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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.8 Economic Development Strategyr DUBLIN CALIFORNIA STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Agenda Item 5.8 DATE: October 1, 2024 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Linda Smith, City Manager SU B.ECT: Economic Development Strategy Prepared by: Rhonda Franklin, Management Analyst 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider approval of the Economic Development Strategy, which establishes seven goals that will prioritize and guide the City of Dublin's economic development efforts over the next five to seven years. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Resolution Approving the Economic Development Strategy. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. DESCRIPTION: On September 5, 2023, The City Council approved an agreement with Strategic Economics, Inc. (the Consultant), to update the Economic Development Strategy and General Plan Economic Development Element which was originally developed and approved by the City Council in 2012. On September 17, 2024, the City Council reviewed and provided feedback on the Draft Strategy. The feedback included reevaluating the metrics presented in the draft to be focused on measurements of success. In addition, the City Council shared general comments regarding the length of processing building permits, and broadening industry and business stakeholder engagement outside of the City and the region and looking at additional outreach methods. This feedback has been incorporated into the Strategy. To recap, the Strategy proposes the following seven goals. • Goal 1- Innovation Growth Page 1 of 3 1 Grow businesses and employment in innovation -oriented and professional services industries matching Dublin's strengths and opportunities —especially computer technology, professional services, biomedical devices, and other R&D/advanced manufacturing —through business attraction and marketing programs. • Goal 2 - Promote Infill Investment Promote infill development and reinvestment in older retail, office, and industrial areas — including establishing Downtown Dublin as a vibrant community gathering space with a mix of modern employment, housing, retail, dining, and entertainment uses serving residents and workers. • Goal 3 - Greenfield Development Ensure development of major greenfield opportunity sites with modern commercial and light industrial employment uses by supporting infrastructure needs and reducing cost barriers. • Goal 4 - Retail Vitality Sustain and strengthen the health of Dublin's shopping, dining, and entertainment businesses through strategic planning and promotional efforts. • Goal 5 - Hospitality Expansion Work with regional agencies to expand and highlight Dublin's potential as a regional hotel and hospitality destination through hotel attraction efforts and advocacy for attracting a multiuse venue to Dublin. • Goal 6 - Small Business Support Strengthen startup and growth opportunities for small businesses by pursuing improvements to City processes and maintaining and marketing supportive services and programs. • Goal 7 - Workforce Opportunities Enhance Dublin's workforce support and development systems to create opportunities for all members of the workforce through collaboration with regional organizations. Following the adoption of the Strategy, Staff will work with the Consultant to prepare the City's draft Economic Development Element, which is part of Dublin's General Plan. The Element will codify aspects of the recommendations from the Strategy to ensure that economic development remains a key focus for the City over the long term. STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: None. Page 2 of 3 2 NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Resolution Approving the Economic Development Strategy 2) Exhibit A to the Resolution - Economic Development Strategy Page 3 of 3 3 Attachment I RESOLUTION NO. XX — 24 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN APPROVING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WHEREAS, on November 6, 2012, the City of Dublin adopted the City's first Economic Development Strategy; and WHEREAS, on September 5, 2023, the City Council approved an agreement with Strategic Economics, Inc. to prepare an update to the Economic Development Strategy; and WHEREAS, Strategic Economics, Inc. and Staff organized and conducted focus group meetings with Stakeholders, conducted online surveys with the business community and community -at -large, gathered relevant data, and analyzed information gathered from the forementioned efforts to determine Dublin's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and WHEREAS, on March 21, 2024, the Economic Development Strategy Framework, which served to provide an initial review and discussion on the overarching recommendations, goals, objectives, strategies, and priorities, was presented to the City Council for feedback; and WHEREAS, on September 17, 2024, the draft Economic Development Strategy was presented to the City Council to provide direction; and WHEREAS, the Strategy focuses on seven key goals: 1) Innovation Growth, 2) Promote Infill Investment, 3) Greenfield Development, 4) Retail Vitality, 5) Hospitality Expansion, 6) Small Business Support, and 7) Workforce Opportunities. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby approve the Economic Development Strategy for the City of Dublin as prepared by Strategic Economics, Inc., attached hereto as Exhibit A to this Resolution. