.
+ + + +
Creative Industry Creative Occupation Creative Economy
Industry Creative and
Occupation Creative
Graphic Designer working
in Film Production
Not Industry Creative but
Occupation Creative
Graphic Designer working
in Financial Services
Industry Creative but
Not Occupation Creative
Accountant working
in Film Production
Not Industry Creative and
Not Occupation Creative
Accountant working
in Financial Services
INDUSTRY
OCCUPATION
DEFINING THE CREATIVE SECTORS
3 There are several ways to define the size of a region’s creative economy. The classification system established by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, would suggest the San Leandro’s creative sector presence is small relative to the city’s sectors (accounting for just 1.2% of all jobs in the city) and has declined over the past decade.
Health Care 11,964
Retail Trade 8,132
Construction 7,246
Manufacturing 5,910
Transportation and Warehousing 5,166
Government 4,296
Wholesale Trade 3,850
Accommodation and Food Services 3,577
Administrative Support 3,393
Other Services 2,736
Professional Services 2,477
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 2,219
Finance and Insurance 1,035
Management of Companies 895
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 798
Educational Services 475
Information 362
EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR | 2023
700
750
800
850
900
950
1,000
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Number of Jobs
ARTS. ENTERTAINMENT, AND RECREATION SECTOR EMPLOYMENT | 2013-2023 -14.7%
Since 2013
-19.9%
Since 2018
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
3,900
4,100
4,300
4,500
4,700
4,900
5,100
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Number of Jobs
DEFINING THE CREATIVE SECTORS
4 Yet the traditional U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides only a partial accounting and does not include jobs associated with film, fashion, and other creative industries. When viewing San Leandro’s creative economy through the lens of five creative sectors, we capture a larger employment base of 4,192 workers (6.5% of all jobs) and see job growth actually increasing between 2013 and 2023.
EMPLOYMENT BY CREATIVE SECTOR | 2023 CREATIVE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT | 2013-2023 Culinary Arts | 1,814 Jobs
Entertainment & Media | 562
Fine & Performing Arts | 693 Jobs
Design & Architecture | 594 Jobs
Fashion & Creative Goods | 529 Jobs
+21.5%
Since 2013
-1.3%
Since 2017
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
DEFINING THE CREATIVE OCCUPATIONS
5 As noted earlier, the creative sectors capture both workers in creative and non-creative occupations. If we want to have a true accounting of San Leandro’s creative talent pool, it is necessary to look not at creative sector employment in the city but the distribution of creative occupation employment among both San Leandro residents (4,936) and workers (3,787).
CREATIVE OCCUPATION EMPLOYMENT | 2023 CREATIVE OCCUPATION EMPLOYMENT GROWTH RATE | 2013-2023 Technical Workers
Artisans
Designers
Media & Comms Workers
Entertainers & Performers
Food & Beverage Workers
Artists & Related Workers
1,380 587
193 261
468 341
549 383
512 482
698 630
1,136 1,103
RESIDENTS WORKERS
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
RESIDENTS
WORKERS
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast STRATEGY 1: DEVELOP FILM AND VIRTUAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY 6 SAN LEANDRO NEEDS TO ATTRACT HIGH-WAGE, HIGH-SKILL INDUSTRY At 6.5%, San Leandro’s share of creative economy sector workers is considerably lower than the shares for Alameda County (11.1%) and the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA and (15.6%). Moreover, whereas San Leandro home to a higher share of Culinary Arts sector workers, both Alameda and the SF MSA’s greatest share of creative economy workers are found in the Entertainment & Media sector (Slide 7). Over the past decade, Entertainment & Media sector employment across the SF MSA has grown at an astronomical 65%, with Alameda County experiencing modest job growth at 14% (Slide 8).
