San Leandro City Council
September 3, 2024

CITY OF

SAN LEANDRO

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
september 3, 2024

CITY OF

SAN LEANDRO

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
I. Introduction
II. Analysis Findings
III. Community Priorities
IV. Vision Statement
V. Goals, Strategies, and Action Steps
Goals
Strategies and Actions
Implementation Action Steps Matrix and Timeline
Tracking Success: Economic Development Indicators
VI. Appendices
6 14
18 26
28 32
33 36
48 64
65 City Council

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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
Rizwan Dard, Cuberg
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
Susan O’Neill, Torani
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
Gerris Wilkinson, B3
Yan Liu Zeng, Fusion Delight
City Staff
Janelle Cameron,
City Manager
Fran Robustelli,
Former 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
*Members of the Finance Committee, which provided ongoing input throughout the strategy development
process. Focus Group Participants and
Other Interviewees
Focus Group Participants and Other Interviewees
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
Executive Summary
6 7
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS The 2024 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.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 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. It builds
upon the vision for San Leandro outlined in the
2035 General Plan, and refines the economic
development strategies outlined in other recent
policy documents. The Strategy supports the
goals of these other documents by fostering
innovation, transit-oriented development, jobs,
and continued revenue for City services.

San Leandro’s 2035 General Plan describes a vision
for San Leandro as a safe, attractive, vibrant, sustainable, healthy and economically resilient city and destination. It describes a future San Leandro economy that is thriving with arts, dining, entertainment, small businesses, innovation, “smart” technologies, and diversity. This Economic Development Strategy establishes goals, strategies, and action steps that the City can take to achieve the aspirations of its 2035 vision.

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 130 San
Leandro community members, business leaders, and City
staff or leadership. Strategic Economics, in partnership with Winter Consulting, CVL Economics, 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
findings of the analysis are presented in Section II of the strategy and are incorporated into the Initiatives, Goals, and Strategies—as summarized below.

Executive Summary
8 9
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Economic Development Vision
The Strategy also works toward achieving a new
Economic Development Vision for San Leandro.

Based on coordination with the 2035 General Plan
and other planning documents, combined with
economic analysis and extensive engagement with
community members, business leaders, and City
leadership, the following Vision was developed:

San Leandro will combine the community,
safety, and welcoming spirit of a small town
with the dynamism, walkability, accessibility,
diversity, and innovative enterprises of an
urban hub. San Leandro will become widely
recognized as a destination for creativity,
technology, and production, while retaining
its vibrant dining, retail, and cultural scene. The
City will champion equitable workforce, small
business, and entrepreneurship opportunities
to create an economy that can provide for the
needs of, and capitalize on the benefits of, an
increasingly diverse population.

Vision Statement
Five values will
be the hallmark
of this vision:

Innovation
East Bay’s premier location
for innovation-based
industry
Quality
High-quality retail,
transformative
development
Community
Diverse, welcoming,
charming neighborhoods,
with a vibrant dining
and cultural scene
Equity
Workforce opportunities
and small business
support
Character
Strong public image,
reputation for creativity,
innovation, and production
Executive Summary
10 11
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Major Initiatives, Goals
and Strategies
In order to achieve the Economic Development Vision, this Strategy sets forth six major goals to help guide and focus City efforts. Each goal contains
more specific strategies and action steps. In particular, there are four action steps that will play a critical role in the early stages of implementation:
• Innovation Action Strategy – to attract and retain innovative businesses in Clean Tech, Food Tech, Biomedical, Hardware, Robotics, the creative economy, and other emerging industries; • Brand Assessment and Marketing Strategy
– to articulate San Leandro’s identity, communicate the city’s advantages, and promote the city’s economic assets;
• Retail Action Strategy – to retain San Leandro’s diverse retail culture, attract appealing local and national retail businesses, and grow
the city’s entertainment and family-oriented
retail options; and
• Workforce Partnership Strategy – to connect
with businesses about employee and training
needs, build partnerships with service providers, and increase job opportunities for local students.

The Economic Development Strategy establishes
six goals. These six goals respond to the key
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
identified through community input and economic research conducted for this plan. Together, the 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 city’s visibility, image, and identity.
• Retaining and supporting existing industry
sectors that generate high-value outputs and
support high-wage and “career ladder” jobs.
• 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.
• Facilitating mixed-use projects with high-quality urban design at Bay Fair, Kaiser North, and Shoreline areas.
• Updating City zoning and streamlining the
City’s review and approval processes.

Goal 3: Preserve industrial districts
and address infrastructure needs.

San Leandro’s infrastructure and industrial areas
are vital to support the jobs, investment, transportation, and services of today and tomorrow.

Additional means of funding and efficient ways
of managing public infrastructure, as well as City
facilities and real estate, are needed to ensure the
fiscal sustainability and quality of the City longterm. Strategies to ensure that San Leandro’s infrastructure and industrial areas attract and retain these important value-add businesses include:
• Developing and implementing focused plans
for the industrial areas’ unique needs.
• Obtaining funds and partnering with utilities
and private entities to support the essential
electric, water and other long-term utility
needs for the target industries.
• Exploring ways to more efficiently and costeffectively manage City facilities and real estate through public-private partnerships and other
creative means.
• 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.

Supporting San Leandro’s
Creative Economy
CVL Economics conducted a concurrent San Leandro Creative Economy Landscape Analysis. This evaluation
represents a unique and important new
feature in the Strategy and supports
the City’s evolution towards a modernized 21st Century urban environment.

A local creative economy brings significant economic activity and fosters innovation, attracts talent, and adds
vibrancy to a community, driving longterm economic vitality. The findings and recommendations from this study are
integrated into the goals, strategies and
action steps of this Economic Development Strategy.
• Strategy 1: Attract high-wage industry:
develop film and production capacity
• Strategy 2: Empower local talent:
formalize culinary arts ecosystem
• Strategy 3: Revitalize the East 14th
Street corridor: establish a multifaceted entertainment zone Executive Summary
12 13
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Goal 4: Create vibrant gathering
places with quality retail, dining,
hospitality, and entertainment.

These strategies 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. The strategies include:
• Supporting changes to the tenant mix of shopping centers that include: appealing local and national retailers, entertainment and family-oriented businesses, and shopping and services that reflect the city’s diverse population.
• Providing support to shopping centers
throughout the community to make safety,
capital, and aesthetic improvements.
• 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 into more active and walkable mixeduse districts—including potential arts-focused districts, such as near the Bal Theatre.
• 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 and businesses 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 accessibility of childcare services.

Goal 6: Support small businesses and
entrepreneurship.

San Leandro’s small businesses not only create job
and income opportunities for local 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
clear permitting processes.

