CITY COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION
JUNE 9, 2026
Review of Economic Development
Strategic Plan
3 Establish clear
economic
development
goals and
priorities
Identify shortand long-term
focused
actions to
support goals
and objectives
Provide clear
metrics for
measuring
progress in
executing the
Plan’s actions
Economic Development Strategic Plan Purpose
The Economic Development Strategic Plan Can
• Build partnerships with businesses/ brokers to retain / attract businesses • Promote the City as a location of choice
• Keep city leaders informed of how their decisions and/or policies impact businesses and/or the ability to grow the economy/fiscal stability • Work with regional / State partners to direct policy / legislation impacting businesses and voice business challenges and opportunities
• Ensure businesses have access/knowledge to state/regional resources and technical assistance
The Economic Development Strategic Plan Cannot
• Control market conditions – Can shift strategies to respond to changing conditions • Control property not owned by the City - Can ensure that zoning in place to facilitate uses desired by the decision-makers
4 6
Why Economic Development Matters to Union City?
6 $
Sales
Tax
Industry
Mix /Jobs
for Local
Residents
Property Tax
Robust
General Fund
Local Businesses and Commercial Real Estate Support Union City’s Fiscal and Economic Health
7 Revenue Drivers
7 • Residential
• Industrial
Property
Tax
• Retail
• Business
to
Business
Sales
Taxes
Hotel
Occupancy
Taxes
Other
Taxes
Vacancy
Rates
Acquisitions
Real
Estate
Who Participated in Creating the EDSP?
City Council
• Mayor Singh
• Vice Mayor Patiño
• Councilmember
Nishihira
• Councilmember Wang
• Councilmember
Sakakihara
Businesses
• USK (Adv. Manufacturing)
• Azimuth (Semiconductor
Packaging)
• Mizuho (Adv.
Manufacturing)
• GCM (Adv.
Manufacturing)
• Sigmatron (Adv.
Manufacturing)
• Tenaya Therapeutics
(Biotechnology)
Property Owners
• Lu Tipping (Alvarado
Historic District)
• Sywest (Union Landing)
• Pappas Investments
(Union Landing)
• Jessica Kane (Union
Square Marketplace)
Real Estate Experts
• Bob Ferraro (Industrial
Broker)
• Carol Therien (Retail
Broker)
• Fernando Cuebas (Retail
Broker)
• Tarlton (Life Sciences
Developer)
• Woodstock Development
• City Ventures (Residential
Developer)
STRATEGIC PLAN STRUCTURE
VISION GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES
9 1 4 13 45
Economic Development Vision
Union City is a great place to do business
based on transparent and responsive
government services. Union City is committed
to retaining its existing businesses, attracting
new businesses that include high-wage jobs
for Union City residents, and growing the
City’s revenues. Union City will continue
offering clean and safe business districts and
improving the quality of life of residents.
Strategic Plan Goals
Support Existing
Business
Attract New
Businesses
Foster
Investment
Tell Union City’s
Story
OVERVIEW OF
OBJECTIVES AND
STRATEGIES
13 GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S
EXISTING BUSINESSES
Objective 1.1: Strengthen communication, engagement, and partnership with the local business community.
Strategy 1.1(a) Organize industry-focused events
Strategy 1.1(b) Meet quarterly with the EDAT
Strategy 1.1(c) Recognize and celebrate the achievements of businesses Strategy 1.1(d) Collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce to conduct outreach to their membership
14 GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S
EXISTING BUSINESSES
(cont.) Objective 1.1: Strengthen communication, engagement, and partnership with the local business community.