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 1st day of October 2024, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Reso. No. XX-24, Item X.X, Adopted XX/XX/2024 Page 1 of 1 4 Attachment 2 Exhibit A to the Resolution It'i A STRAT EGIC ECONOMICS REAL ESTATE STRATEGY CITY OF DUBLIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS FINAL Prepared for: City of Dublin October 1, 2024 .11' DUBLIN CALIFORNIA 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 II. INTRODUCTION 7 III. SUMMARY OF "SWOT" CONCLUSIONS 9 IV. COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS SURVEY FINDINGS 16 V. CHANGES AND PROGRESS SINCE THE 2012 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 17 VI. GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS 19 Goal 1: Innovation Growth 20 Goal 2: Promote Infill Investment 23 Goal 3: Greenfield Development 26 Goal 4: Retail Vitality 29 Goal 5: Hospitality Expansion 31 Goal 6: Small Business Support 33 Goal 7: Workforce Opportunities 37 VII. ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 39 VIII. APPENDICES 40 6 Table of Figures Figure 1: Jobs By Industry Sector in Dublin, 2023 9 Figure 2: Total Population of Tri-Valley Cities, 2000 to 2022 10 Figure 3: Job Growth by Industry Sector in Dublin and the Tri-Valley, 2016 to 2023 11 Figure 4: Office and Industrial Inventory in Dublin and Other Tri-Valley Communities, Square Feet, 2023 12 Figure 5: Dublin Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over, 2010 and 202113 Figure 6: Dublin Shopping Centers 14 Figure 7: Race in Dublin, 2000 to 2021 15 Figure 8: Online Survey Major Findings 16 Figure 9: Review of the 2012 City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy: Priorities, Goals, and Implementation Status 17 Figure 10: GOAL 1- Innovation Growth Implementation Matrix 22 Figure 11: GOAL 2 - Infill Investment Implementation Matrix 25 Figure 12: GOAL 3 - Greenfield Development Implementation Matrix 28 Figure 13: GOAL 4 - Retail Vitality Implementation Matrix 31 Figure 14: GOAL 5 - Hospitality Expansion Implementation Matrix 32 Figure 15: GOAL 6 - Small Business Support Implementation Matrix 35 Figure 16: GOAL 7 - Workforce Opportunities Implementation Matrix 38 City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 1 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS City Council Michael McCorriston Sherry Hu Jean Josey Kashef Qaadri Janine Thalblum Melissa Hernandez Focus Group Participants Councilmember, Mayor Councilmember, Vice Mayor Councilmember Councilmember Councilmember Former Mayor Lesleigh Alderman Stephen Baiter, EBEDA Cindy Bannister, Orchard Commercial Jeff Birnbaum, CBRE Kelly Bowers, Three Valley's Community Foundation Michael Carrigg, Colliers Joe Castorena, Dogtopia Julia Duncan, Tri-Valley ROP Cindy Eszlinger, James Allyn Printing Co. Tracy Farhad, Visit Tri-Valley Matt Garrett, Lawrence Livermore National Lab Diane Halden, Colliers Frank Hanna, Twisted Pair Inc. Shawn Hardy, Hines Taz Harvey, Dublin Honda and Mazda Rick Hearn, Vestar Yu Ji, Avant Anti -Aging Steve Kau, CPA Veena Kaul, Kensington Laboratories Online Survey Participants Jeanette Lema, Hively Nancy Mangold, East Bay SBDC Katie Marcel, Innovation Tri-Valley Charles Martinez, Vestar Lydia Moore, Fresh Millions Karen Nguyen, Karen Nguyen - Skincare and Lashes Jaimie Orfanos, Alameda County Larry Plisskin, Pharmor Realty Wil Ridder, Valley Link Tim Sbranti, Innovation Tri-Valley Angela Season, KeyPoint Credit Union John Sechser, TRI Commercial Kelly Shiffer, DWS Group Mike Smith, Lee and Associates Stephanie and Wendy, Three Sheets Craft Beer Bar Carol Therien, Retail Pacific Sandra Weck, Colliers Sawsan Wolski, Dublin Arts Collective Many thanks to the numerous Dublin community members and businesses who shared their experiences and perspectives on this project through the online survey. City Staff Linda Smith, City Manager Colleen Tribby, Assistant City Manager Hazel Wetherford, Deputy City Manager William McDonald, Fire Chief Nate Schmidt, Police Chief Andrew Russell, Public Works Director Jeff Baker, Community Development Director Neda Zayer, Assistant Community Development Director Felicia Escover, Economic Development Manager Crystal De Castro, Senior Planner Rhonda Franklin, Management Analyst 11 City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 2 8 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Dublin Economic Development Strategy is an implementation -focused plan that prioritizes and guides the City of Dublin's economic development activities for the next five to seven years. The Strategy primarily focuses on goals and strategies that the Office of Economic Development will implement with assistance from other City departments and outside partners or organizations. The Economic Development Strategy incorporates technical analysis findings, results of stakeholder engagement, and input from City decisionmakers and staff. The conclusions of these efforts identified Dublin's competitive advantages and opportunities and led to the creation of strategies and actions that best support Dublin's long term economic development. The Economic Development strategies and implementation actions are grouped into seven goals that support Dublin's overall economic vitality. The seven goals are identified below, along with the strategies that the City of Dublin will implement to achieve the goals. The Economic Development Strategy also identifies "Success Indicators" to measure progress in achieving each goal. Goal 1: Innovation Growth. Grow businesses and employment in innovation -oriented and professional services industries matching Dublin's strengths and opportunities —especially computer technology, professional services, biomedical devices, and other R&D/advanced manufacturing — through business attraction and marketing programs. Historically, Dublin's economy focused more heavily on household -serving uses, government jobs, and a few larger headquarters, regional offices, and manufacturing/R&D facilities. The