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Salinas showcases youth and college interns' projects, including a downtown pop-up storefront pilot
Summary
City and Turner Scholar interns presented summer projects to the council, from bike-helmet safety audits and fire-safety calendars to a proposed pilot program to place small retailers in vacant downtown storefronts to boost vibrancy and test business concepts.
Two internship programs presented projects to the Salinas City Council on Aug. 12: a Turner Scholar cohort (ICMA Turner Scholar program) hosted by the city and two college interns hired through a California City Management Foundation placement. Interns reported completed outreach and pilot initiatives, and city economic development interns proposed a “From Streetfront to Storefront” pop-up program to place small retail businesses in vacant downtown spaces.
Turner Scholar intern projects: Six high-school interns described a series of community projects completed this summer: a donation drive that produced hygiene kits and pet-food donations for the city’s sort team; a social-media campaign promoting local small businesses and a small-business survey that drew 150 responses; multilingual outreach material about the Williams Road infrastructure project; a bicycle-helmet-audit and community-education plan; a 12-month fire-safety calendar and public-education materials on safe-firework disposal; and communications strategies for Measure G-funded parks and safety projects. Councilmembers praised the interns and encouraged future participation and return-to-city opportunities.
Economic development interns’ pop-up storefront pilot: Ayesha Lin (University of San Diego) and Riley Ju (Cal State Monterey Bay) presented a proposed pilot called “From Streetfront to Storefront.” The proposal would have the city master-lease a vacant downtown storefront at a subsidized rate (suggested $1 per sq. ft. base rent plus 10% of monthly revenue, capped at $2 per sq. ft.), place a selected small retail business in the space for six months, offer a $1,000 new-tenant stipend and business-support services, and measure outcomes (gross revenue, net margin, social impact). The interns suggested starting downtown and identified property owners who had expressed interest. Staff and council members from several districts voiced support and suggested partner referrals, including microloan programs (Opportunity Fund) and local small-business development resources.
Why it matters: The pop-up model is intended to activate vacant retail space, give local entrepreneurs low-risk experience operating a brick-and-mortar location, and market properties to prospective tenants; councilmembers highlighted potential benefits to foot traffic and downtown vibrancy. The Turner Scholar projects emphasized practical civic engagement, youth recruitment into public service, and data-driven proposals (e.g., helmet audit, Measure G communications).
Next steps: Council expressed broad support for both internship programs and for piloting the pop-up storefront proposal; staff will continue to evaluate lease logistics, partnerships with local business organizations, and funding options for stipends and permit-streamlining. Economic development staff indicated the pilot would be funded through the economic development division budget if adopted and will be checked for feasibility and property-owner agreements.
