Economic Development Strategy
Creating Economic Growth,
Vitality, and Fiscal Stability
for Santa Rosa
Exhibit A
Message from City Manager ......................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... 5 Demographics.................................................................................................................. 6 Key Industries .................................................................................................................. 8 Vision ..............................................................................................................................10 Business Attraction, Retention, Expansion .............................................................12 Entrepreneurship and Small Business .......................................................................13 Economic Vibrancy ......................................................................................................14 Resiliency and Community Investment ..................................................................15 T able of Contents
3 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa2 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa Acknowledgements
Santa Rosa City Council:
Mayor Natalie Rogers - District 7
Vice Mayor Mark Stapp - District 2
Councilmember Eddie Alvarez - District 1
Councilmember Dianna McDonald - District 3
Councilmember Victoria Fleming - District 4
Councilmember Chris Rogers - District 5
Councilmember Jeff Okrepkie - District 6
Partners
Sonoma County Economic Development Board Staff
Sonoma County T ourism
Santa Rosa Metro Chamber
Visit Santa Rosa
Economic Development
Subcommittee
Councilmember Eddie Alvarez District 1
Councilmember Chris Rogers District 5
Councilmember Jeff Okrepkie District 6
City Staff
City Manager Maraskeshia Smith
Assistant City Manager Daryel Dunston
Director of Planning and Economic Development
Gabe Osburn
Director of Communications and Intergovernmental
Relations Lon Peterson
Real Property Manager Jill Scott
Economic Development Division Staff
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City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa Message from the City Manager:
I am pleased to unveil the City of Santa Rosa’s
Economic Development Strategic Plan. This
comprehensive guide has been crafted to foster
sustainable economic growth, community vitality, and
ensure financial resilience. It serves as an invitation for new enterprises to join our thriving community
and contribute to our collective prosperity.
The vision is rooted in the commitment to long-term economic success, driving our mission towards equitable and sustainable development. This plan is harmoniously integrated with the Aligned City’s General Plan, offering a dynamic strategy to revitalize Santa Rosa’s economic fabric.
The formulation of this plan was a holistic process involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders from both the local and regional arenas. This collaborative dialogue has provided us with a deeper understanding of our community’s needs and ambitions, leading to a comprehensive and forward-thinking strategy.
As the heart of Sonoma County, we recognize the importance of uniting around common economic objectives and maintaining fiscal health. This plan is our roadmap to meet these challenges head-on and extends an inviting hand to prospective businesses considering Santa Rosa as their new base.
Central to our strategy are three foundational pillars: Business Attraction, Retention and Expansion; Economic Vibrancy and Resiliency; and Community Investment. While each pillar is crucial, we place a special emphasis on attracting new businesses, nurturing an ecosystem that supports innovation, and propelling our local economy forward.
However, our measure of success extends beyond traditional economic indicators. It will be reflective in the vibrancy of our community, the well-being of our residents, the robustness of our partners, and the financial health of Santa Rosa. As we set forth on this path, we are united by a common goal: to forge a prosperous and resilient future, brimming with opportunities for our community.
Sincerely,
Maraskeshia Smith
City Manager
City of Santa Rosa
Demographics
Santa Rosa is the fifth-largest city in the San Francisco North Bay Area and the largest city in Sonoma County. It is home to roughly one-third of Sonoma County residents and businesses. The City has the North Bay’s largest concentration of office, industrial, and retail space, making it the economic center of the region and the default destination for healthcare and government services. 8,416 Businesses
T op Industries by Employment
16.6%
15.2%
9.5%
7.5%
7.4%
Retail T rade
Healthcare
Public Adminstration
Accommodations & Food
Professional/Scientific/T ech
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Participation Rate
Age 65+
4.0%
65.6%
18.3%
7 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa6 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa Community life in
Santa Rosa
Residents and visitors alike can enjoy diverse entertainment, events, culinary delights, and natural wonders. Santa Rosa is the home of Charlie Brown and Snoopy at the Charles M.
Schulz Museum and Snoopy’s Home Ice, the place where
Wine Country meets Beer City, the home and gardens of
world-renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank, and offers not only a vibrant, urban downtown atmosphere full of
culinary delights but also thousands of acres of rolling hills, seasonal streams, Spring Lake, meadows and woodlands for hiking, biking, fishing, and trail riding.
Median home sales price
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City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa $761,268
178,026 People
37%
Bachelor’s/
Graduate
Degree
31.1%
Some
College
15.9%
Only High
School
12.9%
< High
School
>>>
of residents are of
Hispanic origin
35.9%
Per capita income
$47,820
Median age
38.8 of residents have a
Bachelor’s degree
23.2%
The Vision
10 11
City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa In pursuit of economic prosperity,
the City envisions a future guided by
principles of innovation, sustainability
and inclusivity. Our strategic focus
centers on leveraging these pillars to
foster growth, attract investment, and
cultivate a vibrant business environment
that enriches our community
1. Business Growth
W e recognize that an environment conducive to
business growth and attraction is built on clear
communication and supportive policies. By aligning
operational procedures and strategies, identifying and
optimizing land opportunities, fostering collaboration, and actively promoting our region as an attractive
business destination, we aspire to establish a flourishing ecosystem for existing enterprises while extending a
warm invitation to new ventures.
2. Ec onomic Vibrancy and Resiliency
The C ity’s goal is to sustain a vibrant, livable
environment while understanding the paramount
importance of resiliency. It will do this by investing
in and creating innovative infrastructure, supporting
tourism, and identifying and supporting redevelopment
opportunities.