Most of this is due to expansion among technology firms in Silicon Valley, but Media Streaming Distribution Services (such as Netflix) and their demand for content account for a large share of this growth as well (Slide 9 and Slide 10). Compared to Hollywood, the Motion Picture and Video Production footprint is small. That said, much of this activity is concentrated in Alameda County; employment grew at rapid clip up until the pandemic and has experienced a moderate recovery since then (Slide 11). Technical Workers and Designers play a significant role in supporting the Entertainment & Media sector, and San Leandro has been attracting residents in these occupations at a faster rate than it has been attracting jobs for them to fill (Slide 13 and Slide 15).
Although San Leandro does not have a robust Entertainment & Media sector in place, regional factors and global trends suggest the city should consider nurturing the development of a film industry that specializes in virtual production. The market for virtual production services and facilities is approaching $2 billion internationally is expected to grow to nearly $3 billion by 2028 (Slide 17). Given San Leandro’s ample industrial space that can be converted into sound stages and a growing pool of regional talent upon which to draw (Slide 18), an investment in virtual production technologies (Slide 19) that can be adapted for multiple uses (Slide 20) can allow the city to compete with larger players in the region.
As content creation continues to become more globalized, opportunities to leverage its diverse resident population and extend film industry opportunities through entertainment localization will emerge as well (Slide 21).
Building this capacity will require extensive resources and a longterm horizon, but much can be done to set the stage for growth in the short to medium term. Setting up a film office, establishing an annual multi-week film festival, supporting local filmmakers with modest grants, and regularly interfacing with relevant regional and state organizations can go along way in signaling that San Leandro is moving in the right direction.
REGIONAL CREATIVE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
7 CREATIVE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT SHARE | 2023 EMPLOYMENT SHARE BY CREATIVE SECTOR | 2023 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
San
Leandro
Alameda
County
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Entertainment &
Media
Design &
Architecture
Culinary
Arts
Fine &
Performing Arts
Fashion &
Creative Goods
San Leandro Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
8 ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA SECTOR GROWTH IN SAN LEANDRO, ALAMEDA COUNTY AND SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA | 2013-2023 Alameda County
San Leandro
-30%
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA SECTOR INDUSTRIES
9 TOP ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA SECTOR INDUSTRIES | 2023
(A) ALAMEDA COUNTY
2023
JOBS
10-YEAR
CHANGE
LOCATION
QUOTIENT
Custom Computer Programming Services 10,900 0% 1.59
Computer Systems Design Services 8,262 -27% 1.22
Data Processing, Hosting & Related Services 7,372 758% 2.45 Software Publishers 5,910 108% 1.60
Motion Picture and Video Production 2,265 12% 1.38
Media Streaming Distribution Services 1,708 -36% 1.22
Photography Studios 1,419 15% 1.07
Advertising Agencies 1,114 21% 0.70
Other Services Related to Advertising 997 -10% 1.43
Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) 658 16% 1.06 (B) SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA
2023
JOBS
10-YEAR
CHANGE
LOCATION
QUOTIENT
Custom Computer Programming Services 82,563 62% 3.82
Media Streaming Distribution Services 41,904 124% 9.48
Software Publishers 41,672 113% 3.58
Data Processing, Hosting & Related Services 36,640 473% 3.85 Computer Systems Design Services 30,441 -1% 1.42
Web Search Portals 12,766 330% 4.37
Advertising Agencies 6,994 -13% 1.39
Motion Picture and Video Production 5,414 -3% 1.04
Photography Studios 4,047 11% 0.96
Public Relations Agencies 3,950 -9% 1.96
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
REGIONAL MEDIA STREAMING DISTRIBUTION SERVICES EMPLOYMENT 10 -50%
-25%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
Alameda County
MEDIA STREAMING DISTRIBUTION SERVICES JOB GROWTH RATE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY AND SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA | 2013-2023 Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
REGIONAL MOTION PICTURE & VIDEO PRODUCTION EMPLOYMENT
