Reso 2001-021 RDA 2001-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Economic and Marketing Strategic Plan Shopping centers and other commercial areas have eclipsed downtown as a retail center. Historically, Downtown San Leandro served as a citywide and even regional destination for a variety of retail and service uses. This role of the Down- town has largely been replaced by shopping center, "box" retail, and strip commercial uses. Re-establish the downtown as a community center. San Leandro has experienced outlying competition and citywide retail satu- ;< ration within the last few years, and losses from the downtown area in reatil sales tax dollars have been substantial. The Downtown area needs to re- establish itself as the center of the community and a destination center. To do this, it needs to focus on attracting daytime and nightime activity by providing a) specislry neighborhood goods and services, b) eating and drink- ing and entertainment uses, and c) special events with citywide appeal. Changing demographic trends can benefit the downtown. San Leandro is experiencing increasing home values and an influx of families with children in the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown. This pro- vides the downtown with a market with a higher discretionary income than in previous years. Collaboration between property owners, merchants and the City is crucial to improving downtown's retail environment. Street improvements, maintenance of common areas, coordinating special events such as Sausages and Suds, improving existing buildings and re-ten- anting empty buildings are all issues that require public and private invest- , merit. Through this investment, the downtown will become a more lively i daytime and evening community destination. Urban Design Plan Downtown San Leandro has a rich history upon which to build. Downtown San Leandro developed through an organic process and embod- ies many of the best aspects of urban design, including well-detailed store- fronts, shopping streets, and a central plaza. The 1983 redevelopment introduced a new physical pattern that has been detrimental to downtown. The 1983 redevelopment abandoned the grid pattern and small grain of a traditional downtown, replacing it with a shopping center model of large page 2 October 2000 San Leandro Downtown Plan & Urban Design Guidelines