Implementation Focus Areas
The Strategy’s major initiatives focus on key locations, districts, and corridors where substantial opportunities exist to fulfill the Economic Development Vision. The following map shows the primary opportunity sites, districts, and corridors that are targeted by this strategy. Highlights include:
• San Leandro’s industrial districts (addressed
in Goals 1 and 3),
• The Bayfair Center Transit-Oriented Development and Innovation Node (addressed in Goals 2 and 5),
• San Leandro’s Downtown and East 14th Street
Corridor (addressed in Goals 4 and 6); and
• Community Shopping Centers (addressed in
Goal 4)
San Leandro Creek
Flood Control Canal
San Leandro Creek
Es tu dilo Cana l
San Lore nzo Creek
Edes Av e
105 thAve
Empire Rd
Rai
lroa
dAve
Do l
ittl eDr Do l
ittl eDr
Fairway Dr
William s St
Monarch Bay D r
Aurora Dr
Juana Ave
Syb il Ave
Dutton Ave
Joaqu in Ave
Footh ill Blvd
108th Ave
Lake Chabot Rd
Marlow D r
100th Ave
103rd Ave
Durant Ave
Benedi ct Dr
Dolores Ave
106th Ave
Maud Ave
Broadmoor Blvd
Mar in e
vi ew
Dr
Oake s Blvd
Dowling Bl vd
Pershi n
gDr
109th Ave
Glen Dr
Bancroft Ave
Bockman Rd
Inve rn
e
ss St
Ash land A ve
Hacienda Ave
Via Ar iba
Alva ra
d
oSt
Via Al amitos
Teagar den St
Grant Ave
Fargo Ave
ElginSt
Castro St
Paseo Grande
William s St
LarkSt
Farnsw orth St
Pas e
o
del Campo
Via Medi a
Via Manzanas
Jun ip e
rSt
Manor Blvd
WakeAve
Corva lli sSt
Purdue St
Wi
le ySt
Via C hi q
ui ta
Burkha rt Ave
Heg e
n
berge rRd
98thAve
98th Ave
Do l
ittl eDr
Marina Blvd
Estud illo Ave
Hespe ri a
nBlvd
Marina Blvd
Wash ingt o
nAve
Lewe lling Blvd
Lewe lling Blvd
Fa irmont Dr
San Leandro Blv d
Wick s Bl vd
E 14t hSt
E 14thSt
61 61
61 61
880
880
880
Go lf L inks Metropo litan
Golf C lub Monarch Bay
Golf Course
Lake Chabot
Shoreline Park Re gional K in g Jr. Martin Luther
Sho r eli n e Re gional Oyster Bay
Chabot Park
Regional Park Anthony Chabot
Scho ol E lem ent ary Garfield
San Lorenzo
San Leandro
580
880
112
BART Stations and Line
San Leandro City Boundary
Community Shopping Centers
Sources: City of San Leandro, 2024; Esri, 2024;
Strategic Economics, 2024.
0 0.5 1 2 Miles
Streetscape Improvements
Industrial Districts:

District-Scale
Support for Legacy
and Innovative
Industries
Shoreline: Housing,
Hotel, Restaurants
(Planned)
Bayfair Center
Transit-Oriented
Development and
Innovation Node
Kaiser North: Mixed
Use (Planned)
Retail, Arts &
Entertainment: Bal
Theatre & Hesperian
Downtown:

Mixed-Use Housing,
Plaza, Retail
Investment
MAP 1
Major Focus Areas for Implementation of the Economic Development Strategies Introduction
14 15
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS 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).

San Leandro’s 2035 General Plan describes a vision for
San Leandro as a safe, attractive, vibrant, energetic, and economically resilient city and destination. It describes a future San Leandro economy that is thriving, with arts, dining, entertainment, small businesses, innovation, “smart” technologies, and diversity. This Economic Development
Strategy establishes goals, strategies, and action steps that the City can take to achieve the aspirations contained in its 2035 vision as well as other plans.

The Strategy sets forth a new complementary Economic
Development Vision, which is discussed in Section IV, 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, enhance amenities, support businesses, and generate continued revenue for City services.

The 2024 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.

I.INTRODUCTION
Introduction
16 17
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS 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 130 San Leandro community members, business leaders, and City staff or leadership.

Strategic Economics, in partnership with Winter Consulting, CVL Economics, 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.
• Creative Economy Landscape Analysis: CVL
Economics completed a targeted analysis of
San Leandro’s opportunities for growing the
city’s “creative economy” and prepared recommendations that are integrated in the Economic Development Strategy.
• 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 community
workshops on November 28, 2023 and March
13, 2024 with approximately 40 to 50 people
in attendance at each workshop. 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 II describes
the key conclusions of the data analysis and stakeholder engagement efforts. Section III summarizes the community’s economic development priorities,
as expressed during two workshop events. Section
IV describes the Vision Statement for San Leandro’s
economy based on the community priorities, and
Section V provides detailed economic development goals, strategies, and action steps.

The appendices contain further details and
research that informed the Economic Development
Strategy. Appendix I 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.

Introduction
18 19
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS 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
about these findings.

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.

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 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, transporta-
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.

II.ANALYSIS FINDINGS
FIG 1
Share of Jobs by Major Industry Sector in San Leandro vs. East Bay, 2022 San Leandro Alameda County
0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

ALL OTHER INDUSTRIES

PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC,
& TECHNICAL SERVICES

ADMIN & SUPPORT & WASTE

MGMT & REMEDIATION SERVICES

ACCOMMODATION
& FOOD SERVICES

WHOLESALE TRADE

TRANSPORTATION
& WAREHOUSING

PUBLIC SECTOR

MANUFACTURING

RETAIL TRADE

CONSTRUCTION

HEALTH CARE
& SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
Jobs in Sector as Share of Total Jobs in Area
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.

Introduction
20 21
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS tion (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.

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; although San Leandro is now benefitting from new industrial
development activity, commercial and industrial
developers are also confronting challenges posed by
increasing construction costs and financing costs. 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. On the
other hand, several new industrial developments are
currently proposed for development and at least two
are currently under construction (these projects are
not captured in the data shown in Figure 3 and Figure
4, which only includes completed buildings). These
new projects indicate promising potential for future
FIG 2
Sales tax collected per capita, by sales tax category and location, August 2022 to August 2023 San Leandro California Alameda County
0 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100

MISCELLANEOUS

FOOD PRODUCTS
(MARKETS & RESTAURANTS)

TRANSPORTATION
(AUTO SALES & GAS STATIONS)

CONSTRUCTION

BUSINESS TO BUSINESS

GENERAL RETAIL
FIG 3
Total Square Feet of Industrial and R&D/Flex Property by Decade Built, 2023 1900-1959
0 10,000,000
20,000,000
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000

FREMONT HAYWARD NEWARK OAKLAND SAN LEANDRO UNION CITY
1960-1969
2020-Present Unknown
1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2009 2010-2019
Square Feet
FIG 4
Square feet of Commercial and Industrial Property in San Leandro, by Decade Built and Property Type, 2023 0 1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
BUILT BEFORE 1950 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Industrial Inventory SF Flex Inventory SF Office Inventory SF Retail Inventory SF Square Feet
development that can gradually modernize San Leandro’s industrial building stock.

