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Plaza Project Area • Design was completed and bids received for the fmal phase of downtown pedestrian and lighting enhancements including amenities such as improved lighting, sidewalks and landscaping, as well as the creation of community plaza on West Joaquin Avenue at East 14~' Street including a fountain and areas for outdoor seating and dining. Construction will begin in fall 2008 and should be completed in summer 2009. • Downtown San Leandro Design Guidelines and Principals were developed in fall 2007. These Guidelines serve as a "can do" document to encourage property and business owners to make improvements to their building facades, including landscaping and signage. To encourage business and property owners to spruce up their businesses, a commercial fagade improvement program was approved in August 2007. This program consists of a matching forgivable loan of up to $50,000 for storefront and signage improvements. Design assistance from an Agency contracted architect is also available. The commercial fagade improvement program is also available to businesses in the Joint Project Area and West San Leandro/MacArthur Boulevard Project Area. Downtown San Leandro's "We Are San Leandro" marketing campaign was launched in February 2008 at the International Council of Shopping Centers Northern California conference. The campaign is aimed at brokers and potential retailers to educate them on the changing demographics of San Leandro's downtown and included six postcard mailings of people with demographic information and brochures with maps of retail buildings and trade area demographics. In April 2008, a DowntownSanLeandro.com website was launched based on the "We Are San Leandro" campaign. • The Agency entered into a Lease with an Option to Purchase agreement for 262 Davis Street, the first step in acquiring the fourth parcel needed for development of the Town Hall Square mixed- use development project at Davis Street and East 14`h Street. Joint Project Area Construction was completed on a streetscape project to improve access to San Leandro's new Senior Community Center co-located with San Leandro Hospital. The improvements included: street realignment, improved signalization and the creation of a median at East 14`~ Street and 138'" Avenue. This project also included the grading for the 21,000 sq. ft. Senior Community Center which includes classrooms, arts and crafts areas, exercise rooms, and a large main hall which will also serve as an Emergency Operations Center. Construction of the Senior Community Center is scheduled to start iin fall 2008. • The Agency successfully issued the Alameda County-City of San Leandro Redevelopment Project Tax Allocation Bonds, Series 2008. The $25 million in bond proceeds will be used to finance the Senior Community Center and the Estudillo/Callan parking garage. Design work on a four to five story LEED certified parking garage commenced in 2007-08. The structure will include approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of retail along Estudillo Avenue and enhancements will be made to Plaza Del Oro, the pedestrian entry to the garage. This garage will replace the current 215 space garage which is seismically unstable, not ADA accessible and of insufficient size to meet the downtown's parking needs. Garage construction is scheduled for fall 2009. 6