In late January, 2007, the CLUE Group submitted a Business Development and Marketing Plan to the Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency for the Carlsbad Village Area. This is the third report in a series of four, commissioned by the agency, as related to a retail analysis of the Village. The fourth and final report will be a summary of implementation workshops that will be conducted within the next few months.
In the Business Development and Marketing Plan, the CLUE Group notes that, "the City of Carlsbad enjoys a robust economy that most communities would envy and, with concerted and collaborative action, the Village can pursue any of a number of paths to become more economically prosperous and culturally dynamic." The proposed economic development strategy for the Village is to build on existing strengths and strategic advantages; reflect both market demand and consumer desire and reflect the community's personality.
The three recommended market development strategies for the Village are:
1) Strengthen the Village role as a neighborhood-serving commercial center that provides basic goods and services to the people who live and work in and nearby.
2) Make the Village into a vibrant arts, cultural and entertainment district.
3) Cultivate several clusters of specialty businesses in the Village that offer products and services unique within the community and region.
The plan further outlines a variety of major actions to implement and benchmarks to pursue the above noted strategies. These actions will be pursued by various stakeholders in the Village. No single entity will be responsible by itself for full implementation. These actions include, but are not limited to, such activities/tasks as:
1) Cluster service-related businesses that serve commuters and Village workers near the Coaster Station.
2) Develop a new, midsize grocery store.
3) Create an ongoing series of after-work activities.
4) Change storefront display windows at least monthly.
5) Create a program of ephemeral art and experiences in the Village.
6) Develop guidelines for business hours.
7) Within 8 to 10 years, develop a theatre, or mixed-use complex, to augment the capacity of the Carlsbad Village Theatre.
8) Ensure that a range of business development resources and tools are in place and available to current and prospective business owners.
9) Animate store windows.
10) Launch 1-2 annual signature events.
Key components of the Business Development and Marketing Plan are:
1) Strengthen existing businesses in the Village.
2) Focus on recruiting entrepreneurs rather than on recruiting businesses.
3) Place businesses in locations that encourage movement throughout the Village and strengthen synergy between businesses.
4) Create "everyday ephemera" to enliven the environment and the experience of visiting the Village.
5) Cultivate ongoing customer relationships.
6) Adapt store hours to better meet customer needs.
7) Animate storefront windows and improve storefront window displays.
8) Incorporate entertainment into existing businesses.
9) Focus on streetscapes and individual building improvements.
10) Create an engaging website for Village visitors and strip away organizational references.
11) Create an independent entity with representation from key partners to allow for a neutral venue for planning and implementing the specific activities by those that have the best skills and resources.
The next step in the process is to hold workshops with Village stakeholders, which include property and business owners, community organizations and others, to share the strategies, decide who will implement each and identify a timeline for implementation. These workshops are tentatively scheduled for March and April, 2007. A full copy of the plan is available for review and download at the City of Carlsbad's Website at www.carlsbadca.gov.
Questions about the Business Development and Marketing Plan should be directed to Debbie Fountain, Director of Housing and Redevelopment, at (760) 434-2815, or [email protected].
In the Business Development and Marketing Plan, the CLUE Group notes that, "the City of Carlsbad enjoys a robust economy that most communities would envy and, with concerted and collaborative action, the Village can pursue any of a number of paths to become more economically prosperous and culturally dynamic." The proposed economic development strategy for the Village is to build on existing strengths and strategic advantages; reflect both market demand and consumer desire and reflect the community's personality.
The three recommended market development strategies for the Village are:
1) Strengthen the Village role as a neighborhood-serving commercial center that provides basic goods and services to the people who live and work in and nearby.
2) Make the Village into a vibrant arts, cultural and entertainment district.
3) Cultivate several clusters of specialty businesses in the Village that offer products and services unique within the community and region.
The plan further outlines a variety of major actions to implement and benchmarks to pursue the above noted strategies. These actions will be pursued by various stakeholders in the Village. No single entity will be responsible by itself for full implementation. These actions include, but are not limited to, such activities/tasks as:
1) Cluster service-related businesses that serve commuters and Village workers near the Coaster Station.
2) Develop a new, midsize grocery store.
3) Create an ongoing series of after-work activities.
4) Change storefront display windows at least monthly.
5) Create a program of ephemeral art and experiences in the Village.
6) Develop guidelines for business hours.
7) Within 8 to 10 years, develop a theatre, or mixed-use complex, to augment the capacity of the Carlsbad Village Theatre.
8) Ensure that a range of business development resources and tools are in place and available to current and prospective business owners.
9) Animate store windows.
10) Launch 1-2 annual signature events.
Key components of the Business Development and Marketing Plan are:
1) Strengthen existing businesses in the Village.
2) Focus on recruiting entrepreneurs rather than on recruiting businesses.
3) Place businesses in locations that encourage movement throughout the Village and strengthen synergy between businesses.
4) Create "everyday ephemera" to enliven the environment and the experience of visiting the Village.
5) Cultivate ongoing customer relationships.
6) Adapt store hours to better meet customer needs.
7) Animate storefront windows and improve storefront window displays.
8) Incorporate entertainment into existing businesses.
9) Focus on streetscapes and individual building improvements.
10) Create an engaging website for Village visitors and strip away organizational references.
11) Create an independent entity with representation from key partners to allow for a neutral venue for planning and implementing the specific activities by those that have the best skills and resources.
The next step in the process is to hold workshops with Village stakeholders, which include property and business owners, community organizations and others, to share the strategies, decide who will implement each and identify a timeline for implementation. These workshops are tentatively scheduled for March and April, 2007. A full copy of the plan is available for review and download at the City of Carlsbad's Website at www.carlsbadca.gov.
Questions about the Business Development and Marketing Plan should be directed to Debbie Fountain, Director of Housing and Redevelopment, at (760) 434-2815, or [email protected].