11 -15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Alameda County
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
MOTION PICTURE & VIDEO PRODUCTION JOB GROWTH RATE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY AND SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA | 2013-2023 Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
REGIONAL CREATIVE OCCUPATION EMPLOYMENT
12 SHARE ALL OCCUPATIONS | 2023 EMPLOYMENT SHARE BY CREATIVE OCCUPATION GROUP | 2023 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
San
Leandro
Alameda
County
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Technical
Workers
Food & Beverage
Workers
Designers Media and
Comms Workers
Artists & Related
Workers
Artisans Entertainers &
Performers
San Leandro Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast SAN LEANDRO TALENT POOL: TECHNICAL WORKERS
13 TOP TECHNICAL WORKER OCCUPATIONS AMONG RESIDENTS
2023
2023
JOBS
10-YEAR
CHANGE
Software Developers 946 72%
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers 117 69% Web and Digital Interface Designers 93 132%
Computer Programmers 66 -51%
Special Effects Artists and Animators 50 -4%
Web Developers 37 23%
Audio and Video Technicians 17 -2%
Film and Video Editors 15 62%
Broadcast Technicians 13 132%
Sound Engineering Technicians <10 65%
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
RESIDENT WORKER GROWTH RATE VS. LOCAL JOB GROWTH RATE
2013-2023
Local Technical
Worker Jobs
Residents in
Technical Worker
Occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast Robust Creative
Economy Talent Pipeline
REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS: TECHNICAL WORKERS
14 (A) RACE/ETHNICITY | 2023 (B) AGE SEGMENT | 2023
DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF TECHNICAL WORKER JOBS IN SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA BY:
White
35,950
Latinx or
Hispanic
7,468
Black or African
American
2,272
Asian &
Pacific
Islander
60,700
Other
3,417
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
14 to 24
Years Old
25 to 34
Years Old
35 to 44
Years Old
45 to 54
Years Old
55 to 64
Years Old
65 Years Old
and Over
Technical Workers All Workers Aging Overall
Regional Workforce
109,808
Jobs
SAN LEANDRO TALENT POOL: DESIGNERS
15 TOP DESIGNER OCCUPATIONS AMONG RESIDENTS
2023
2023
JOBS
10-YEAR
CHANGE
Graphic Designers 125 3%
Architectural and Engineering Managers 122 12%
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 91 49%
Art Directors 76 57%
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers 69 37%
Interior Designers 51 40%
Designers, All Other 51 15%
Architectural and Civil Drafters 39 -11%
Commercial and Industrial Designers 22 50%
Fashion Designers 18 43%
RESIDENT WORKER GROWTH RATE VS. LOCAL JOB GROWTH RATE
2013-2023
Local
Designer
Jobs
Residents in
Designer
Occupations
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
14 to 24
Years Old
25 to 34
Years Old
35 to 44
Years Old
45 to 54
Years Old
55 to 64
Years Old
65 Years Old
and Over
Designers All Workers Creative Occupation Age Distribution Mirrors Overall Workforce Trends
REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS: DESIGNERS
16 (A) RACE/ETHNICITY | 2023
DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF DESIGNER JOBS IN SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA BY:
Black or
African
American
1,161
Latinx or
Hispanic
6,884
Asian & Pacific
Islander
10,764
Other
1,953
White
28,874
(B) AGE SEGMENT | 2023
45,636
Jobs
VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
17 Virtual Production (VP) is a rapidly expanding method of content creation. Combining computer-generated imagery
(CGI), game engines, and extended reality technologies, VP enables film and television production teams to conduct virtual scouting, design virtual sets, and deploy real-time, on-set visual effects. Such expanded capabilities are
impacting many film and television disciplines and
departments including, but not limited to, cinematography, production design, visual effects, and animation.
Teams around the world are using game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity to create the digital sets, props, and environments to replace legacy green screen technology.
These game engines provide a wide range of tools and
features that can be used to create high-quality 3D
environments that boast sophisticated physics modeling
and special effects. The use of LED volumes to create
realistic and dynamic lighting environments for the actors on set, for example, creates a more seamless and realistic look in the final film or television show.
