AFTER COVID-19 EMPTIED eating places and theaters in California’s metropolis facilities and companies tailored to permit workers to make money working from home, downtowns by no means returned to their pre-pandemic vibrance.
On a latest Wednesday, Democratic state Assemblymembers Matt Haney of San Francisco and Buffy Wicks of Oakland, joined metropolis leaders in a strolling tour of downtown Berkeley. It was the eighth on a multi-city tour they took as members of the Meeting Choose Committee on Downtown Restoration, which was established by the Legislature in February. Their aim was to study from native enterprise house owners, residents, artwork organizations and builders in regards to the challenges they face and decide the best way to design insurance policies that carry again bustling downtowns.
“Everyone is dealing with some level of increased homelessness and decreased levels of public safety, and there is a general perception of not wanting to come downtown,” stated Annie Keys, spokesperson for Haney. “But we’ve heard that nightlife has rebounded way faster than the 9 to 5 business. In San Francisco, in Sacramento, after work, 6 to 10 p.m. business is exceeding pre-pandemic levels. But the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. business, at least in Sacramento, is looking at 40% of what it used to be.”
Native enterprise house owners discuss to State Assemblymembers Matt Haney and Buffy Wicks throughout their strolling tour of downtown Berkeley on Dec. 4, 2024. The 2 politicians are members of an Meeting committee that’s engaged on coverage options to assist downtowns get better from the lingering results of the pandemic. (Ruth Dusseault/Bay Metropolis Information)
A lot of California’s downtowns have been constructed with little housing of their business districts, forcing the native economies to rely upon every day commuters. That’s the reason residential cities elsewhere like New York Metropolis are again to close pre-pandemic perform, whereas California’s are struggling. The disaster has been additional compounded by skyrocketing rents, rising homelessness, and the opioid disaster.
The humanities are falling aside
The challenges dealing with downtown Berkeley are significantly hitting the humanities and cultural establishments. The Berkeley Repertory Theatre and different arts organizations have seen important declines in ticket gross sales and funding since to the pandemic, forcing them to chop workers and programming.
Clayton Shelvin, supervisor of the Freight & Salvage efficiency venue, stated they’re making an attempt to diversify their choices to achieve new audiences.
An indication on the ticket counter of the Freight & Salvage efficiency venue in Berkeley’s downtown arts district on Dec. 4, 2024. The enterprise is struggling to get better financially because the pandemic. “We’ve been doing music since the ’60s, and so now we have comedy and it’s great,” supervisor Clayton Shelvin stated. “It’s helping to expand our audiences, but it’s hard.” (Ruth Dusseault / Bay Metropolis Information)
“We’ve been doing music since the ’60s, and so now we have comedy and it’s great. It’s helping to expand our audiences, but it’s hard. Our venue is not set up to do anything else. We’re trying to figure out that piece,” Shelvin stated.
Builders have put a number of main housing initiatives on maintain because of declining rents and rising building prices, resulting in excessive emptiness charges which impacts native retail occupancy. John Caner, CEO of the Downtown Berkeley Affiliation, stated about 2,500 new housing models are on maintain. The DBA is a nonprofit funded by downtown property house owners and different sources that works to assist town middle via packages like offering downtown ambassadors alongside Shattuck Avenue.
As neighboring cities like San Francisco and Emeryville have eliminated encampments, Berkeley has seen a big enhance in its homeless inhabitants.
“It’s probably because we do a lot of homeless outreach, other people have moved to town temporarily as they shut down some of the encampments in Oakland and Richmond,” Caner stated. “We went from a low of 40 in June and we’re now at 104. It’s really discouraging.”
Simone Arpaio works behind the counter of his Almare Gelato enterprise on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, Dec. 4, 2024. He stated he appreciates the hassle town has made to enhance the downtown, however security is a priority. (Ruth Dusseault/Bay Metropolis Information)
In addition they talked about some successes with the state’s Homekey program for transitional housing with companies.
The ‘dark side’ of public security
Public security stays a serious concern amongst native enterprise house owners like Simone Arpaio, proprietor of Almare Gelato close to the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
“We’ve been here for 16 years, and we’ve seen things that you only see in movies,” stated Arpaio.
“I come here every morning, and I see the effort that everybody puts into making this place beautiful. They spent $18 million to change the pavement and everything. It’s a fantastic place. But there is a dark side that I would like for you to see. One of my employees has been raped and almost killed in the shop while working. My employees are harassed. We have people that cannot work here past 5 p.m. because their parents do not allow it.”
Arpaio stated that when cops are standing round, the issues are gone, however he additionally feels there’s a lack of enforcement and companies.
(Illustration by Glenn Gehlke/Native Information Issues. Picture by Ruth Dusseault/Bay Metropolis Information)
“The DA does not put people in jail or does not do anything to people who steal and make assaults. The second thing is there is a huge mental health challenge. They are suffering. They are in need. They are in a condition that is inhumane, and nothing is done to help them.
“People are around for years around here. There’s a guy who has been here for two years. He’s probably 22, 23. And he was a classmate to one of our employees. And now he lives in the street. And I’ve never seen any help for him. I’m not saying that people are not trying. It’s a big deal, but it is not enough.”
