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Home My WebLink About07/24/98 BAKERSFIELD CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM July 24, 1998 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: ~J~LAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER U SUBJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. The Council Chamber remodel is actively under way. Demolition is complete and work has just begun on the raised floor and handicapped ramps. Installation of the new audio-visual system has also begun. The new desks will arrive next week. Please feel free to stop in at any time to take a look at the progress. 2. At a ceremony held this afternoon, Chief Fraze announced several promotions in the Fire Department, including that of Gary Hutton as the new deputy fire chief. 3. A significant event in the construction process at Centennial Garden took place today - the pouring of the concrete floor in the arena area. 4. Enclosed is, yet, another Fresno Bee article praising Bakersfield. In last Sunday's edition, the reporter described his positive impressions from a recent visit to our revitalized downtown area. 5. As mentioned in the City Council meeting of July 15th, staff has scheduled a Section 3 workshop for August 6, 1998. Letters of invitation containing the flier will be sent to Contractors and Planholders for projects using Federal funds, as well as City employees in five departments (who deal with Section 3 requirements), Kern County Community Development Department, the Housing Authority of the County of Kern, Kern, Inyo & Mono Counties Central Labor Council, and to non-profit organizations with planned CDBG funded construction projects. 6. On April 28, 1998 a request was made by City staff to the Los Angeles HUD office for a HOME match-waiver. This request would eliminate the City's required annual 25% non-federal match for HOME funded projects The waiver request was triggered by the recent federal disaster designation of Kern County as a result of the "El Nifio" storm flooding. HUD has verbally approved the City's waiver request, and the official notification will be received in the next couple of weeks. The waiver will extend the existing City HOME match pool for one more year. Honorable Mayor and City Council July 24, 1998 Page 2 7. Staff plans to fill the Chester Avenue streetscape kiosk and directories, by August 3rd, with information regarding GET bus services, Convention Center/Centennial Garden events, the 18th and Eye Street parking structure availability, and Downtown Business Association events. The material will be updated periodically. 8. The June URM Activity Report from EDCD is enclosed. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk Trudy Slater, Administrative Analyst ......... spine, Chester Avenue, boast $2.5 million of improvements -- new streetside trees; median is- 'lands with fresh flowers, trees and green grass; and historical- themed street lighte and benche~. It'-~ a fresh, appealing look ~Alar to the new medians and landscaping on Olive Avenue in Fresno's Tower District. Downtown Bakersfield's m~or east-west ~pine, Trm~n Avenue, boasts a beautiful Kern County Jl ! W S i RIIA nhr a mode ad- ministrativec~nter built during thru decade. There's also a new Bakersfield construction, an ll,O00-seat in- door arena -- Bakersfield Cen- tennial Gardens. Outside the arena is inviting Centennial Pla- re-emerges za, which celebrates Bakers- field's 100th birthday with water Wh,.t you ha~ hero i~ a down- town one or two years ahead of Fresno. Bakerslleld's economic omc Fresnans vi~t London, development director, Jake Wa- S Paris or Rome. Others do or, who arrival in town 10 Honolulu, Manila dr Gua- years ago from Downey, said the dal~jara. But I have recently momentum of new buildings, re- modeled old buildings and hun- been to... Bakersfield. dreds of white-collar workers I have strolled among its mov~.n~, in.to downtown began downtown plazas, walked ira menmuy, m this d~ade, with landscaped boulevards in search chang~ of attitudes." of light and truth -- and come That's wher~ Fresno has b~n home to pronounce: the past two or three years. Its From Lodi to Selma and Clovis attitude has I~en shifting, its es- to Bakersfield, all along this tablishment realizing that people Freeway 99 corridor connecting make snap. judgments of this city the San Joaquin Valley, the based on its downtown. What's 1990s have been. the decade of soon to follow is construction our downtowns. They bottomed and the appearance of sky out the first half. They are start- cranes. In fact, the first crane lng to come back in the ~cond. , appeared Friday, towetingover Many of the Valley's smaller the long. troubled site of the cities have led the'way, picking : Fresno Convention C~nter exhib- vision themes of old towns, bou- it hall. And not far away, Butter- tiques and antiques, mural~ and fi~ld's Brewery is about to erst Main Streets. They ar~ named its four wall~. Hanford, Visalia, Exeter and Up and down the San Joaquin Mercedo Now the bigger cities Valley, this is the story of the are following. Stockton, Mod~to, " 1990s. Downtowns r~led and Fresno and Bakersfield. tottered and reflected badly on This is encouraging in a region the region. Then, Selma poured trying to identify itself as newer money into downtown, and Cio- and nicer, while working to shed vis did, too. Visalla and Hanford traditional images of hot, harsh got strong~r, and Bakersfield and backward. In Bakersfield, woke up. Then so did Fresno. now the stat~'s, 13th-largest city This sure isn't Paris or Prague. and the Valley s southernmost But it's looking up along Free- urban area before life turns eh- way 99. ?.irely into Southern California, an emerging, epiffed-up down- t Jim W~rman ia a B~ town is reflecting this transfor. ~taff writbr, For a sneak pre- marion exactly, view of his eolunu~ which rune 8~nday~, call at 448.2400, ext. 2180, the night before, Yo~t also can e-mail W~seerman at jwas- s~r~fre~nobee,com BAKERSFIELD Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM July 14, 1998 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager ~ FROM: Jake Wager, Economic Development Direct SUBJECT: June URM Activity Report The June URM activity report has 118 applications for properties participating in the URM Incentive Program. Currently 29 properties have been granted reimbursement checks representing a total of $127,364.18 in twenty-six retrofit projects and three demolition projects. They include: 801 18th Street, New China Cafe 1330 19th Street, Serrano's Furniture 822 18th Street, Thorp's Motorcycle 1918-1920 Eye Street, Jelly's (Former Water Company Building) 2526-2530 Chester Avenue, Waterbed Warehouse and Mattress Outlet Building 1025 18th Street, Italian Grocery Store 1207 19th Street, The Mint Building 1928 19th Street, Old Paine Mortuary House 2407 Chester Avenue, Granada Furniture Building 430 East 19th Street, commercial property 2101 Chester Avenue, Guarantee Shoes 1017-1023 Baker Street, vacant retail space 2509 Chester Avenue, Patton's Discount Office Furniture Building 1914 Truxtun Avenue, medical office 1919 Chester Avenue, Palla property 1228 19th Street, Griffin Pawnbrokers 900 18th Street, Cay's Health Food Store 1121 21st Street, commercial property (demolition) 1701 18th Street, Turk's Copy 622 East 19th Street, warehouse (demolition) 2025-2029 Chester Avenue, Red Wing Shoes 2000 H Street, Henley's 1812 Q Street, vacant building (demolition) 1517- 1523 19th Street, Williams property 2022 Chester Avenue, Palla property ' 1711 - 1717 19th Street, Clifford property 1219-1221 20th Street, Nighbert property 506 East 19th Street, Felton property 2305 - 2309 Chester Avenue, Campbell property In addition, 43 properties have been given authorization to start their projects (ie. Notice to Proceed). Furthermore, 14 applications are awaiting documents prior to issuance of notice to proceed, 9 applications are awaiting expression of intent by property owner, and 23 applications have been determined inactive or ineligible. This memorandum is intended to provide you with a brief update on the status of the URM assistance program. cc: Jack Hardisty, Development Services Director Dennis Fidler, Building Director Jack Leonard, Asst. Building Director Mike Quon, Building Plan Check Engineer Andre Devereaux, Development Associate, ED/CD p:\urm\urmmemo.at