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City staff presents two‑year economic development action plan; office vacancy and hotel performance discussed
Summary
Staff presented the draft Economic Development Action Plan for FY27–28 outlining six strategies (growth, retention, downtown vitality, general plan alignment, auto industry support, business services). The presentation reviewed office inventory, vacancy levels, hotel occupancy and measurable performance indicators; Council and the public asked questions about vacancy metrics and zoning.
City economic development staff on June 16 presented a two‑year draft action plan that lays out six strategies to attract and retain businesses, support downtown vitality, align land use and market realities with the General Plan update, and provide data services for decision makers.
Economic Development Manager Mike Neiman said the city’s office inventory is roughly 13 million square feet and that a range of future employment scenarios mean the existing inventory could accommodate between three and ten years of employment growth depending on demand assumptions. He said citywide office vacancy is about 20% and that downtown vacancy trends differ by building class.
Neiman and Economic Development Specialist Cassava Washington described six strategies and measurable performance indicators that staff will track (business license growth, sales tax growth, website visits, vacancy rates and commute times). The plan retains an emphasis on health care as a major local employment cluster and includes a discrete strategy to support the auto‑sales/service industry because its land‑use needs differ from traditional retail and office.
Councilmembers asked about vacancy denominator methods, regional comparisons and whether Measure O funds and other local programs would continue to be used to support downtown activation. A long‑time local broker who spoke during public comment praised the economic development staff’s outreach and faster permitting turnarounds and highlighted differences across office product types.
Staff said additional outreach will continue with brokers, landlords and targeted industry partners, and that staff will report back with measurable outcomes as tasks are implemented.
