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2001-2002

President

Main Street is a volunteer-based coast-to-coast movement that has been successful in approximately 1,600 cities, towns, and neighborhoods. It is a system of community-based economic revitalization that was devised by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to save historic and significant commercial buildings within economically-depressed commercial districts.

How Does Main Street Work Here?

The City of San Diego adopted the Main Street strategy for revitalizing two Business Improvement Districts. A Business Improvement District (BID), supported by its member businesses, funds business-related activities and improvements that will benefit the business district.

The Main Street program’s success is based on a comprehensive strategy of volunteer work in four broad areas: Design, Economic Restructuring, Organization, and Promotion.

Linking to the rich art heritage that thrives in the neighborhood, North Park Main Street has adopted a plan to revitalize the district with an Arts, Culture, and Entertainment focus. Many of our businesses focus on the arts directly. Others occupy market niches that overlap with art such as camera sales or paint sales. Still others have begun to display art in their interiors. Galleries and art studios are expanding this concept.

• Awarded a $56,000 grant from SANDAG’s Walkable Communities funds to conduct a University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Opposed the median at Bancroft Street that prevents left turns onto University Avenue pending further studies using the Walkable Community grant funds.

• Awarded a $5,000 grant from the San Diego Foundation for a utility box art project on University Avenue.

• Awarded a $8,717 grant from the Commission for Arts & Culture for the sixth annual North Park Spring Festival on May 19, 2002.

• Awarded a $1,500 grant from the County of San Diego for the sixth annual Spring Festival.

• Provided design recommendations to the City of San Diego for the new University Avenue sidewalk between Bancroft and Boundary streets.

• Hosted a 3-day workshop to train representatives from San Diego in Community Initiated Development, in which the public and non-profit sector is trained to take an active role in development.

• Requested that the City’s planning department provide a coordinated briefing on the Planned District Ordinance and the City of Villages and facilitate a process that allows the community to consider the effects of increasing densities along the transportation corridors.

• Continued working from last fiscal year on Commercial Encroachment Standards that would allow outdoor displays of merchandise, sidewalk cafés without railings, and A-frame signs.

• Hosted a retreat for Spring Festival volunteers to review the 2001 Spring Festival and begin planning the 2002 event.

• Changed the theme of the Spring Festival from "For Children of All Ages" to "Arts, Culture, & Entertainment" to better reflect our revitalization efforts as an Arts, Culture, & Entertainment district.

• Continued from last fiscal year our Memorandum of Understanding with the Stein Education Center to work together to reduce graffiti and litter from the 30th & University intersection.

• Met with Councilmember Toni Atkins and other Mid-City BIDs in a leadership breakfast to discuss how we can work together to forward to goals of small businesses.

• Inspired a façade improvement of Chester’s Furniture and adjacent buildings through a Storefront Improvement design from 1999.

• Began developing an Historic Building Inventory to identify significant commercial buildings whose importance should be recognized in a period of redevelopment.

• Developed a process for North Park Main Street, the Redevelopment Agency, and the City of San Diego to meet with developers in an effort to steer development projects.

• Supported the applications of Caffé Calabria and Rancho’s Cocina for beer and wine licenses inasmuch as both businesses are consistent with the Alcohol Criteria for North Park Main Street.

• Supported the development of the Strategic Framework (update of the City’s General Plan) and understood its importance to the concept of "A City of Villages" and to North Park.

• Researched the feasibility of a solar-powered streetlight and suggested this project to the North Park Lighting and Landscape Main-tenance District (LLMD) through our LLMD representative.

• Opposed the proposal to move the loading and unloading of Jefferson Elementary students from Utah Street to 28^th Street because this narrow residential street would be negatively impacted by buses.

 

• Began the "First Thursday Giveaway" at the farmers market, in which fruits & vegetables, flowers, gift certificates, merchandise, and other items are given away at 6:00 p.m. in a free drawing on the first Thursday of every month.

• Supported merchants with promotion of their inaugural "Ray at Night," a monthly art walk and open house on Ray Street and surrounding blocks.

• Participated in a meeting by the City of San Diego that was a result of North Park Main Street’s request to explain planning and density to the citizens of North Park.

• Began collecting information about extended hours promotions in other cities for a future "Thursday Night Out" event in North Park.

• Contacted Middle Eastern and Islamic business owners after the events of September 11 to offer assistance and inquire about any unfortunate incidents.

• Assisted the San Diego Comic Opera – proposed operator of the North Park Theatre – in the recruitment of potential non-profit groups to be part of the North Park Theatre project after its restoration.

• Assisted with the historic restoration and storefront improvement of the Pekin Café building.

• Featured in the "Tin Fork" column of the San Diego Reader for the Thursday Night Market and Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge.

 

• Held elections and seated the new Board of Directors for North Park Main Street.