3. Community Investment
B y investing in and supporting our diverse community,
we aim to understand and fortify against the economic
challenges of today and tomorrow.
Goals:
• S upport and grow existing small business
• S upport and promote opportunities for
entrepreneurship
• U nderstand and remove barriers for immigrant,
BIPOC and women- owned business
Actions:
• S trengthen support for entrepreneurship through
incubator organizations
• I dentify and promote available funding sources for
small business owners
• C reate Ombudsman program for technical
assistance and process support
• P artner and connect students for training
opportunities, mentoring and work force
development upskilling
• M eet with Immigrant, BIPOC and women-owned
businesses to identify barriers and build pathways
for assistance and support
• A nalyze opportunities to support home-based and
work from home entrepreneur trends
Business Attraction,
Retention and
Expansion
Measurements:
• % ch ange in the number of business licenses,
compared to base year
• % ch ange in startups
• % ch ange in the number of businesses in key
industries
• % co mmercial property vacancy rate
• W ebsite analytics for virtual portal
• M onetary tracking for incentive packages
• # of sit e-visits
• % bu siness demographics
• T rack BIPOC and women-owned business
support through an annual survey
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City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa Goals:
• C reate fiscal stability for the City, businesses and property owners
• S upport a thriving workforce
• E stablish Santa Rosa as a business-friendly city
• D evelop a communication strategy for the
promotion of services and interactions with business
owners
• I ncrease the number of medium and large businesses
in key industries
• C reate a business retention and expansion strategy
for existing industry
Actions:
• C reate a virtual one-stop-shop online portal
of virtual tools to start or expand a business,
customized to meet diverse cultural and language
needs, building from partnerships with the County,
State, and Sonoma Small Business Development
Center.
• Obt ain software platforms for tracking and reliable
demographics
• Co nduct a business gap analysis, existing cluster
industry analysis, and key emerging industry sectors
analysis
• I dentify key opportunities and land development
sites and work with outside partners to prepare and
market
• Al ign policies, procedures, and standards with plans to encourage mixed-use and innovative uses of
commercial properties
• E stablish site visits and open communication with
businesses
• S trengthen and support partnerships with
educational organizations and business associations
to support workforce development needs
• D evelop incentive packages to attract identified key industries
• C reate a comprehensive outreach and marketing
plan to attract identified key industries
• C reate a streamlined re-tenanting program with
clear pathways for re-tenanting retail, restaurant, or
office spaces
• Al ign efforts with Sonoma County to create a
tandem approach to attraction efforts
1 Business Attraction,
Retention and Expansion:
Create a business-friendly, sustainable, and strong economy by attracting new businesses and expanding, retaining, and supporting existing businesses
Large Business Attraction
Actively support and empower the existing small business ecosystem while establishing clear pathways to enable
successful and fulfilling small business ownership
Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Economic Vibrancy and Resiliency
Create a vibrant and livable City by promoting and creating innovative infrastructure in support of economic accelerators Community Investment
Invest in and support our diverse community to fortify against current and future economic challenges
Goals:
• B olster Downtown housing, commercial and retail
business
• I ncrease revenue to businesses and the City
• S upport a thriving economy
• S upport walkable neighborhoods
• P romote and enhance climate action goals and
sustainability principles
Actions:
• Ex pand Downtown Asset Strategy activating
city-owned property for economic development
purposes, to include housing and housing
supportive amenities with an emphasis on
sustainability and walkable neighborhoods
• E stablish an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing
District in Downtown
• E nsure General Plan and Economic Development
Strategic Plan alignment
• R eview and amend zoning code where needed
to align with economic strategies in support of
development initiatives and opportunities
• Co nduct a downtown infill housing economic and
fiscal impact study
• C reate an Economic development fund to conduct
feasibility studies
• Ex plore, develop, and implement sports and
entertainment as an economic driver for both
residents and tourists
• Co ntinue to assess City Hall Complex
redevelopment opportunities
• I mplement the public art program strategic plan
• S upport community events and activities through
direct programming and grants
• C hampion sustainability and the City’s Climate
Action Plan
Measurements:
• I dentification of potential business opportunities
• I mplementation of/or monetary amount for
financial fund for feasibility areas
• % of e mpty store front/office space in downtown
compared to Y ear 1
• H ousing construction in progress on surplus sites/
number of available sites
• F easibility and fiscal impact studies complete, and
business opportunities defined
Goals:
• I ncrease economic opportunity through upstream
investment
• S upport diverse needs of all districts
• A ddress childhood poverty
• S trengthen early childhood education sector
Actions:
• Co ordinate annual district-based surveys to solicit
community input at a neighborhood level from
all seven districts
• A dvance childcare support programs
• I dentify and capitalize on funding opportunities to
expand upstream investment pilot programs
• U se ARPA funds to continue pilot programs
addressing childhood poverty and increase advanced
education opportunities – continue implementation
through expenditure of funds by end of 2024
Measurements:
• R eport progress on all funded programs and
implementation through online dashboards
• # of p rograms funded, dollars provided, # of
individuals impacted
• R eport progress from annual surveys, year over year, through dashboards
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15 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa14 City of Santa Rosa Economic Development Strategy | Creating Economic Growth, Vitality, and Fiscal Stability for Santa Rosa 100 Santa Rosa Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
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