DIRECTORY
March 23 Community Workshop:
Focus Groups:
Local and State Government Staff
Want more information?
Contact:
Tom Kigar, CADA
(916)322-2114
fax 441-1804
tkigar@cadanet.org
website design by: RACESTUDIO
Site 13 Focus Groups
April 5, 2000
CADA Tenants
On April 5, a group of CADA residential and commercial tenants participated in a discussion group to talk about the future of Site 13.
CADA brought together individuals to provide their personal perspectives on Site 13. These perspectives are portrayed in the following summary. The perspectives do not reflect any formal position on Site 13 or for the potential future development of the Site. The comments are personal opinions made by informed individuals who participated in the discussion group.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Downtown Living Conditions
Living conditions have improved in the last two years because of more people living downtown and increased security protection, which have reduced crime and vandalism. It is safe to walk everywhere at night except along the K Street mall.
Needed Neighborhood Services
A grocery store with a full service pharmacy is needed downtown especially to serve seniors who don't have cars. Also needed are a laundromat, video rental store and donut shop.
Demand for Housing
A mix of rental and "for sale" affordable and market rate housing is needed in the Central City. The central city needs more residents who own their property who have a pride of ownership and a long-term commitment to the area.
Factors Affecting Central City Retail Businesses
The fairly thin profit margins of some of the "Mom and Pop" downtown businesses are significantly impacted by factors including competition, parking, crime and vandalism.
The following issues and perspectives were offered:
A. Downtown Living Conditions
1. More people living downtown has helped decrease vandalism and crime.
2. There are less homeless in the parks and walking up and down streets.
3. It's great to see more families with children at Fremont Park. The City has done a good job making the recent improvements and maintaining the park.
4. Need more public parking for visitors to the Capitol Area.
5. Its safer to walk in the Central City except that K Street Mall is a "frightening place to walk" at night.
6. The farmers market "under the freeway" provides a good source for fresh produce although it's too long a walk from the Capitol Area.
B. Needed Neighborhood Services
1. Parking is a problem for residential/commercial residents and it continues to get worse.
2. A grocery store with a full service pharmacy is needed. If Rite Aid leaves the K Street Mall, seniors especially will suffer a loss. If Rite Aid stays, they should be moved to the old Woolworth building with the escalator in the building for seniors who have a difficult time going up and down stairs in the existing Rite Aid store.
3. A grocery store/drugstore would benefit existing and new residents.
4. Rick's Uptown market has always had a personal interest in its customers and the neighborhood. It doesn't appear that the new owners have the same interest.
5. Ralph's grocery store has good prices/coupons and would benefit lower income residents.
6. A new grocery store shouldn't hurt Rick's Uptown Market since they (Rick's) should be able to continue to draw from the Midtown Area.
7. Need more neighborhood services including a laundromat, video rental store and donut shop.
8. It doesn't appear that there is another vacant site for a grocery store downtown so if Site 13 is used for housing there won't be another place to put a grocery store.
9. Seniors have a difficult time carrying groceries back home on a carrier since getting up and off a bus is difficult. They need to be able to walk to a grocery store.
10. A grocery store or any kind of retail below housing may create too much noise for residents
11. Site 13 is an ideal location for retail because of its easy accessibility and central location
C. Demand for Housing
1. A mix of single family homes, condominiums and townhomes with neighborhood serving retail will continue to help revive the downtown area.
2. Need more "for sale" housing to attract residents with a long-term commitment to the area and pride of ownership.
3. Need to have a mix of rental and "for sale" housing affordable to all segments so as to retain the current diversity of the Central City population.
D. Factors Affecting Central City Retail Businesses
1. The Somerset condominium building is poorly insulated resulting in noise from retail tenants disrupting upstairs residents.
2. Farmers market vendors at Roosevelt Park (9th, 10th, P and Q Streets) have shifted from selling produce to selling luncheon food. Since they don't pay for a business license or for building rents they "unfairly compete" with the existing retail food outlets.
3. Crime and vandalism has greatly decreased in the last 2 years because of security and the increased number of people downtown.
4. CADA is doing a good job in working with its retail tenants.
5. Having only enough demand for lunch to justify being open 5 days a week results in a fairly low profit margin especially with the recent increase in competition.
6. Family run restaurants can't compete against chains/franchises.