• Coordinated the "North Park Street Gallery" in which utility boxes were painted by artists.

• Requested that the developer of the North Park Theatre and the City of San Diego avoid demolition of the Stern’s Gym Building; instead they should pursue any reasonable way of preserving the building and integrating it or its façade as part of the North Park Theatre project.

• Requested that the proposed parking garage at 30^th Street and North Park Way – part of the North Park Theatre redevelopment – place the greatest design consideration on the highest number of parking spaces possible.

• Attended the California Revitalization Conference in Sacramento hosted by California Main Street and the California Downtown Association.

• Presented information at the California Main Street Network Meeting about marketing historic theaters using the North Park Theatre as an example.

• Accepted the Governor’s Award for Jay Turner as "Executive Director of the Year."

• Featured in the North Park News and the San Diego Business Journal for Jay Turner’s award as "Executive Director of the Year."

• Provided assistance to the Greater North Park Community Planning Committee in their review of potential density increases for North Park’s transportation corridors.

• Hosted a reception for all those who participated in the Community Initiated Development (CID) workshop to discuss potential CID projects and opportunities.

• Participated in "Art Day," a community forum hosted by Stone Paper Scissors to discuss the inclusion of arts in North Park.

• Secured five interns from UCSD, SDSU, and Hoover High School to assist with design and transportation projects.

• Distributed over 300 Requests For Proposals to potential consultants for the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Featured in a Channel 8 live news broadcast from the North Park Thursday Night Market.

• Received twelve proposals for the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Assembled a Selection Team of seven individuals representing the City of San Diego, the San Diego Association of Governments, the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, and the Greater North Park community to interview and select a consultant for the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Applied for a Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant in the amount of $300,000 from the State of California for additional planning and engineering studies for the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan. North Park Main Street partnered with the City of San Diego, the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) in writing the grant.

• Presented to, and receive approval from, the Greater North Park Community Association for the Design Guidelines for North Park Main Street.

• Compiled for the San Diego Comic Opera a list of potential donors to the North Park Theatre.

• Reported to the Metropolitan Transit Development Board a damaged transit shelter at Utah & University, which was repaired shortly thereafter.

• Sought a facilitator for the Board Retreat to be paid for by a grant from the Business Improvement District Council.

• Began a Storefront Improvement Project on the art-deco building housing planet rooth studios and hybrid gallery located on Ray Street, just north of North Park Way.

• Referred utility box artist Virginia Ann Holt to Union Bank of California to paint a mural next to their ATM on 30^th Street.

• Participated in the North Park Lions Holiday Parade with a toy train float representing North Park Main Street being on track in our revitalization efforts.

• Held a successful annual Holiday Party hosted by David Heinen of Shooterz in the Club Odyssey Room.

• Hosted the annual Seasonal Lighting and Decoration Contest. Winners this year were Ranchos Cocina for Best Interior Display, Shooterz for Best Exterior Display, and Art-Quest Flowers for Best Window Display and for Most Artistic Display.

• Ordered canvas bags featuring the logo of the North Park Thursday Night Market.

• Featured favorably in the North Park News for our Design Guidelines for North Park Main Street.

• Supported the retention and possible expansion of the North Park Branch Library.

• Invited four consultants to be interviewed to head the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Reapplied for a $344,000 Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot (TCSP) grant to fund a comprehensive study of transportation needs along the University Avenue corridor. North Park Main Street partnered with the City of San Diego, MTDB, and SANDAG.

• Applied for a $26,985 grant to the Department of Conservation to purchase 27 recycle pyramid containers and fund a part-time employee to maintain the containers and clean the business improvement district.

• Finalized the contract with the City of San Diego for North Park Main Street to provide the following redevelopment services: (1) market and demographic information, (2) historic building inventory, (3) ordinance review, (4) business and technical assistance, and (5) facilitation assistance for public projects.

• Began working with University Heights and Uptown to recommend changes to the Mid-City Planned District Ordinance (PDO) to encourage mixed-used development and better designed buildings.

• Interviewed four consultants to conduct the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan; selected local consultant KTU+A to lead the project.

• Assembled a Steering Committee of 20 community members to provide assistance and direction to consultant KTU+A.

• Supported and encouraged moving the North Park Branch Library into the redevelopment area and the North Park Business Improvement District.

• Strengthened our position against the demolition of the Stern’s Gym Building by strongly supporting its preservation and adaptively reusing it if necessary.

• Trained by Keith Kjelstrom, former Director of the California Main Street program, in a Board Retreat intended to establish the cohesiveness of the Board and make the program stronger.

• Described as a "hip" neighborhood in an editorial in the Gay and Lesbian Times about the opening of video bar Bacchus House.

• Provided initial feedback for a proposed four-story, mixed-use development that would include market-rate housing, retail, and perhaps a new public library.