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 houseSources: Avenu Insights, 2024; Strategic Economics, 2024.

Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024. Note: Includes industrial and flex buildings completed and tracked by CoStar through August 2024. Does not include projects under construction or proposed for development.

Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Note: Includes industrial and flex buildings completed and tracked by CoStar through August 2024. Does not include projects under construction or proposed for development.

Introduction
22 23
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS andro’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
(TOD); 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.

FIG 5
Educational Attainment of Population Aged 25 and Older in San Leandro and Nearby Cities, 2021 0 20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

SAN LEANDRO HAYWARD NEWARK UNION CITY FREMONT
Less than High School High School Graduate (includes equivalence) Master’s Degree Professional School Degree Doctorate Degree Some College Bachelor’s Degree
Share of Population Aged 25 and Older
FIG 6
Entertainment and Media Sector Job Growth, 2013 to 2023 San Leandro Alameda County San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA -30%
-20%
-10%
0 10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
San Leandro California Alameda County
Cumulative job growth in sector - 2013 to 2023
FIG 7
Distribution of Venture Capital Deals, by Industry,
San Leandro vs. Peer Cities, 2019 to 2023
0 20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

NEIGHBORING CITIES
2023

SAN LEANDRO
2019-2023
3 1
4 5
8 1
6 2
15 7
1 4
AI
Life Sciences
Food & Beverage
Other Industries
Hardware Tech
Software
Share of All Deals in Location
hold 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 careerladder 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.

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.

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.

Many innovative industries 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 LeSource: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2021; Strategic Economics, 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.

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
Intr
oduction
24 25
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Recent Successes in San Leandro 1 Gate 510
This tech and biotech campus represents a creative
reuse of a former automotive plant. It provides
incubat`or and maker spaces for scientists, cre-
ators, 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.
2 Bayfair Center Redevelopment
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 transitoriented research and development facility. The City is actively involved, through plans and partner-
ships, in ensuring that this center continues to be a
vital and growing node in San Leandro’s economy.
3 Residential & Commercial
Development in Downtown
Despite a challenging real estate environment,
developers continue to pursue commercial and resi-
dential projects in San Leandro’s downtown. Recent
approved or completed projects include Loro Land-
ing (affordable housing), Centro Callan (mixed-use
multifamily housing), San Leandro Tech Campus
(office), and Fieldwork Brewing (restaurant).
4 Updates and improvements to Marina
Faire Shopping Center
San Leandro leveraged incentives and grants to fa-
cilitate improved landscaping, security, signage, and
facade renovations at Marina Faire Shopping Center.
5 Post-Covid-19 Shop Local/Business
Reopening Campaign
The Shop Local San Leandro campaign, commercial
relief grants, technical assistance, and marketing
support helped sustain local businesses to re-open
after the pandemic.
12 453
Community Priorities
26 27
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Key Industries
• Promoting clean technology (such as battery
technology) and other green industries
• Exploring opportunities for more advanced
food-technology business investment
• Leveraging Bay Fair Center for scale-up innovation opportunities Development and Zoning
• Cultivating mixed-use and transit-oriented
development
• Improving City permit process and streamlining permitting in industrial areas • Increasing zoning flexibility
Industrial Districts and Infrastructure
• Improving pedestrian safety and walkability
along East 14th Street.
• Addressing challenges for power upgrades or
new installations at industrial sites
• Preparing for electric vehicle needs and funding
infrastructure improvements in industrial areas
• Improving multimodal connectivity and access
to transit
Retail and Restaurants
• Need for e-commerce and marketing assistance for existing small businesses • Concerns about safety and cleanliness in
retail shopping centers
• Attracting more entertainment and familyoriented retail options • Downtown plaza improvements and event
opportunities to help small businesses
Workforce and Education
• Increasing job access for current residents
and local graduates
• Educational partnerships to increase training
opportunities
• Cultivating business partnerships to improve
school to employment pathways
• Promoting childcare access to support workforce opportunities • Ensuring new job opportunities provide equitable and inclusive access for all residents Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Marketing assistance for new and growing
businesses
• Ensuring safety and security at existing businesses
• Accessing capital and affordable business
spaces
III. 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 focused 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.

Community Priorities
28 29
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS IV. VISION STATEMENT Economic Development Vision
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 II 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:

San Leandro will combine the
community, safety, and welcoming spirit
of a small town with the dynamism,
walkability, accessibility, diversity, and
innovative enterprises of an urban
hub. San Leandro will become widely
recognized as a destination for creativity,
technology, and production, while
retaining its vibrant dining, retail, and
cultural scene. The City will champion
equitable workforce, small business, and
entrepreneurship opportunities to create
an economy that can provide for the
needs of, and capitalize on the benefits
of, an increasingly diverse population.

Economic Development
Vision for San Leandro
Community Priorities
30 31
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS This Economic Development Strategy is occurring
at a time of dynamic shifts in the economy and
an accelerating pace of social, technological, and
economic change. Had this Strategy been published
just six or seven years ago, it is easy to imagine it
having a much different analysis of market trends
such as remote work, generative artificial intelligence, e-commerce, modular construction, autonomous
vehicles, or the energy storage industry.

Although this Economic Development Strategy seeks to articulate a clear, guiding vision for economic development, at the same time it has
purposely avoided language that may be too specific. This approach allows the City to have greater flexibility and agility in how it implements the vision over time. The Economic Development Vision is
broken out into short, medium, and long-term outcomes, as described in the following table:

Time Frame Outcomes & Indicators of Success
Short Term
(2-4 years)
San Leandro begins to achieve a much stronger, more positive image and identity throughout the Bay Area, thanks to:
• Branding and marketing
• Planning and project approval of high-profile development projects that will catalyze new jobs, housing, and investment.
• The launch of aggressive retail attraction efforts and improvements to local and regionalserving shopping areas.

Medium Term
(4-7 years)
San Leandro offers a wider range of high-quality jobs and business opportunities that are attainable for its local residents through:
• Attraction of innovation-oriented industries.
• Infrastructure funding efforts and the planning of industrial districts to accommodate the long-term growth of new and expanding businesses.
• Programs to support and strengthen local small businesses and entrepreneurs, with special attention to the City’s diverse and underserved business communities. • Partnerships to improve job training and placement services, higher education, and access to affordable childcare.

Long Term
(7-12 years)
San Leandro solidifies its position as a vibrant, top-tier regional center of business and culture, with a unique and welcoming identity:
• Several large-scale, transformational projects (e.g., Bay Fair, Shoreline) are well underway and have attracted new capital investment to other parts of the city. • Public art, plazas, streetscape improvements, arts venues, transit, and other urban amenities have helped articulate San Leandro’s unique sense of place and created a welcoming urban environment for residents and visitors. • The City has established itself as a destination for innovation-based industries as well as several creative industries, such as culinary arts or film production.