Strategy 1.1(f) Provide assistance to businesses
Strategy 1.1(g) Prioritize engagement with the top sales tax generators and major employers
Strategy 1.1(h) Promote the City’s diverse industrial sector through collaborative events 15 GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S
EXISTING BUSINESSES
Objective 1.2: Implement best practices to maintain clean and safe industrial and commercial districts
Strategy 1.2(a) Collaborate with the City’s Homeless Task Force Strategy 1.2(b) Educate and train businesses on CPTED and emergency preparedness trainings
16 GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S
EXISTING BUSINESSES
Objective 1.3: Connect businesses to federal, state, regional and local business resources
Strategy 1.3(a) Regularly engage business support partners Strategy 1.3(b) Routinely update resource informational materials Strategy 1.3(c) Collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce on business support initiatives
17 GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S
EXISTING BUSINESSES
Objective 1.4: Support existing small businesses and small business start-ups in Union City
Strategy 1.4(a) Prepare and maintain a “Starting a Business in Union City 101” Guide Strategy 1.4(b) Organize and deliver regular workshops and educational sessions Strategy 1.4(c) Plan and execute small business promotional campaigns with local partners
18 GOAL 2: ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO UNION CITY
Objective 2.1: Prioritize efforts to attract new businesses Strategy 2.1(a) Work with brokers, developers, and individual businesses to provide information necessary to assist with property acquisition
Strategy 2.1(b) Collaborate with the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance, industry and trade groups Strategy 2.1(c) Meet and communicate regularly with industrial brokers, developers, and property owners
Strategy 2.1(d) Engage with developers or business owners to identify opportunities for process improvement
19 GOAL 2: ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO UNION CITY
(cont.) Objective 2.1: Prioritize efforts to attract new businesses Strategy 2.1(e) Explore opportunities for offering business incentives Strategy 2.1(f) Offer individualized site selection assistance 20 GOAL 2: ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO UNION CITY
Objective 2.2: Work with shopping center owners to attract new tenants that serve Union City’s diverse population
Strategy 2.2(a) Meet with the City’s shopping center owners to gather information regarding how each center is performing
Strategy 2.2(b) Engage with the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and local retail brokers
Strategy 2.2(c) Develop promotional materials to support retail attraction to Union City’s commercial areas
21 GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
Objective 3.1: Strengthen communication, engagement, and partnership with the local business community
Strategy 3.1(a) Track property transactions and reach out to new property owners to provide information
Strategy 3.1(b) Continue engagement with PG&E
Strategy 3.1(c) Continue to participate in the City’s interdepartmental Development Review Committee to ensure a timely and predictable permit process 22 GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
Objective 3.2: Facilitate reinvestment in Union City’s Shopping Centers Strategy 3.1(a) Work with interested shopping center owners to prepare a SWOT analysis for their property
Strategy 3.1(b) Continue to support a public private partnership with the Union Landing Property Owners Association (ULPOA)
Strategy 3.1(c) Promote intensification and transformation of existing shopping centers Strategy 3.1(d) Manage and maintain City owned pylons signs 23 GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
Objective 3.3: Strengthen multi-modal connections between Union City’s business districts and the City’s existing amenities
Strategy 3.3(a) Promote and educate businesses about the City’s commercial and industrial districts through strong multimodal connections between the BART station Strategy 3.1(b) Continue to support and promote the Union City Transit services including the Flea
24 GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
Objective 3.4: Enhance the vitality of the Historic Alvarado District as a destination for shopping, services, and dining
Strategy 3.1(a) Update existing strategies for the Historic Alvarado District Strategy 3.1(b) Engage both City and community stakeholders to evaluate opportunities to increase visibility of the area
25 GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
Objective 3.5: Facilitate development of City-owned properties Strategy 3.5(a) Prepare an inventory of vacant City-owned property Strategy 3.5(b) Develop marketing materials to highlight opportunity sites 26 GOAL 4: TELL UNION CITY’S STORY OF SUCCESS
Objective 4.1: Promote Union City by telling a strong story Strategy 4.1(a) Update a Union City marketing plan
Strategy 4.1(b) Continue to participate in state and regional efforts to promote Bay Area cities Strategy 4.1(c) Maintain basic collateral materials that promote Union City Strategy 4.1(d) Update the economic development webpage on the City’s website 27 GOAL 4: TELL UNION CITY’S STORY OF SUCCESS
Objective 4.2: Keep community members and local businesses informed and involved
Strategy 4.2(a) Present quarterly updates to the City Council on economic development related data trends and projects
Strategy 4.2(b) Post economic development related news and stories on the City’s social media Strategy 4.1(c) Maintain basic collateral materials that promote Union City Strategy 4.2(c) Educate key stakeholders in the community (i.e. business leaders, commissioners, civic groups) to serve as ambassadors who promote the City 28 MOVING AHEAD
2026 WORK PLAN
Market Sector Indicators and
Measuring Progress
29 Market Sector Indicators
Why We Track Them?