1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5
1.6 1.7
1.9 2.1
2.2 2.4
2.7 2.9
$0.0
$0.5
$1.0
$1.5
$2.0
$2.5
$3.0
$3.5
201720182019202020212022
2023F2024F2025F2026F2027F2028F
Revenue in Billions of U.S. Dollars
GROWTH IN GLOBAL VIRTUAL PRODUCTION MARKET REVENUE
2017-2028 FORECASTED
Source: The Insight Partners
SPOTLIGHT: REGIONAL FILM, VIRTUAL PRODUCTION & VFX TALENT POOL 18 EMPLOYMENT IN SELECT OCCUPATIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA | 2013 VS. 2023 0 2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
Art
Directors
Special Effects
Artists and Animators
Graphic
Designers
Producers and
Directors
Sound Engineering
Technicians
Camera Operators,
Television, Video, and Film
Film and
Video Editors
2013 2023
32,128
Jobs
23,561
Jobs
+28%
+59%
+3%
+5%
+75%
+47% +40%
+52%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census, Lightcast
THE LED VOLUME
19 LED walls have emerged as a game-changing innovation in the realm of virtual production. By utilizing a series of interconnected LED panels, these walls create a seamless and immersive backdrop for filming, replacing traditional green screens and physical sets. The ability to display realistic and dynamic virtual environments in real-time not only enhances the visual quality of productions but also provides significant cost and time savings.
Filmmakers now have the flexibility to create stunning visual effects and realistic environments on a much tighter budget and timeline.
Production teams can iterate and experiment with different scenes and settings quickly, saving both time and resources. Additionally, the ability to capture complex shots in-camera reduces the reliance on post-production, streamlining the entire production process.
From photoreal avatars to flawless virtual sets and extensive Unreal worlds, the global production community has embraced the amazing potential of virtual production as a solution to many of the production challenges [we faced] during the current global pandemic. - Sam Nicholson, CEO and Founder
Stargate Studios
AN ADAPTABLE TECHNOLOGY
20 The tools and techniques of virtual production
are steadily transforming the media,
entertainment, and advertising industries by
increasing flexibility, shortening production
times, and bringing real-time computergenerated imagery and visual effects out of postproduction and onto real-life sets.
Virtual production offers greater freedom and
flexibility. It can bring real-time visual effects
directly into the production process or on stage,
enabling everyone on set to see and interact
with them.
Sets can be built inside a game engine or
captured using photogrammetry — for
example, by scanning the surfaces of Midtown
Manhattan to create a 3D model. The virtual set
and its effects can then be rendered in high
resolution on LED volumes, transforming a
sound stage or a theater into a New York City
neighborhood. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Film Performing
Arts
Television Music Gaming Heritage Marketing Museums Fashion Source: Loughborough University Survey of 62 UK-based Virtual Production Assets ENTERPRISES WORKING WITH VIRTUAL PRODUCTION OPERATE ACROSS INDUSTRIES | 2023
DEMAND FOR SOUND STAGES
21 Although San Francisco has served as the backdrop for numerous films and is home to the nation’s longest running film festival, it has a small sound stage footprint. Los Angeles is home to the largest number of sound stages by a large measure (434), but at 16 facilities over 2,000 square feet in size, the Bay Area lags far behind cities like Albuquerque (41), Austin (36), and New Orleans (27). By building a virtual production sound stage capacity, San Leandro can leverage its proximity to San Francisco and access to talent by offering lower-cost, larger facilities.
As noted in Variety Magazine in March 2024: San Francisco is also looking to get into the soundstage game, either with a new purpose-built facility or retrofits buildings like Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 (currently home to a padel and pickleball facility) on Treasure Island, which hosted many productions from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Although projects are typically drawn to the city by its iconic exteriors … it’s hoped that a more complete production infrastructure might help keep San Francisco-set shows from spending the bulk of their shooting days in Vancouver, Canada, as so many have in recent years, including Hulu’s “Woke” and the CW’s “Kung Fu.”