Five values will
be the hallmark
of this vision:

Innovation
East Bay’s premier location
for innovation-based
industry
Quality
High-quality retail,
transformative
development
Community
Diverse, welcoming,
charming neighborhoods,
with a vibrant dining
and cultural scene
Equity
Workforce opportunities
and small business
support
Character
Strong public image,
reputation for creativity,
innovation, and production
Phasing of the City’s Economic Development Vision
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
32 33
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS 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 described in the “Strategic and Actions.” Goal 1: Accelerate innovation and
growth of target industries:
• Attracting innovation-based businesses in
target industries.
• Launching a branding and marketing effort to
improve the city’s visibility, image, and identity.
• Retaining and supporting existing industry
sectors that generate high-value outputs and
support high-wage and “career ladder” jobs.
• 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:
• Facilitating mixed-use projects with high-quality urban design at Bay Fair area, Kaiser North, and Shoreline.
• Updating City zoning and streamlining the
City’s review and approval processes.

Goal 3: Preserve industrial districts
and address infrastructure needs:
• Developing and implementing focused plans
for the city’s industrial areas’ unique needs.
• Obtaining funds and partnering with utilities
and private entities to provide the essential
electric, water and other long-term utility
needs for the target industries.
• Exploring ways to more efficiently and costeffectively manage City facilities and real estate through public-private partnerships
and other creative means.
• 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:
• Supporting changes to the tenant mix of
shopping centers that include: appealing local and national retailers, entertainment and family-oriented businesses, and shopping
and services that reflect the city’s diverse
population.
• Providing support to shopping centers
throughout the community to make safety,
capital, and aesthetic improvements.
• Installing urban design (“placemaking”) and
public 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 potential arts-focused districts, such as near the Bal Theatre. • Evaluating the opportunity for new upscale
hotels.

V. GOALS, STRATEGIES,

AND ACTION STEPS
This section summarizes the goals,
strategies, and action steps that form
the Economic Development Strategy
The section begins with an overview of the six primary Goals, followed by a list of the detailed Strategies and Actions. The section also includes an Implementation Action Steps Matrix that specifies responsible parties, performance measures, and time frames for each action. The section concludes with recommendations for tracking success: a series of economic development indicators that the City can monitor to measure citywide economic health.

Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
34 35
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Goal 5: Ensure resident workforce
training and education for access to
high-quality job opportunities:
• 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 accessibility of childcare services.

Goal 6: Support small businesses and
entrepreneurship:
• 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
clear permitting processes.

All of the above goals are intended to advance
the San Leandro’s focus on promoting equity and
inclusion for all San Leandro residents. 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.

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.

The goals and their corresponding strategies and
actions focus on key locations, districts, and corridors where economic development strategies align with assets and opportunities in San Leandro.

Figure 9 identifies these primary opportunity sites,
districts, and corridors. Highlights include San
Leandro’s industrial districts (addressed in Goals 1
and 3), the Bayfair Center Transit-Oriented Development and Innovation Node (addressed in Goals 2 and 5), San Leandro’s Downtown and East 14th
Street Corridor (addressed in Goals 4 and 6), and
community shopping centers (addressed in Goal 4).

San Leandro Creek
Flood Control Canal
San Leandro Creek
Es tu dilo Cana l
San Lore nzo Creek
Edes Av e
105 thAve
Empire Rd
Rai
lroa
dAve
Do l
ittl eDr Do l
ittl eDr
Fairway Dr
William s St
Monarch Bay D r
Aurora Dr
Juana Ave
Syb il Ave
Dutton Ave
Joaqu in Ave
Footh ill Blvd
108th Ave
Lake Chabot Rd
Marlow D r
100th Ave
103rd Ave
Durant Ave
Benedi ct Dr
Dolores Ave
106th Ave
Maud Ave
Broadmoor Blvd
Mar in e
vi ew
Dr
Oake s Blvd
Dowling Bl vd
Pershi n
gDr
109th Ave
Glen Dr
Bancroft Ave
Bockman Rd
Inve rn
e
ss St
Ash land A ve
Hacienda Ave
Via Ar iba
Alva ra
d
oSt
Via Al amitos
Teagar den St
Grant Ave
Fargo Ave
ElginSt
Castro St
Paseo Grande
William s St
LarkSt
Farnsw orth St
Pas e
o
del Campo
Via Medi a
Via Manzanas
Jun ip e
rSt
Manor Blvd
WakeAve
Corva lli sSt
Purdue St
Wi
le ySt
Via C hi q
ui ta
Burkha rt Ave
Heg e
n
berge rRd
98thAve
98th Ave
Do l
ittl eDr
Marina Blvd
Estud illo Ave
Hespe ri a
nBlvd
Marina Blvd
Wash ingt o
nAve
Lewe lling Blvd
Lewe lling Blvd
Fa irmont Dr
San Leandro Blv d
Wick s Bl vd
E 14t hSt
E 14thSt
61 61
61 61
880
880
880
Go lf L inks Metropo litan
Golf C lub Monarch Bay
Golf Course
Lake Chabot
Shoreline Park Re gional K in g Jr. Martin Luther
Sho r eli n e Re gional Oyster Bay
Chabot Park
Regional Park Anthony Chabot
Scho ol E lem ent ary Garfield
San Lorenzo
San Leandro
580
880
112
BART Stations and Line
San Leandro City Boundary
Community Shopping Centers
Sources: City of San Leandro, 2024; Esri, 2024;
Strategic Economics, 2024.
0 0.5 1 2 Miles
Streetscape Improvements
Industrial Districts:

District-Scale
Support for Legacy
and Innovative
Industries
Shoreline: Housing,
Hotel, Restaurants
(Planned)
Bayfair Center
Transit-Oriented
Development and
Innovation Node
Kaiser North: Mixed
Use (Planned)
Retail, Arts &
Entertainment: Bal
Theatre & Hesperian
Downtown:

Mixed-Use Housing,
Plaza, Retail
Investment
MAP 1
Major Focus Areas for Implementation of the Economic Development Strategies Photo: Zachary Borja
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
36 37
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategies and Actions GOAL 1: Accelerate Innovation and Growth of Target Industries
San Leandro is a well-established business destina-
tion 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, en -
ergy storage, energy efficiency, waste reduc-
tion 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 de-
velopment, Digital Health, medical device,
diagnostics, etc.
• Hardware/Robotics - Advanced Engineering,
Automation and Robotics
• Other emerging technologies, such as Artifi-
cial Intelligence
The following strategies seek to support busi-
nesses in key existing and emerging industries
that have potential for long-term growth and
high-quality jobs:

