Clean and Safe City Q&A - Budget and Economic Development

We know from listening to our businesses that they need a stable environment in which to operate, and this has to be our first priority. Employees and customers alike need to feel welcome and be safe. Economic & Workforce Development (EWDD) is developing our Economic Development Action Plan and simultaneously working on an intra-agency and cross-departmental strategy for the Hegenberger Corridor. The Mayor is prioritizing encampment removal, connecting unsheltered with services and investing in camera systems to aid crime prevention and public safety. EWDD is investing in our Corridor Safety and Ambassador program, identifying opportunities to streamline planning entitlements by considering broader ranges of permitted uses, and considering business tax incentives as well. The Economic Development Action Plan is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. If you represent a group that would like to hear more about it as specifics are developed, we’d like to share. Please reach out to Cristy Johnston Limon at cjohnston@oaklandca.gov 

The City of Oakland has numerous ordinances in place to incentivize property owners to lease their spaces. Longterm vacancies are driven by a combination of market conditions as well as regulations that require significant capital investments to bring properties up to code whenever they change use.  

The City must also invest in code enforcement as another tool to stimulate occupancy. 

This is Port-owned land, and the City is working in partnership with the Port to identify appropriate uses for the site. 

The City partners with Visit Oakland to attract tourism generally and conventions specifically to the City. EWDD is also working with the management team at the Scotlan Convention Center to identify funding solutions to sustain the Convention Center for years to come, as well as to make necessary capital improvements so as to attract conventions and events to the area. 

Yes. It came in when they signed the Purchase and Sale Agreement.  

There’s no reason to believe that will happen, but if it does, the City would retain ownership of the land.

A contingency budget was passed in June.

We anticipate working closely with AASEG as the development team prepares works with the community to develop their vision for the site. This project represents a major commitment of City staff time and a major investment of private equity, which often serves as a catalyst for other economic development efforts. 

The sale will bring in $105 million for the City and lead to billions of dollars in future development in East Oakland. 

There are a number of opportunities. In fact, applications are NOW OPEN for Pacific Community Ventures’ Oakland Restorative Loan Fund 2.0 – a $3 million fund offering low-interest, no-fee loans to Oakland small businesses. 

•  Low-interest loans between $10,000-$100,000 
• No application or closing fees 
• Wrap-around technical assistance throughout the entire process 
• No minimum credit score to apply 

If you're a California-registered business with an Oakland location and at least 9 months of revenue, you are invited to apply for loans from $10,000 to $100,000.

The number of businesses in Oakland has remained largely steady since 2019, according to the City’s business license data. Oakland continues, on average to sustain over 27,000 businesses, 93% of which are considered small businesses. And the challenges facing small business continue to be felt as Oakland and the region recover from changes in consumer behavior, increased commercial rents and operating costs, and a shift towards commercial property crime. Small businesses require stable operating environments, and conditions in which employees and customers feel safe. EWDD is partnering with financial institutions, philanthropy and community based organizations to support small businesses access capital and to navigate a myriad of challenges so as to retain and attract new businesses. 

The Mayor’s film initiative is an opportunity to “grow the pie” and expand into new economic opportunities. Filming generates permit revenue, business license tax, sales tax, and transient occupancy tax. The program is structured as an incentive program with rebates offered to qualifying film productions. The initial investment is seed money to support what can become a self-sustaining program. 

EWDD  advances economic development strategies that stimulate investment in the City and is developing our Economic Development Action Plan, a road map for the City’s future as a regional economic engine. The strategies include business attraction and retention, business support, activating opportunity sites, building our workforce, and activating our neighborhoods through our rich and vibrant arts and cultural activities. In addition, our Mayor has prioritized encampment removal, providing shelter options and assistance, as well as investing in technology to aid in crime prevention and investigation.  EWDD is also implementing a citywide Corridor Safety and Ambassador program, identifying opportunities to streamline planning entitlements by considering broader ranges of permitted uses, and considering business tax incentives as well. The EDAP is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. If you represent a group that would like to hear more about it as specifics are developed, we’d like to share. Please reach out to Cristy Johnston Limon, Deputy Director, EWD at cjohnston@oaklandca.gov.