ENTERTAINMENT LOCALIZATION
22 Although the film industry provides one avenue for high-wage, high-skill labor expansion, opportunities also exist for residents who may lack technical skills but offer something just as valuable: non-English language fluency and cultural diversity.
By developing an entertainment localization workforce, San Leandro could tap into its rich talent pool of bilingual speakers (who represent 26.9% of the San Leandro resident population over age 5).
Entertainment localization is the process of adapting
entertainment content, such as movies, TV shows, video
games, and other multimedia products, to make them
culturally and linguistically appropriate for different regions or markets around the world. The main objective is to create a tailored experience for audiences in different countries or regions, making the content feel as natural and locally relevant as possible.
By developing partnerships with local educational institutions and/or training centers conducting outreach with regional streaming media distributors, and steadily building a talent pipeline, San Leandro could become an attractive destination for global businesses seeking to expand their operations or outsource localization services. This would further bolster the city’s attractiveness as a hub for film and media production.
NATIVE NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS IN SAN LEANDRO | 2022 0 2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
Spanish Chinese Tagalog Vietnamese Other Asian
Languages
Arabic
Note: Green bars represent the number of residents who speak English “very well.” Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2022) FILM AND VIRTUAL PRODUCTION: STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
23 • Invest in state-of-the-art production facilities: Zone industrial land uses to allow for the development of modern, well-equipped sound stages and production facilities with LED volume capabilities • Leverage proximity to major markets and talent pools: Highlight the city’s accessibility to neighboring regional film production hubs and the diverse talent pools they offer while also making San Leandro comparatively more appealing through streamlined film-permitting processes and incentives. • Foster partnerships and collaborations: Promote partnerships with film schools, industry organizations, and production companies. Collaborations with local educational institutions can help develop a pipeline of skilled talent, while partnerships with industry associations can provide valuable networking opportunities and exposure.
• Establish a film office and support services: Create a dedicated film office within the city administration to streamline communication and support for productions considering San Leandro. • Showcase and support local talent: Promote its local talent pool by providing grant support and hosting local film festivals, screenings, and networking events to showcase the creative talent within the community and attract industry attention.
STRATEGY 2: FORMALIZE CULINARY ARTS ECOSYSTEM
24 LEVERAGING EXISTING TALENT POOLS AND ASSETS
Compared to the region overall, San Leandro’s creative economy — both in terms of sector employment and occupational employment — is heavily concentrated in the Culinary Arts (Slide 25 and Slide 28). There are nearly twice as many restaurants per capita in the city (not counting fast food establishments) than there are in San Francisco and Oakland combined, and employment in San
Leandro’s Culinary Arts has been more resilient and increased at faster rate in recent years compared to its two larger urban neighbors (Slide 26). Among the three largest creative occupational groups in the city, it is the only one where local jobs are increasing faster than the resident base, which translates to a robust Culinary Arts sector.
Yet these jobs tend to pay relatively low wages and are disproportionately held by non-White workers compared to the other creative sectors (Slide 30). Moreover, there is little in the way of a cohesive ecosystem or any infrastructure to support workforce development, entrepreneurship, or expansion. The City should explore opportunities to formalize this ecosystem and develop a strategy that capitalizes on diversity of its enterprises. Investments in Culinary Tourism programming, cross-sector collaboration with food science R&D enterprises, and the construction of food halls and public dining plaza can go a long way in energizing the sector.