Strategy 1
Attract innovation-based industries to trans-
form and expand the city’s industrial base. • Action 1.1. Develop an Innovation Action Strategy to attract and retain innovative busi-
nesses in the target industries (noted above),
which will be based on ongoing outreach
and research, described in the following ad-
ditional actions. Explore potential incentives
to induce target industries to relocate and/or
expand in San Leandro.
• Action 1.2. Conduct outreach to industry rep-
resentatives (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, AM-
BayArea, Biocom, 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 exist-
ing businesses in San Leandro and link busi-
nesses 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.
• Action 1.6. Explore long-term initiatives to at-
tract, develop, and expand creative industries,
including efforts to: » Attract film/media businesses, including virtual film production, sound stages, Digital
Media Streaming, and other similar indus-
tries.
» Invest in programs and partnerships to
grow culinary entrepreneurship and culi-
nary tourism;
» Develop an arts, entertainment and cultural
district on East 14th Street, anchored by the
BAL Theater;
» Modify current zoning in commercial and
industrial areas to be more flexible in allow-
ing creative industries;
» Induce private developers to help fund pub-
lic art in key commercial areas throughout
the City; and
» Partner with university and professional
organizations to facilitate education, train-
ing, 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. Complete a City Brand Assessment to better understand how the community is
perceived: it’s image, its benefits, its drawbacks
(both real and perceived) and the city’s future
prospects. Create a clear, simple, vivid City Mar-
keting Strategy that will articulate San Leandro’s
vision and brand, and will communicate the
city’s opportunities and advantages for a range
of target industries including manufacturing
and emerging innovation.
• Action 2.2. Develop an Economic Develop-
ment Marketing Plan that includes specific
marketing materials, initiatives, and engage-
ment activities, including the following: » Online messaging (via website, blog, social media channels, etc.);
» Press and media; » CEO, business champion, and business leader testimonials;
» Outdoor advertising; » Business-focused events (Manufacturing Week, developer tours, etc.);
» Participation at trade shows and industry
events;
» Leveraging special events to promote eco-
nomic development goals;
» Identification of differentiators and valueadds of doing business in San Leandro; » Brochures/handouts for business meetings; » Wayfinding signs, cleanliness, public art, and other initiatives to improve the appear-
ance of major arterials (see Strategies 7, 9,
10 and 11 below).
» Industry partnerships, sponsorships and col-
laboration; and
» 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 re-
duced commute times, and links to local real
estate and housing opportunities.
• Action 2.4. Identify medium to long-term op-
portunities to promote tourism in San Leandro,
including events and places such as the Cherry
Festival, 21st Amendment, Drake’s Brewing,
the Farmer’s Market, San Leandro Pride, and
festivals throughout the year.

Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
38 39
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS 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 City’s 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, growth of innovationoriented industries, 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. As appropriate,
San Leandro should use Development Agreements
and other land use instruments to ensure accountability and progress with developments on key sites identified below.

Strategy 4.

Facilitate transformational development projects.
• Action 4.1. Plan for 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 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
area. Partner with property owners and agency partners to prepare Development Plan for Bay Fair TOD Sub-Area 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 staff in the Economic Development, Planning, Building, and Engineering & Transportation Divisions to facilitate development and permitting. Continue interdepartmental efforts to seek grant funding for City open space. Explore the potential long-term
development of water taxi service.
• Action 4.3. Encourage development of the
“Kaiser North” parcel located north of the Kaiser Permanente Hospital with mixed uses such as restaurants, a hotel and conference center,
destination retail, business services, personal
services, offices and workspaces, and housing.

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.
• 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
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
40 41
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS • Action 8.2. Coordinate with BART to facilitate safety improvements, maintenance invest-
ments, and pedestrian 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 Understand-
ing 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 Com-
munity Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) and
recommend adoption of CBTP to City Council.
• Action 8.3. Encourage business-serving
transportation services, including Transporta-
tion Management Plans for larger develop-
ments, 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 9
Support changes to the tenant mix of shopping
centers that include: appealing local and nation-
al retailers, entertainment and family-oriented
businesses, and shopping and services that
reflect the city’s diverse population. • Action 9.1. Develop a Retail Action Strategy, including evaluations of retail shopping pat-
terns, influence of demographic changes on
future retail spending, and leakage to other
communities in particular categories. The
Strategy should include programs to retain the
community’s diverse retail culture, and attract
new retailers in entertainment, experiential,
and family-oriented retail. The strategy will
also yield a short list of desired retail tenants,
target retail categories, and assessment of op-
portunity sites.
• Action 9.2. Continue retail recruitment efforts
through the City’s Economic Development Divi-
sion, including preparation of a retail real estate
prospectus and updated demographic and
market information for prospective businesses.
• Action 9.3. 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. This technical assistance should
be used to preserve San Leandro’s diverse retail
culture, including women-owned businesses,
LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, and small business-
es within San Leandro’s Latino, Asian American,
and African American business communities.
• Action 9.4. 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 9.5. 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 addi-
tional support to other commercial districts.

Strategy 10
Provide support to shopping centers to make
safety, capital, and aesthetic improvements and
help diverse local businesses respond to current
market changes. • Action 10.1. Evaluate and update the Commer -
cial Incentive Program to respond to changing
business and market needs and develop out-
reach strategy to support continued mainte-
nance and aesthetic improvements to centers.
• Action 10.2. Provide interdepartmental safety
and nuisance support for businesses and
shopping centers, meeting internally and
with businesses to assess problems, develop
new programs and policies, and provide as-
sistance, and connect individuals with mental
health and housing services.
with industry site requirements and devel-
opment standards for the target industries,
reduce land use conflicts with adjacent
residential areas, and maintain 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
vital 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 develop-
ment 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 plan-
ning process, and evaluate infrastructure
capacity for additional development.
• Action 6.2. Partner with industrial develop-
ers, 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.

Strategy 7
Explore additional means of funding and ef-
ficient ways of managing public infrastructure,
facilities and real estate, to support business
needs, as well as the fiscal sustainability and
quality of the City long-term. • Action 7.1 Evaluate alternative means to fund operation of existing facilities or new infra-
structure investments through public-private
partnerships.
• Action 7.2 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, and
identify additional staffing and funding needs.
• Action 7.3. 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 participa-
tion, if any, in deployment, promotion, and
use of the San Leandro fiber optic network.

Strategy 8
Improve transportation infrastructure to promote
transit and alternative travel modes, attract shop-
pers to Downtown and other key retail nodes, and
facilitate commuting to industrial and commercial
destinations. • Action 8.1. Support City, regional, and State projects to install bicycle, pedestrian, and infra-
structure improvements and ensure that urban
design and local business needs are incorpo-
rated into the public improvements. In particu-
lar, this includes TOD areas and industrial areas.

Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
42 43
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS • Action 10.3. 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.

