Office of Economic Development
Work Session Presentation to the Berkeley City Council
June 28, 2016
Agenda
■ What’s Happening on Telegraph:
OED’s Key Findings
■ Persistent Challenges
■ Opportunities & Recommendations
■ Q&A
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Research Methodology
OED’s Approach to developing Findings
■ Analyses of economic, demographic and local
datasets
■ Direct collection of information on ground-floor
commercial spaces
■ Review of historic surveys conducted by UC
and Telegraph Business Improvement District
■ Interviews of key neighborhood stakeholders
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Commercial vacancy rates have
declined significantly.
Source: City of Berkeley, Office of Economic Development
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
The student population in the
district has increased.
Population by Age Group in the Telegraph Area,
2005-2014
■ Student-Age
population increased
by approximately 46%
in Telegraph-adjacent
census tracts
■ Expected increase of
an additional 4,000
students at UC
Berkeley in the next 4
years
0 to 14
15 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 39
40 to 59
60 and older
-
2,000
4,000
6,000
2005-2009
8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000
2010-2014
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year Rolling Averages
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
The outlook for housing and
commercial development has
improved.
■ Increasing pressure on
housing market from
student population
■ Demand high for
housing in walkable,
transit-accessible
commercial districts inventory low
■ 7 projects in the
development pipeline,
representing 500+
units of housing
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Development Pipeline,
Telegraph District
Stiles Hall
Entitled, Construction Pending
783 Dorm Beds
12,300 SF Commercial
Sequoia Apartments
Under Construction
42 Units
5,800 SF Commercial
2556 Telegraph
Entitlement Pending
~70 Units
~4,000 SF Commercial
2480-2580 Bancroft
Proposal Pending
~175 Units
2526 Durant
Under Construction
44 Units
5,210 SF Commercial
2501 Haste “El Jardin”
Entitlement Pending
~79 Units
~20,000 SF Commercial
2539 Telegraph “The Nexus”
Entitled, Construction Pending
70 Units
5,219 SF Commercial
Retail sales are up. Increased
restaurant sales have been the
primary driver of the recovery.
Source: MuniServices
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Small Businesses
Jai Chung’s SoDoI Coffee in the
Telegraph/Channing Mall
Photos: Berkeleyside (left), SoDoI Coffee (above)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Small Businesses
Lila Owens at Cupcakin’
on Durant Avenue
Photos: SF Gate 2014 (above), Cupcakin’ (below and right)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Small Businesses
Tacos Sinaloa: the Bueno
family (Lupe and daughter
Marlem) go from truck to
storefront
Photos: Daily Cal 2015 (above), Oakland North 2010 (below)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Small Businesses
Newly Opened
~The Tap Haus
~Huckleberry
Bicycles
~Mad Monk
Coming Soon
~Games of
Berkeley
~Mezzo
~Raleigh’s
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Small Businesses
Photo: SF Gate 2012
Longtime Champion
Doris Moskowitz @
Moe’s Books
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Telegraph Business Improvement
District (TBID) has increased its
capacity and undertaken new
activities and projects.
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
University of California, Berkeley
has expanded its investments
and participation in the adjacent
Telegraph District.
■ New Sproul Plaza Student Center
■ Aquatic Center Construction
■ Future Projects: Stiles Hall, Adaptive Reuse of
Berkeley Art Museum Site
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
The Telegraph Avenue Public Art
Plan and Telegraph Public Realm
Plan identify opportunities for
investment in the district.
■ Collaborative planning
process with multiple
stakeholders
■ Effective implementation
partnerships established
■ Proposed improvements
address functional
needs and perceptionchanging enhancements
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Persistent Challenges
■ Public realm conditions
■ Safety & sidewalk behavior
■ Competition with online outlets and other
retail districts
■ Evolving student tastes and preferences
■ Inadequate tenant mix
Photos: Daily Cal (left and middle), Maijakoski (right)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Opportunities &
Recommendations
Photo: Daily Cal (2015)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Implement the Telegraph Public
Art and & Public Realm Plans.
■ Partner w/ private sector, UC,
others to implement smaller scale
projects in near term
■ Leverage regular general fund
expenditures
Mural celebrating Chiura Obata to be installed in
June 2016
■ Pursue grant funding for comprehensive overhaul
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Enhance the district’s relevance
to students.
■ Targeted Branding
■ Relevant Events/Activities
■ Attract diverse, high-impact retail
tenants
Photos: SF Gate (above), BerkeleyReporter.com (below)
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Support TBID campaign for
renewal and expansion.
Telegraph Business
Improvement
District, Proposed
Expansion
■ Renewal
campaign
commenced in
spring 2016;
ballot phase
expected in fall
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Leverage annual events to
enhance the neighborhood’s
reputation and support existing
merchants and vendors.
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Continue to activate
underutilized sites in the district.
■ Build on existing
momentum by
supporting
businesses and
property owners to
facilitate near-term
activation and longterm revitalization
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Develop a comprehensive retail
strategy that focuses on soft goods
and experiential retail.
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Modify land use regulations to
encourage the development of
additional housing.
■ Increased population
density around the district
and adjacent to campus
can produce positive
outcomes
■ Modifications to land use
controls in the Southside
neighborhood could build
on those recently
implemented for the C-T
district
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530
Q&A
Michael Caplan
[email protected]
(510) 981-7530
Jordan Klein
[email protected]
(510) 981-7534
City of Berkeley | Office of Economic Development | 510.981.7530