7.49 5.09
3.86 0
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
San Leandro Oakland San Francisco
RESTAURANTS PER 10,000 RESIDENTS
Source: CoStar, U.S. Census
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Entertainment &
Media
Design &
Architecture
Culinary
Arts
Fine &
Performing Arts
Fashion &
Creative Goods
San Leandro Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA
REGIONAL CREATIVE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
25 SHARE OF ALL SECTORS | 2023 EMPLOYMENT SHARE BY CREATIVE SECTOR | 2023 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
San
Leandro
Alameda
County
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
-25%
-20%
-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
REGIONAL CULINARY EMPLOYMENT
26 San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
Alameda County
CULINARY ARTS JOB GROWTH RATE IN SAN LEANDRO, ALAMEDA COUNTY & SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA | 2013-2023 San Leandro
SAN LEANDRO CULINARY ARTS SECTOR
27 CULINARY ARTS EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY | 2023 CULINARY ARTS VS. FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING JOB GROWTH | 2013-2023 1,400
1,500
1,600
1,700
1,800
1,900
2,000
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Number of Jobs
Food & Beverage
Manufacturing
Culinary Arts
Retail
Bakeries
193 Caterers
127
Other
193
Full Service
Restaurants
1,449
1,814
Jobs
REGIONAL CREATIVE OCCUPATION EMPLOYMENT
28 SHARE ALL OCCUPATIONS | 2023 EMPLOYMENT SHARE BY CREATIVE OCCUPATION GROUP | 2023 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
San
Leandro
Alameda
County
San FranciscoOaklandBerkeley MSA
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Technical
Workers
Food & Beverage
Workers
Designers Media and
Comms Workers
Artists & Related
Workers
Artisans Entertainers &
Performers
San Leandro Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA SAN LEANDRO TALENT POOL: FOOD & BEVERAGE WORKERS
29 TOP FOOD & BEV WORKER OCCUPATIONS AMONG RESIDENTS
2023
2023
JOBS
10-YEAR
CHANGE
Cooks, Restaurant 465 20%
Bartenders 182 20%
Food Service Managers 176 8%
Bakers 131 14%
Chefs and Head Cooks 111 58%
Cooks, Short Order 51 22%
Cooks, All Other 21 17%
Cooks, Private Household 0 -95%
RESIDENT WORKER GROWTH RATE VS. LOCAL JOB GROWTH RATE
2013-2023
Local Food &
Beverage Jobs
Residents in
Food & Beverage
Occupations
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
14 to 24
Years Old
25 to 34
Years Old
35 to 44
Years Old
45 to 54
Years Old
55 to 64
Years Old
65 Years Old
and Over
F&B Workers All Workers Prime Working Age Creative Occupation Population in Line with Overall Workforce
REGIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS: FOOD & BEVERAGE WORKERS
30 (A) RACE/ETHNICITY | 2023
DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD & BEVERAGE WORKER JOBS IN SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-BERKELEY MSA BY:
Black or
African
American
Asian & Pacific 3,178 Islander
14,999
Other
1,659
White
18,107
(B) AGE SEGMENT | 2023
Latinx or
Hispanic
19,494
57,438
Jobs
CULINARY TOURISM
31 Culinary tourism presents a unique opportunity to uplift low-income communities in San Leandro by by leveraging
their rich culinary heritage and diverse cultural traditions. To leverage culinary tourism, the city should conduct a
comprehensive inventory of local restaurants, food businesses, and cultural institutions that represent these diverse culinary traditions. This could involve working with community leaders, neighborhood associations, and local organizations to identify and catalog authentic eateries, food trucks, markets, and cultural events that showcase the neighborhood's unique flavors and culinary heritage.
Creating destination opportunities and experiences will go a long way in establishing San Leandro as an essential food hub for the Bay Area. While the ultimate goal may be to develop a fixed culinary district or corridor that features pedestrian pathways. public plazas, and formal food halls, an incremental approach will generate buy-in and foster a more inclusive development approach. Regular weekend food festivals (such as Smorgasbord in Los Angeles) and night markets (like the Atlanta International Night Market), food truck zones, and occasional restaurant weeks can be low-cost, high-impact ways to build a culinary tourism brand while also improving social cohesion within communities.
CULINARY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
32 Collaborating with local community colleges, vocational schools, or non-profit organizations, San Leandro could develop accessible and affordable culinary workforce
training programs tailored to the needs of residents. These programs should incorporate internships or apprenticeships with food startups, research and development enterprises, and manufacturing firms that can provide hands-on
experience and potential employment opportunities for
graduates. Partnerships with industry professionals and local employers can ensure that the curriculum aligns with the current needs of the culinary and hospitality sectors.