Explore the integration of “Crime Prevention
Through Environmental Design” (CPTED) into
design standards for commercial areas.
• Action 10.4. 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 10.5. 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 11
Install urban design (“placemaking”) improvements to enhance the Downtown shopping experience and strengthen Downtown’s role as
a destination for culture and events.
• Action 11.1 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 11.2. Design and implement cohesive improvements to Downtown plazas and walkways. Evaluate potential to expand
or augment Downtown plazas to support
public events and attract more visitors to San
Leandro. Pursue funding for comprehensive
improvements to plazas.
• Action 11.3. Design and install wayfinding,
murals, and art throughout the Downtown
area to enhance the pedestrian experience
and direct drivers to parking.
• Action 11.4. Install public improvements in
Downtown to enhance the quality and usability of streets and public spaces as gathering places and recreation areas. • Action 11.5 Develop and implement strategies that help to improve the mix of retail and service businesses Downtown, with an
emphasis on higher-end retail shops, sitdown restaurants, and experiential, familyoriented and entertainment uses.

Strategy 12
Support the phased improvement of East 14th
Street into more active and walkable mixed-use
districts.
• Action 12.1. In conjunction with East Bay Greenway improvements, pursue complementary public improvements to East 14th Street which
make the street more transit- and pedestrianfriendly, 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, landscaping, and public art.
• Action 12.2 Explore the feasibility and requirements of creating arts districts or other means to support the performing arts and
creative industries in Downtown and other
commercial centers.
• Action 12.3. 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 12.4. 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 from Dutton to Broadmoor Avenues.

In the areas along East 14th Street between
the nodes, enable the transition of vacant
properties to housing.

Strategy 13
Support the flexibility and evolution of major
regional retail centers, including big box stores
and automobile dealerships, to meet evolving
market forces.
• Action 13.1. 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 13.2. 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.
• Action 13.3. 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.

Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
44 45
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy 14
Evaluate opportunities for new upscale hotels. • Action 14.1. Evaluate the feasibility of attract -
ing 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 devel-
opers and major chains.
• Action 14.2. Identify and assess opportunity
sites for potential new hotels and perform
outreach to potential hotel brands and prop-
erty owners as appropriate.

GOAL 5: Ensure Resident Workforce
Training and Education for Access to
High-Quality Job Opportunities
San Leandro residents, businesses, and the commu-
nity at large benefit when residents are prepared
for the jobs of the future. Addressing the complexi-
ties 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 educa-
tion and training providers offer the training that
businesses and residents need. Many education
and training providers play a role in this effort, in-
cluding: colleges, school districts, labor institutions like the Zero Net Energy Center, and the Alameda
Workforce Development Board, as well as commu-
nity organizations, employers and residents.

Strategy 15
Work with businesses and workforce develop-
ment partners to ensure relevant and impactful
workforce development services are provided
to local residents and businesses. • Action 15.1: Workforce Partnership Strat -
egy: 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 meet-
ing 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 appropri-
ate recruitment and training resources, and
encourage them to participate in workforce
development and support discussions and
programs, including internships, childcare
provision, 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, job-seeker, and employer
needs, as well as available workforce pro-
grams. Encourage service providers to use
this information to help guide and shape cur-
ricula and workforce development policies.
» 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 15.2: Coordinate with workforce part-
ners 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 employ-
ers, 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.
» Improving access and services to residents
who have the greatest barriers to training,
such as lower incomes, lower educational
attainment, English as a second language,
childcare needs, housing insecurity, or trans-
portation access challenges.
» Industry partnerships to increase aware-
ness and interest among San Leandro
students and residents to pursue careers
in target industries.

Strategy 16
Increase awareness of local job opportunities
and connect residents to “career-ladder” jobs
(i.e., jobs that pay a living wage, provide ad-
vancement opportunities, and do not require a
college degree) in local industries. • Action 16.1. Develop a resident and business outreach plan to promote better job place-
ment 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. Incorporate
equity considerations as part of the guiding
framework for this plan.
• Action 16.2. Conduct additional outreach to
businesses based upon the recommenda-
tions of the outreach plan, inviting them to
participate in job fairs, partner with local
training programs, and expand their men-
torship, internship, and on-the-job training
options.
• Action 16.3. Assist in promoting local work-
force programs or events for local residents
as needed, based on the recommendations
of the outreach plan. Seek to promote work-
force 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 16.4. 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 organiza-
tions, and other means of job placement.

Strategy 17
Explore the potential for higher education in-
stitutions and scientific labs to locate or partner
with San Leandro workforce stakeholders • Action 17.1. Research East Bay higher educa -
tion institutions with an eye for creating and
strengthening partnerships and expanding
service offerings physically located in San Le-
andro. 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 18
Reduce barriers to employment by improving
awareness, delivery, and accessibility of existing
childcare services • Action 18.1. 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 af-
fordability, improve access, or promote existing
resources as needed. To the extent possible,
this evaluation should also consider disparities
in access based on race, ethnicity, or income.

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 19
Expand partnerships to promote business plan-
ning and other technical assistance, training,
and financial resources for small businesses and
entrepreneurs. • Action 19.1. Expand virtual and in-person tech -
nical assistance, training, and funding support
opportunities for entrepreneurs via specialized
technical service partners like the East Bay Small
Business Development Center, SCORE, and
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
46 47
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. The tech-
nical assistance may include a range of topics,
including business planning, e-commerce, ar-
tificial intelligence, website and digital market-
ing, procurement, import/export opportunities,
lease negotiations, personnel management,
and other business management issues.
• Action 19.2. Partner with the Small Business
Administration, CDFIs (such as Working
Solutions or ICA Fund), and/or other organi-
zations to facilitate access to capital for local
businesses, including crowdfunding, microlending, venture capital investment, and traditional lending resources.
• Action 19.3. Use the City’s website, San Lean-
dro NEXT, and social media channels to help
connect local businesses and entrepreneurs to
Federal, State, nonprofit, and private organiza-
tions and programs that can provide access to
capital, technical assistance, and other support.
• Action 19.4. Partner with the San Leandro
Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Chinese
Chamber of Commerce, the San Leandro
Black Chamber of Commerce, and other
organizations to facilitate and promote underrepresented business services, such as business seminars, one-on-one business consulting,
and other technical assistance to local busi-
nesses 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 19.5. Explore the feasibility of creat-
ing a small business center for entrepreneur-
ship assistance that provides a resource for
persons operating or considering operating
a business in San Leandro.
• Action 19.6. Proactively work to connect small,
diverse, and underserved businesses with
existing City-sponsored business incentive
grants, including facade incentives and securi-
ty assistance, and develop new small business
assistance grants as needs and funding arise.

Strategy 20
Make San Leandro more customer-friendly to
small and diverse businesses, with transparent,
fast, and clear permitting processes. • Action 20.1. Improve and update online and printed materials outlining City pro-
cesses and resources for small businesses
and home-based businesses on an ongoing
basis. Create and maintain Spanish and Chi-
nese translations of all materials.
• Action 20.2. Conduct outreach to landlords
and event organizers (such as farmers mar-
kets, festivals, etc.) to identify low-barrier-toentry opportunities for small businesses and home-based businesses, such as pop-up ac-
tivations 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 20.3 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 cultur-
ally appropriate services. Assist businesses
in forming, or participating in, local business
organizations as appropriate.

Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
48 49
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Implementation Action Steps
Matrix and Timeline
The following matrix summarizes the strategies
and action steps described above and clarifies the
responsible division, performance objective(s), and
time frame for implementing each action step. Some
of the action steps can be implemented using existing staff resources, yet other action steps may require the investment of additional funding, consultant,
or staff resources to fully achieve the performance
objectives. For the purpose of this matrix, short-term
actions are those that should be completed within
two years, medium-term actions are those that should
be completed within four years, and long-term actions are those that should be completed in five or more years. “Ongoing” actions should continuously
and regularly occur.

Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
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, which will be based on
ongoing outreach and research described
in the following additional actions. Explore
potential incentives to induce target industries
to relocate and/or expand in San Leandro.

Economic
Development
Innovation Action
Strategy
Short Term

1.2 Conduct outreach to industry
representatives (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, Biocom, 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 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
Medium Term
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 1: ACCELERATE INNOVATION AND GROWTH OF TARGET INDUSTRIES

1. SectorFocused
Recruitment

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.

Economic
Development
Business Incubator
Outreach
Ongoing

1.6. Explore long-term initiatives to attract,
develop, and expand creative industries,
including efforts to: (a) attract film production
firms, (b) invest in programs and partnerships
to grow culinary entrepreneurship and culinary
tourism; (c) develop 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; (e) induce private developers to
help fund public art in key commercial areas
throughout the city; and (f) partner with
university and professional organizations to
facilitate education, training, apprenticeship,
and other support for creative entrepreneurs.

Economic
Development
Creative Economy
Strategy
Long Term

2. Branding &
Marketing

2.1 Complete a City Brand Assessment to better
understand how the community is perceived:
its image, its benefits, its drawbacks (both real
and perceived) and the city’s future prospects.

Create a clear, simple, and vivid Marketing
Strategy that will articulate San Leandro’s
brand and identity, and will communicate the
city’s economic opportunities and advantages
for a range of target industries including
manufacturing and emerging innovation.

Economic
Development
& City
Manager's
Office
City Brand
Assessment &
Marketing Strategy
Medium Term

2.2 Develop an Economic Development
Marketing Plan that includes specific marketing
materials, initiatives, and engagement activities,
including online messaging, press and media,
events, wayfinding, trade shows, publications,
and other marketing assets.

Economic
Development
Economic
Development
Marketing Plan
Medium Term
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
50 51
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 1: ACCELERATE INNOVATION AND GROWTH OF TARGET INDUSTRIES

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
Medium Term

2.4. Identify medium to long-term opportunities
to promote tourism in San Leandro, including
events and places such as the Cherry Festival,
21st Amendment, Drake’s Brewing, the Farmer’s
Market, and festivals throughout the year.

Economic
Development
Tourism Marketing
Plan
Long Term

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
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 2: SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

4. Facilitate
Transformational
Development
Projects

4.1 Plan for 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 Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area.

Partner with property owners and agency
partners to prepare Development Plan for
Bay Fair TOD Sub-Area 1 utilizing MTC Priority
Development Area Grant Funds.

Planning Development Plan
for Bay Fair TOD
Sub-Area 1
Short Term

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
staff in the Economic Development, Planning,
Building, and Engineering & Transportation
Divisions to facilitate development and
permitting. Continue interdepartmental efforts
to seek grant funding for City open space.

Explore the potential long-term development
of water taxi service.

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 mixed uses such
as restaurants, a hotel and conference center,
destination retail, business services, personal
services, offices and workspaces, and housing.

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

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
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
52 53
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 2: SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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,
Public Works -
Engineering
Development
Process Evaluation
Short Term

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
Short Term

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
Short Term

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 Non-Residential
Zoning
Amendments
Project
Medium Term

5.5. Review industrial zoning and development
standards to ensure alignment with industry site
requirements and development standards for
the target industries, reduce land use conflicts
with adjacent residential areas, and maintain the
ability to respond to evolving facility needs over
time.

Planning Non-Residential
Zoning
Amendments
Project
Medium Term
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
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
Medium Term

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
Long Term

7. City
Infrastructure &
Facilities

7.1 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
Medium Term

7.2 Inventory existing city real estate 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.

Economic
Development,
Public Works,
City Manager’s
Office
City Real Estate
Assessment
Long Term

7.3. 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
Long Term
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
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THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 3: PRESERVE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND ADDRESS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

8. Transportation
Infrastructure

8.2. Coordinate with BART to facilitate safety
improvements, maintenance investments,
and pedestrian 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; Kick
of CBTP and
recommend
adoption to
Council by
December 2026.

Medium Term

8.3. 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.

Economic
Development,
Public Works -
Engineering
LINKS Shuttle
expanded funding
and renewal
Long Term
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 4: CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY,

AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES

9. Shopping
Center Tenant
Mix

9.1. 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. The
strategy will also yield a short list of desired retail tenants, target retail categories, and assessment
of opportunity sites.

Economic
Development
Retail Action
Strategy
Short Term

9.2. Continue retail recruitment efforts through
the City's Economic Development Division,
including preparation of a retail real estate
prospectus and updated demographic and
market information for prospective businesses.

Economic
Development
Retail marketing
materials
Short Term

9.3. 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. This technical assistance should be
used to preserve San Leandro’s diverse retail
culture, including women-owned businesses,
LGBTQ entrepreneurs, and small businesses
within San Leandro’s Latino, Asian American, and
African American business communities.

Economic
Development
Restaurant
Assistance Program
Medium Term

9.4. 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

9.5. 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
Long Term
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
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THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 4: CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY,

AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES

10. Retail Center
Improvements

10.1. 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
Short Term

10.2. Provide interdepartmental safety and
nuisance support for businesses and shopping
centers, meeting internally and with businesses
to assess problems, develop new programs and
policies, provide assistance, and connect with
mental health and housing services.

Economic
Development,
Police, Human
Services
Continue
Interdepartmental
Business Security
Meetings as needed
Ongoing

10.3. 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. Explore the integration
of “Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design” (CPTED) into design standards for
commercial areas.

Economic
Development,
Police, Human
Services
Continue Small
Business Security
Grant Program
Short Term

10.4. 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.

Economic
Development
Work with
shopping centers
to implement Retail
Action Strategy and
attract quality retail
Medium Term

11. Downtown
Placemaking

11.1 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
Downtown Public
Improvements
Needs Assessment
Medium Term

11.2. Design and implement cohesive
improvements to downtown plazas and
walkways. Evaluate potential to expand
or augment downtown plazas to support
public events and attract more visitors to San
Leandro. Pursue funding for comprehensive
improvements to plazas.