• Applied for a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $450,000 through Council District 3 for sidewalk improvements on University Avenue between Idaho Street and Granada Avenue.

• Applied for a Festivals and Celebrations grant from the City of San Diego Commission of Arts & Culture in the amount of $14,418 for the 2003 Spring Festival.

• Applied for a Community Enhancement grant from the County of San Diego in the amount of $8,716 for the 2003 Spring Festival.

• Consulted with Dan Costello of the National Trust for Historic Preservation regarding the desirability of an electric streetcar link between North Park and downtown San Diego.

• Assisted in coordinating a clean-up of the vacant building at 31st & University.

• Endorsed California State Proposition 40, which would provide a large amount of money for historic preservation, inasmuch as it falls in line with our mission statement.

• Sponsored the second edition of the North Park Business Map.

• Continued recruiting arts-based businesses into the district and supporting "Ray at Night," a monthly arts celebration in North Park.

• Supported the development of a two-level parking structure behind the San Diego National Bank building on 32^nd Street to enable development on the northeast corner of 32^nd & University.

• Hired Cobalt Communications, an event coordinator, to assist with sponsorships and marketing for the North Park Spring Festival.

• Hosted a public workshop through consultant KTU+A to obtain feedback regarding transportation improvements on University Avenue.

• Hosted the California Main Street Network Conference, in which over 85 participants from throughout the State converged in North Park for training in neighborhood revitalization.

• Entered into a contract with Alpha Project to clean the North Park Main Street district during the California Main Street Network Conference hosted by North Park Main Street.

• Supported the conversion of low-pressure sodium ("yellow") streetlights to high pressure sodium ("white") streetlights, and spoke before City Council in favor of this proposal.

• Provided a tour of North Park Main Street to the transportation representative for Congresswoman Susan Davis.

• Recommended a change in the proposed agreement between the City of San Diego and the developer of the North Park Theatre to increase the chances that the theater be developed as a live performance venue.

• Provided assistance to a developer in the purchase of the vacant building at 31^st & University.

• Celebrated the first anniversary of the North Park Thursday Night Market, North Park’s weekly farmers market.

• Began expansion plans for the North Park Thursday Night Market, to include arts & crafts vendors.

• Spoke in favor of the Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) between the City of San Diego and developer Bud Fischer to develop the North Park Theatre.

• Met with Councilmember Atkins to discuss the proposed needle exchange program and its potential impact on North Park.

• Elected Andy Hamilton, former Chair of the Design Committee, to be Chair of the Economic Restructuring Committee.

• Elected George Franck and Trenton Riley to be the new Co-Chairs of the Design Committee.

• Hosted a very successful sixth annual North Park Spring Festival, which attracted 35,000 people to the neighborhood.

• Received a proclamation from Mayor Dick Murphy naming May 19, 2002 "North Park Spring Festival Day" in the City of San Diego.

• Received a Special Commendation from Councilmember Atkins for the sixth annual North Park Spring Festival.

• Featured in an extensive front-page article in the San Diego section of the San Diego Union-Tribune regarding the Spring Festival.

• Received notice from 3rd District Councilmember Toni Atkins that North Park Main Street was awarded the $450,000 Community Development Block Grant for sidewalk improvements on University Avenue between Idaho Street and Granada Avenue.

• Received notice from Caltrans that North Park Main Street was awarded the $300,000 Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant for additional planning and engineering studies for the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Discussed with Councilmember Atkins the need for improvements on Ray Street, resulting in a $100,000 award for Ray Street improvements.

• Agreed to assist the Business Improvement District Council in chairing their "Policy Development and Public/Government Relations Committee," which will recommend improvements to ordinances in the City of San Diego.

• Distributed requests for proposals to artists for the second phase of the "North Park Street Gallery," in which utility boxes are painted by artists.

• Distributed information to North Park Main Street businesses about a micro loan program from SCORE, a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

• Finalized the program budget for Fiscal Year 2002-2003.

• Assisted the Lyric Opera San Diego, formerly the San Diego Comic Opera, in their fundraising efforts to be the proposed operator of the North Park Theatre.

• Co-sponsored the upcoming Summer Concerts in Bird Park hosted by the North Park Community Association.

• Continued working on Commercial Encroachment Standards that would allow outdoor displays of merchandise, sidewalk cafés without railings, and A-frame signs.

• Continued working with consultant KTU+A to produce the University Avenue Traffic Calming Plan.

• Continued developing an Historic Building Inventory to identify significant commercial buildings.

• Continued working to update the Mid-City PDO to encourage mixed-used development and better designed buildings.

• Provided assistance to Whitted Dawson Associates, the consultant hired by the City of San Diego to produce a feasibility study for a public parking garage for the North Park Theatre project.

• Requested that Whitted Dawson Associates interview merchants within 1,000 feet of the proposed site of the parking garage as part of the feasibility study.