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Santa Rosa staff proposes four small pilots to activate vacant downtown space; committee favors renter education
Summary
City staff outlined four pilot options — landlord recovery fund, commercial renter education, facade improvement grants, and vacant‑unit infill grants — with $50,000 available for a single pilot. Committee and public feedback favored a commercial renter education pilot, with facade grants as a conditional second choice.
City planning and economic development staff presented four pilot strategies to encourage activation of vacant commercial space in Santa Rosa’s downtown and sought the Economic Development Subcommittee’s prioritization.
Staff said available funding for a pilot is limited: approximately $50,000, potentially up to $100,000 if other implementation funds are reallocated. The options presented were (1) a landlord recovery fund to reimburse owners for retenanting losses, (2) a commercial renter education program to prepare new entrepreneurs for leasing and build‑out, (3) a facade improvement grant pilot focused on exterior beautification, and (4) a vacant‑unit infill grant program to…
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