Local officials and members of the Hollister Downtown
Association are moving forward on the creation of a new strategic
plan to increase economic vitality downtown. RBF Consulting/Urban
Design Studio was hired for $198,500 to come up with specific steps
to improve downtown Hollister. The city’s redevelopment agency is
paying $150,000 toward it, and the HDA is working to raise the
rest.
Hollister – Local officials and members of the Hollister Downtown Association are moving forward on the creation of a new strategic plan to increase economic vitality downtown.
RBF Consulting/Urban Design Studio was hired for $198,500 to come up with specific steps to improve downtown Hollister. The city’s redevelopment agency is paying $150,000 toward it, and the HDA is working to raise the rest.
The planning process began Tuesday, when the project’s director and manager came from the Irvine-based firm to look at the downtown area and meet with business owners and other officials.
“It was really exciting to see our downtown through their eyes,” HDA Executive Director Brenda Weatherly said. “They were so excited about the potential for revitalization.”
Project Director Al Zelinka said they were working on understanding the downtown market, both from the point of view of businesses as well as consumers. They will be meeting with community members in the coming months to discuss plans.
From these meetings and their own analysis, they will create a specific plan to improve and draw people to the downtown area.
“Part of what we want to do is create an opportunity in the downtown for people who want to bring their families and spend time in a comfortable environment and provide them with retail services and entertainment and the dining they want and deserve,” Zelinka said.
Weatherly said she wanted to correct the misconceptions that the downtown strategic plan is simply a study and that community members wouldn’t see any direct results.
“It’s an action plan. It’s not just, ‘Here’s what you’ve got.’ They lay out projects and tell you how to do them,” Weatherly said. “This is not just throwing more money at consultants.”
Project Manager Suzanne Rynne said she sees many opportunities for growth with the city.
Historic structures in downtown are a major asset, she said, as well as the city’s proximity to the Silicon Valley and other services.
“The potential of downtown Hollister to experience a level of economic vitality as well as vitality by people being in and around downtown can’t be understated,” Zelinka said. “It’s a pretty magnificent downtown structure with great history.”
The consultant group will also identify specific niches that aren’t being met and try to attract businesses that could fill those niches, Zelinka said.
Weatherly said the HDA would be looking at bringing in two to three anchor businesses, which will most likely be chains of some kind, to give Hollister’s downtown “a better sense of place.”