Establishing a culinary incubator in San Leandro could
provide recent culinary program graduates and established restauranteurs seeking entrepreneurial opportunities with affordable resources to launch and grow their culinary
businesses. By offering business development support, such as training programs, mentorship, and access to financing, the city can empower these entrepreneurs create unique
dining experiences or establish food manufacturing
enterprises. Collocating incubators and accelerators at food science R&D hubs can also create career onramps and
pathways, foster innovation, and facilitate tech transfer opportunities.
LOCAL PROGRAMS
California State East Bay
• Food & Beverage Management
(Certificate)
City College of San Francisco
• Culinary Arts Management (AS)
• Culinary Arts and Hospitality (Certificate)
• Culinary Arts Basic Training (Certificate)
• Baking and Pastry (Certificate)
• Culinary and Service Skills (Certificate)
Contra Costa College
• Pastry and Baking Skills (AS/Certificate)
• Basic Food Service (Certificate)
• Restaurant Management (Certificate
• Classical/Modern Food Preparation &
Restaurant Training (AS/Certificate)
Diablo College
• Baking and Pastry (AA/Certificate)
• Culinary Arts (AA/Certificate)
• Restaurant Management (AA/Certificate)
• Catering Operations (Certificate)
LOCAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
East Bay SBDC
• Food Entrepreneurship
Laney College
• Culinary Arts & Restaurant
Management (AA)
• Culinary Foundations (Certificate)
• Baking and Pastry (AS)
Oakland Community College
• Culinary Arts (AA)
• Management Development (AA)
• Pastry Art (Certificate)
CULINARY ARTS: STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
33 • Identify and promote local culinary assets: Conduct a comprehensive inventory of local restaurants, food businesses, and cultural institutions that represent the diverse culinary traditions of the community. • Foster culinary entrepreneurship: Establish culinary incubators that provide affordable workspace, equipment, and resources for aspiring food entrepreneurs from the community. • Develop culinary workforce training programs: Collaborate with local culinary schools, community colleges, non-profit organizations, and the regional Small Business Development Center to offer workforce training programs in culinary arts, hospitality, and food service with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches. • Invest in infrastructure and public spaces: Improve streetscapes, public spaces, and infrastructure in culinary districts or corridors to enhance the visitor experience and create a welcoming environment. • Foster partnerships, collaboration, and colocation: Encourage partnerships between local culinary businesses, food science R&D enterprises, food manufacturers, tourism agencies, and city officials to align efforts and leverage resources.
STRATEGY 3: ESTABLISH A MULTIFACETED ENTERTAINMENT ZONE 34 • Expand the Bal Theatre: Reorient the Bal Theatre into a multi-purpose space that features a small- to medium-sized LED volume that can be used for immersive theater, virtual production, and as a training tool (akin to Immersive Light and Art in Adelaide, which houses a studio, gallery, bar, restaurant, and rental space). • Develop complementary amenities: Build an entertainment zone around the Bal Theatre (akin to the Beehive in South Los Angeles’ Goodyear Tract) that caters to the cultural identify of the neighborhood and offers venues like food halls, public plazas, open-air performance spaces, and subsidized store fronts for local arts and culture businesses.
• Leverage the entertainment zone for community development: Work with local organizations to establish a cultural zone (akin to East Oakland’s Black Cultural Zone) to encourage neighborhood empowerment, promote workforce development, and seed transformative grassroots change. • Create a nighttime policy platform: Innovate on strategies to activate the neighborhood (and attract regional spending) using the entertainment zone as a laboratory for viable nighttime and nightlife policies. • Build a branding campaign: Develop a marketing plan to gain buy-in with neighborhood stakeholders, raise funding through federal and state grants, attract investment, and raise visibility of the initiative across the region.