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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 18, 2006 Mayor Bates Introduces Plan to Help Revive Telegraph Avenue Package
includes nine elements, including increased police presence, streamlined
business permits, more street and sidewalk cleaning, and new joint
marketing effort with UC. Council Members Worthington and Wozniak are co-sponsoring the
plan. Berkeley,
CA – In an aggressive
effort to halt the decline in business activity on Telegraph Avenue, Mayor
Tom Bates and two City Council Members have introduced an economic
development assistance package to provide a boost to the area.
The
assistance package, which will be considered by the City Council on
Tuesday, May 23rd, is the result of a meeting between top
city leaders, university officials, and business representatives that took
place on May 3rd. The
recent announcement by Cody’s to close the Telegraph Avenue store has
increased the urgency of addressing the problems. “Telegraph Avenue is rich in
history, remains a remarkable tourist draw, has a built in base of
customers living and working within a few short blocks, and continues to
have an interesting and eclectic mix of shops and restaurants,” said
Mayor Tom Bates. “I
strongly believe that the coordinated and aggressive approach we are
taking will provide an important boost to the Avenue.” “Telegraph has been facing a
number of difficult challenges over the past few years – from the
increase of Internet shopping to problematic street behavior,” said
Roland Peterson, Executive Director of the Telegraph Business Improvement
District. “I am very
optimistic that this package will help us turn the corner on those
challenges.” While a great deal of city, UC,
business, and community resources have been focused on Telegraph over the
years, these efforts have not always been coordinated as part of a broader
development strategy to improve the social and economic health of the
Avenue. This proposal, which
is co-sponsored by Council Members Kriss Worthington and Gordon Wozniak,
applies a number of tools to the multiple problems on Telegraph in a
coordinated effort with the strong support of the City, UC, and the local
business community. The package includes: · Increase police presence by Berkeley police and UC police · Increase street and sidewalk cleaning · Improve pedestrian lighting · Create a façade improvement grant program · Streamline permits for new businesses in the Telegraph business district · Expand mental health and social service outreach · Request property owners provide rent and other incentives to attract new businesses · Create a new joint marketing effort jointly with the University |
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