Downtown Revitalization

By Doug Goodman

By being proactive, going after the types of businesses, restaurants, and shops we desire, we can make downtown Livermore a vibrant destination and a source of pride for the citizens of Livermore.

Downtown revitalization should be Livermore's top planning priority. City planners must be given clear direction, a plan with definite timelines, and the resources needed to make our downtown a vibrant and exciting place to live, work, and enjoy life.

Livermore should create a Marketing Department in the Community Development Division. This department would be responsible for working with the business and general communities to bring those types of businesses, jobs, and residential projects needed and desired to downtown. Successful businesses market themselves. Cities, to be successful must do the same. Livermore Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce would be major players with this department.

The old K-Mart was vacant for almost four years before a furniture store opened in May. The future of the Lucky Center looks no better. Livermore must take every possible action, to include law suits if necessary, to ensure these properties contribute to, not detract from, our downtown.

Our economy is based on open competition. Businesses that can not compete, change or go out of business. The City Council must not legislate competition, nor give in to threats of litigation simply to appease a business worried about potential competition. This is true regardless of the size or value of the project being threatened, but even more important when the threatened project will bring needed services and commitment to the City and downtown.

Citizens of Livermore have been promised a multi-screen movie theater downtown for 13 years. Three out of town developers have failed. Last year, a Livermore businessman presented a project. I am proud to have been the maker of the motion on the Redevelopment Committee to forward this project to the Redevelopment Agency (City Council) for action. This project required the City to " think out of the box". Almost a year later, the project has not been approved and we are no closer to having the theater. This is a travesty and should not have happened.

Last July, the City approved a project for the United Christian Church and an adjoining project for a restaurant at the eastern gateway to downtown. Both projects will create an attractive entrance to downtown on what is now a vacant lot. Almost one year later, construction has not started on either project. If we are serious about revitalizing downtown, projects must be put on the fast track, not be allowed to linger in the red tape of planning.