Downtown meeting discusses future of city
Nearly 50 business leaders, policy makers and bureaucrats
reviewed a first draft of a vision for downtown Hollister over
breakfast last Friday.
Downtown meeting discusses future of city
Nearly 50 business leaders, policy makers and bureaucrats reviewed a first draft of a vision for downtown Hollister over breakfast last Friday.
The meeting at Running Rooster on San Benito Street was the first glance at a strategic plan commissioned by the Hollister Downtown Association. The plan expands upon the city’s fresh general plan, with more specific strategies for the downtown Hollister area.
It grew out of a series of meetings and tours held earlier this fall. Friday’s meeting was built around a PowerPoint presentation that offered a chance to gather more feedback.
RBF Consulting, the firm commissioned to prepare the $200,000 strategic plan, sent a handful of staff members to facilitate the meeting.
RBF’s tentative plan calls for a downtown Hollister marked by public art defining gateways to the commercial district, a lively mix of residential and commercial building stock, alleyways converted for sidewalk cafe space, public plazas and wide sidewalks.
The plan begins with an understanding that the retail climate has changed over the last generation, and that successful downtowns are often not the place where daily essentials are offered for sale, but rather destinations for dining, entertainment and boutique shopping.
The plan presented Friday is in its infancy, and the goal of the meeting was to solicit feedback that will lead to further evolution.
RBF’s staff defines the downtown area as defined by North, Hawkins, McCray, Monterey and West streets.
The area today contains a mix dating back to the last decades of the 19th Century. Bungalows share space with apartments, retail business and offices. Its eastern blocks are home to heavy industry. But the announcement earlier this year that Leatherback Industries will be closing means that the construction products manufacturer will leave a void ripe for the kind of mixed use development RBF envisions.
The Irvine-based firm sent a team to meet with downtown stakeholders for a weekend in October. The session included walking tours of the city in which participants were asked to photograph elements of the downtown landscape that they like and those that detract from the area.
RBF’s Jason Jones said the focus of the strategic plan is to create a place where people will want to gather.
The draft plan parses downtown into smaller districts: the north gateway, east gateway, south gateway, San Benito corridor, civic center, railroad square, cannery neighborhoods north, south and west. The idea is ultimately to create a mosaic of areas with distinct personalities. The depot building at the east end of Fifth Street might anchor a pedestrian plaza that could be adapted for public events. Sixth Street might someday be extended to link the Clocktower Plaza and Premiere Cinemas area with downtown.
RBF’s staff is hoping the draft plan leads to more public input before a final strategic plan is developed.
One thing the plan does not do is suggest funding sources for downtown redevelopment. Given a blueprint for a more vital city core, the city redevelopment agency, the private sector and other sources may all play a role in reinventing Hollister.
The HDA is still seeking funds to complete the study, and is $30,000 short of the budgeted $200,000. A fund-raising tri-tip barbecue is set for Dec. 15 adjacent to the Briggs Building parking structure. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the HDA at 636-8406.
