BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS

By Anu Natarajan

Our historic neighborhoods, retail, restaurants & entertainment options, small businesses are good, but should be built upon to become great.

INCREASE RETAIL, RESTAURANT AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS THROUGHTOUT THE CITY We have much to celebrate during my term as your Vice-Mayor with the opening of Sprouts and welcoming Whole Foods to Fremont in 2013 on Mowry Avenue. We have brought back first-run movie theaters to Fremont at Pacific Commons, joining the new Target and the high-end retail and dining that will soon arrive with the imminent opening of The Block at Pacific Commons. As Mayor, I will continue to focus on bringing more options in retail, restaurants and entertainment for all generations.

MAKE FREMONT SMALL BUSINESS-FRIENDLY This is an on-going process of ensuring that we promote Fremont as a business-friendly city. I will continue to focus on ways to assist businesses cut through the interdepartmental red tape to streamline City permitting. I will work to strengthen ties between the City and the Fremont Chamber and encouraging greater collaboration with our City's Economic Development Department. I will promote collaboration between the business groups and the city with quarterly roundtable discussions leading to specific actions.

MARKETING FREMONT TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESSES During my tenure as Vice-Mayor, Fremont's Economic Development has organized an event attracting retail and commercial brokers to the grand opening of Fremont's Century Theatres in Pacific Commons to witness the inaugural showing of "If You Think You Know Fremont, Think Again: Click here to view online. This promotional film highlights our greatest assets: our highly educated workforce, our great school, our wonderful climate and our location near some of the great amenities throughout the Bay Area.

As Mayor, I will enthusiastically embrace being the public face of Fremont to greet local, state, national and even international business leaders and meet with foreign trade delegations to champion Fremont's story to attract new businesses and new investment. But marketing Fremont does not stop when a business has started or relocated here. I will make corporate site visits to demonstrate our City's commitment to the continued success of our business and to listen and respond to concerns of our business owners and employees.