August 2010 Downtown Briefing

APRIL AND MAY SPECIAL EVENTS:

Between April 15 and May 14, DLBA Marketing and Special Events department produced three events drawing an estimated crowd of more than 12,000 people to the Downtown: Tecate Thunder Thursday, held on April 15, kicked off the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend by drawing a record crowd of more than 8,500 spectators for a night of motorcycle stunts, a professional pit stop competition, car display and special appearances by Danica Patrick and Ryan Hunter-Reay! The 2nd Annual Long Beach Bike Fest was held May 7, 8, and 9, 2010. Events included anything and everything bicycle-related: from Fixed Gear Fest contests to bicycle polo, a charity benefit Tour of Long Beach ride, USA Cycling Bicycle Grand Prix to the CYCLESTYLE Fashion Show, vendors, food, MUSIC, 4th Street in Motion and much more. The inaugural Tour of Long Beach, which produced more than 1,000 riders raised more than $60,000 for Miller Children's Hospital and Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center. The event is part of the ongoing Bike Long Beach campaign, an innovative plan to make Long Beach "the most cycling friendly urban city in the United States." The 3rd Annual Pink Party kicked off Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride weekend on Friday, May 14 as thousands of residents and visitors came out to celebrate. High-energy dance music filled, the Drag Diva 2010 contest and, of course, the infamous Lady Gaga Flash Mob left the crowd tickled pink!

LBPD Commander Joe Stilinovich

Special thanks to Commander Jay Johnson who after almost three years as Commander of the South Division assumes the role as Commander of Emergency Operations Division. During Commander Johnson's tenure in the Downtown, he helped launch the Dining and Entertainment District and assisted in creating the Downtown Community Watch Program, a hybrid Apartment, Business and Community Watch Program. We wish Commander Johnson well in his new endeavors and look forward to working with Commander Joe Stillnovich who assumes the duties as Commander in the South Division.

ADVOCACY

NEW MEMBER WELCOME BASKETS:

DLBA Welcoming Committee members John Sangmeister, Kristi Allen, Cameron Andrews, Michelle Manire and Richard Lewis visited some of the 11 new Downtown businesses to the neighborhood last month. Activities also including conducting Grand Openings at Octopus, located at 200 Pine Avenue and the District Wine situated at 144 Linden Avenue.

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE:

The 2008 Strategic Plan provided two-year recommendations for DLBA's organizational, program and operational development. By 2010, much of the actions from the Strategic Plan had been completed. In addition, DLBA was preparing for two upcoming changes in the management and development of downtown -- 1) renewal of the downtown property-based business improvement district, which is set to expire at the end of 2013, and 2) expiration of the downtown redevelopment area in 2017, which has provided significant resources to guide downtown investment. To recalibrate the Strategic Plan, and to prepare for changes in the development and management of downtown, Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) was retained by DLBA in early 2010 to prepare a Strategic Plan Update. The Update is intended to reframe downtown's challenges and opportunities, and provide a refreshed organizational game plan for the next two to three years. To review a complete copy of the Strategic Plan Update click here.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CDC) FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DRAFT BUSINESS PLAN:

One of the objectives in the Strategic Plan Update is to consider the feasibility to form a Downtown Long Beach CDC and business plan during a three to four month project period. An Ad Hoc Committee will be formed to work with the consultant team, including key staff and leadership representatives from the DLBA, City and Redevelopment Agency. Initial tasks will include but are not limited to: Undertaking best practice research of comparable downtown CDCs, seeking information on programs, accomplishments, sources of revenue and relationship to existing organizations such as PBIDs, redevelopment agencies and local governments. Up to five comparable case studies will be developed. Initial project site visit to meet with representatives from key stakeholder groups that will be involved in a potential Downtown Long Beach CDC, including DLBA, the City and the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. Meetings will be convened individually with key staff and leadership to identify project opportunities and expectations for a prospective downtown CDC, and a work session with the Ad Hoc Committee will be facilitated.  Following the completion of the best practices research and the identification of local opportunities and expectations, a draft business plan will be composed for a Downtown Long Beach CDC. Components of the business plan will include: CDC mission, goals and geographic scope; Project and program opportunities, both near and long term; Initial two to three year work program, budget and sources of start-up funds; Long term work program and funding options; Governance structure, including board guidelines, relationship to DLBA and any suggested adjustments to the overall DLBA structure to accommodate the CDC; Relationship to other existing organizations, including the City and Redevelopment Agency; Next steps, including sequencing, roles, responsibilities and resources; Sample articles of incorporation, by-laws, annual reports, relevant program documents and other source material from "best practice" organizations.