Public Works Downtown
Plaza Feasibility
Analysis
Medium Term
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 4: CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY,

AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES

11. Downtown
Placemaking

11.3. 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
Medium Term

11.4. Install public improvements in Downtown
to 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
prioritized list of
downtown public
improvements
and placemaking
projects
for Capital
Improvement Plan
Ongoing

11.5. 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
Long Term

12. Developing
East 14th Street

12.1. In conjunction with East Bay Greenway
improvements, pursue complementary public
improvements to East 14th Street which
make the street more transit- and pedestrianfriendly, 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, landscaping, and public art.

Public Works
/ Economic
Development
Propose a
prioritized list
of streetscape
improvement
projects in the
City's Capital
Improvement
Plan;
Ongoing

12.2. Explore the feasibility and requirements
of creating arts districts or other means to
support the performing arts and creative
industries in Downtown or other commercial
centers.

Ongoing Arts District
Feasibility
Analysis
Long Term

12.3. 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
Long Term
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
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THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 4: CREATE VIBRANT GATHERING PLACES WITH QUALITY RETAIL, DINING, HOSPITALITY,

AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES

12. Developing
East 14th Street

12.4. Focus City programs and grants at key
nodes along East 14th Street that can form mixeduse 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

13. Support
Major Retail,
Big Box & Auto
Dealerships
to adapt to
evolving market
forces

13.1 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 sales tax
consultant / year,
perform outreach
to businesses in
decline
Ongoing

13.2 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

13.3 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
Medium Term

14. Hotel
Attraction

14.1 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
Medium Term

14.2 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.

Long Term
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 5: ENSURE RESIDENT WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO HIGHQUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

15. Increase
Services and
Opportunities

15.1 Workforce Partnership Strategy:

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
Short Term
• 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 and support discussions and
programs, including internships, childcare
provision, 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, 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.
• 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
Workforce Partner
Outreach
Ongoing
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
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THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 5: ENSURE RESIDENT WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO HIGHQUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

15. Increase
Services and
Opportunities

15.2. 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.
• Improving access and services to residents
who have the greatest barriers to training,
such as lower incomes, lower educational
attainment, English as a second language,
childcare needs, housing insecurity, or
transportation access challenges.
• Industry partnerships to increase awareness
and interest among San Leandro students
and residents to pursue careers in target
industries.

Economic
Development
Workforce Partner
Outreach
Ongoing

16. Prepare
Workers for
Career-Ladder
Jobs in Targeted
Industries

16.1. 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. Incorporate
equity considerations as part of the guiding
framework for this plan.

Economic
Development
Workforce
Outreach Plan
Medium Term

16.2. 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
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 5: ENSURE RESIDENT WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO HIGHQUALITY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

16. Prepare
Workers for
Career-Ladder
Jobs in Targeted
Industries

16.3. 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

16.4. 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
Medium Term

17. On-site
Educational
Facility

17.1. Research East Bay higher education
institutions with an eye for 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.

Economic
Development
Higher Education
Partnership
Evaluation
Medium Term

18. Reduce
Barriers to
Employment

18.1. 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. To the extent possible, this evaluation
should also consider disparities in access based
on race, ethnicity, or income.

Economic
Development
Childcare Services
and Needs
Assessment
Short Term
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
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THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 6. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

19. Partnerships
and Connections

19.1 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
MOUs/contracts
with at least 3
service providers
Short Term

19.2 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, and traditional lending
resources.

Economic
Development
At least one
MOU/contract
with a CDFI
establishing
partnership
Medium Term

19.3. 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

19.4. Partner with the San Leandro Chamber of
Commerce the Oakland Chinese Chamber of
Commerce, 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 womenowned businesses, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and small business within San Leandro’s
Latino-, Asian-, and African-American business
communities.

Economic
Development
Continue service
agreement with
the Chamber
and continue
agreements with
other service
providers as
appropriate
Ongoing
Strategy Action Step
Responsible
Division
Performance
Objective
Completion
Time Frame
GOAL 6. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

19. Partnerships
and Connections

19.5. 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
Small Business
Center Evaluation
Medium Term

19.6. Proactively work to connect small,
diverse, and underserved businesses with
existing City-sponsored business incentive
grants, including facade incentives and
security assistance, and develop new small
business assistance grants as needs and
funding arise.

Economic
Development
Proactive small
business incentive
outreach,
development of
new programs as
appropriate
Ongoing

20. Ease of
Doing Business

20.1 Improve and update online and
printed 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
Short Term

20.2 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 popup 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 Popup Retail Program
Medium Term

20.3 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
Goals, Strategies & Action Steps
64 65
THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO SEPTEMBER 2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND ACTIONS Tracking Success: Economic
Development Indicators and
Performance Objectives
The following economic development indicators are
recommended for use by the Economic Development Division to track market and economic conditions in San Leandro. These indicators are a gauge of the overall health and inclusivity of the San Leandro economy, but are outside the direct control of the City of San Leandro since many of them are also heavily influenced by regional, national, and international economic and market conditions. In contrast, the “Performance Objectives” listed for each of the Implementation Action Steps track implementation of the City’s direct actions. Performance measures will be further developed and benchmarked as implementation of the
Economic Development Strategy begins.

1. Business Licenses – Number of business licenses
issued annually: overall, by location, by business size.

Number of business licenses that are discontinued
annually, with comparison to new business licenses in
order to determine a “net new” number of licenses.

2. Sales Tax Revenue – Amount of citywide sales
tax collected annually. This should be tracked by
industry, location, and by business for the top sales
tax generators.

3. Property Tax Revenue – Amount of citywide property tax collected annually, tracked by residential, commercial and other categories as appropriate.

Incremental increase in assessed property value for
commercial and industrial properties.

4. Transient Occupancy Tax Revenue – Amount of transient occupancy tax revenue collected annually.

5. Building Permits – Number and value of residential,
commercial and industrial building permits issued
by the City annually, or more frequently and specifically as available.

6. Employment and Unemployment – Total number
of jobs, aggregate wages, and unemployment rate,
updated quarterly based on data provided by the
California Employment Development Department.

7. Industry Trends – Total employment, change in
employment, and job growth vs. regional trends for
San Leandro zip codes in target industries and San
Leandro’s major employment industries, based on
Lightcast data provided by East Bay EDA.

8. Real Estate Market Data – Quarterly or semi-annual
summary of asking rents, vacancy rates, and absorption for all commercial and industrial product types in San Leandro, compared to neighboring
cities and Alameda County (obtained from broker
reports, CoStar, or broker interviews.)

9. Income Data – Income distribution and median
household income annually by race and ethnicity,
based on annual updates of the American Community Survey. Aggregate wages in target industry sectors.

VI. APPENDICES
Appendix I: Technical Analysis Report
Appendix II: First Community
Workshop Summary
Appendix III: Second Community
Workshop Summary
Appendix IV: Summary Report on
San Leandro Creative Economy
Landscape Analysis
Appendix V: Summary Analysis of
Funding Opportunities