• Monitor Opportunities for Growth, Expansion
• Monitor Trends that Negatively Impact Economy
• Understand Conditions that Requires Shift in Strategies • Impacts on City, Business Fiscal Health, Jobs, and Revenues • Understanding Trends – Growth, Retrenchment
30 Market Sector Indicators
• Real Estate Vacancy Rates: Industrial, Warehouse, Research and Development, Commercial
• Retail Vacancy Rates
• Major Leases and Renewals
• Sales Tax Revenues: Retail and Business-to-Business
• Hotel Occupancy Taxes
• Major Land/Property Acquisitions
• Business License Applications and Renewals
• Building Permits
Anything not on the list that we should be reporting out on? 31 Examples of Market Sector Conditions that Impact Local Economic Development
• Inflation - cost of gas, food, retail products, construction, labor, capital, utilities
• Geopolitical events
• Supply chain challenges - inability to receive products/materials, tariffs • Lack and cost of available land
• Retail transformation - bankruptcies, retrenchment and/or closures Market Sector Indicators
32 ED Staff will provide quarterly updates to the City Council which include:
• Overview of relevant market indicators
• Overview of staff accomplishments, strategies implemented during the previous quarter, and progress towards performance measure • Updates on relevant economic development market trends / topics Measuring Progress
Measuring Progress Prioritizing
Goals,
Objectives,
Strategies
Monitoring
Market and
Local
Conditions
Reporting
Quarterly
Progress to
City Council
Evaluate
Whether We
Are on Track
34 Implementation: Planning for Success
Timing and Tracking
• The Strategic Plan designates whether a strategy is ongoing or has a target completion year.
• “Ongoing” is for strategies that staff continuously works on throughout the year, including efforts that arise as needed and require rapid response
• Strategies that result in a specific deliverable or require a dedicated project are assigned a completion year (e.g. 2026, 2027, or 2028) 35 Ongoing Work
•Chamber Collaborations
• Maintain and Monitor Market Sector
Indicators
• 2 EDAT Meetings
•Update and Track Union City Indicators
• New and Existing Business Support
•Internal Department Collaborations
• Homeless Task Force
•City Manager Initiatives
•Regional Collaboration with Economic
Development Partners
Implementation: Planning for Success
GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S EXISTING
BUSINESSES
36 2026 Deliverables
• Industrial Roundtable
• Emergency Preparedness Trainings
• Establish new Chamber Agreement
• Manufacturing Day
• UPRR engagement to address homeless
encampments in the industrial sector
• Establish Small Business Promotion –
Open Rewards
Implementation: Planning for Success
GOAL 1: SUSTAIN, RETAIN AND GROW UNION CITY’S EXISTING
BUSINESSES
37 •Broker and new business support (On-going)
• Site selection support (On-going)
•Develop promotional material for shopping
center retail attraction (2026 Deliverable)
• Targeted outreach to at least 2 shopping center
property owners (2026 Deliverable)
Implementation: Planning for Success
GOAL 2: ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES TO UNION CITY
38 • Track property transactions and engage
property owners (On-going)
•Maintain PG&E engagement to support
business needs (On-going)
• Participate in City’s Development Review
Committee (On-going)
•Continued support of ULPOA / PBID (On-going)
• Promote and educate business on access to
the FLEA (On-going)
•Develop marketing materials to highlight
opportunities sites (2026 Deliverable)
Implementation: Planning for Success
GOAL 3: FOSTER INVESTMENT IN UNION CITY’S INDUSTRIAL AND
COMMERCIAL AREAS
39 •Regional participation and
collaboration with Economic
Development Partners (Ongoing)
•Develop Union City
Marketing Plan (2026
Deliverable)
•Update Economic
Development Webpage
(2026 Deliverable)
Implementation: Planning for Success
GOAL 4: TELL UNION CITY’S STORY OF SUCCESS
40 Next Steps
• June 2026 - City Council input
incorporated into the plan
• July 2026 – City Council review of
Final Economic Development
Strategic Plan
• December 2026 – Staff Report to
City Council on Market Sector
Indicators, Performance Indicators
and Progress on Priorities
41 Recommendation
• Staff recommends the City Council provide feedback on the draft Economic Development Strategic Plan, Work Program priorities and ask any clarifying questions