City is now poised to pivot toward more aggressive business and job growth in innovation -oriented industries. Attraction of these industries is made possible by Dublin's larger and highly educated population, mix of infill development opportunities at land with existing uses or buildings, greenfield development opportunities on vacant land, and longstanding assets such as accessibility via BART and 1-680/1-580 and location within the dynamic Tri-Valley market area. The proposed strategies include: • Adjusting outreach and engagement to focus on high -priority industry opportunities, and • Establishing a business -friendly brand unique to Dublin's economic development efforts targeted to the noted industries and activities. Goal 2: Promote Infill Investment. Promote infill development and reinvestment in older retail, office, and industrial areas —including establishing Downtown Dublin as a vibrant community gathering space with a mix of modern employment, housing, retail, dining, and entertainment uses serving residents and workers. Dublin includes commercial and industrial developments that are now several decades old and positioned to benefit from reinvestment, modernization, or transformational change. These changes will enable Dublin to better compete for innovation -oriented businesses in the industries specified in Goal 1, create a community gathering space in Downtown Dublin, and attract modern retail, dining, recreation, and entertainment amenities. The strategies focus on supporting four locations with significant potential: City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 3 9 • Investing in Downtown Dublin as an innovation district and a vibrant mixed -use community, • Exploring opportunities with the Hacienda Crossings shopping center ownership to support reinvestment, tenant attraction, reducing barriers to diversifying uses, and re - visioning of the center, and • Determining the functionality and relevance of existing industrial buildings for manufacturing, R&D, and construction businesses —especially at the Sierra Trinity Business Park. Goal 3: Greenfield Development. Ensure development of major greenfield opportunity sites with modern commercial and light industrial employment uses by supporting infrastructure needs and reducing cost barriers. Dublin's undeveloped "greenfield" sites represent major opportunities for attracting commercial and light industrial development. The Fallon East Economic Development Zone —located east of Fallon Road and north of I-580—is an opportunity to attract development of modern facilities that meet the needs of tenants in innovation -oriented industries. The Dublin Centre project could potentially provide a second downtown -like community gathering space southeast of Tassajara Road and Dublin Boulevard. Undeveloped properties owned by Alameda County east of the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station could accommodate transit -oriented development, including "Campus Office" employment uses specified for these properties in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. An adjacent property between Arnold Road and Hacienda Drive, currently owned by IKEA, could potentially accommodate a variety of commercial uses. The following strategies focus on prioritizing greenfield sites to ensure future growth supports the economic development needs of Dublin: • Prioritizing the Fallon East Economic Development Zone as a key district for attracting R&D, biomedical, office, manufacturing and other light industrial uses, • Supporting the Dublin Centre Project's commercial component as a modern mixed -use space, and • Collaborating with Alameda County and the adjacent property owner to attract desired development to parcels near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. Goal 4: Retail Vitality. Sustain and strengthen the health of Dublin's shopping, dining, and entertainment businesses through strategic planning and promotional efforts. Dublin's retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities continue to evolve in response to growing e-commerce sales and a growing preference for vibrant public places, including retail destinations. As more sales shift online —particularly for undifferentiated "commodity" goods —the tenant mix within physical storefront spaces will continue to shift toward a greater emphasis on dining, entertainment, personal and medical services, food/grocery, and unique "boutique" retail. Retail formats will also increasingly favor mixed -use, pedestrian -friendly environments providing a vibrant "third space" separate from places of home and work for the community to gather. The following strategies seek to support Dublin's retail opportunities in light of these trends: City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 4 10 • Investigating other incentives, and changes to zoning and land use regulation to reduce barriers for retail conversion, • Continuing and expanding the monitoring of performance of existing shopping centers and commercial areas in Dublin —especially those consisting of businesses threatened by e-commerce trends —by comparing sales tax performance of tenants to "comparable" retailers to provide notice of tenants at risk of closure, and • Supporting the health of Dublin's automobile dealerships and other large sales tax revenue generators through continuation of one-on-one engagement. Goal 5: Hospitality Expansion. Work with regional agencies to expand and highlight Dublin's potential as a regional hotel and hospitality destination through hotel attraction efforts and advocacy for attracting a multiuse venue to Dublin. Dublin's opportunities to attract additional hotels are linked to employment and business growth within the city and Tri-Valley, as well as growth of new visitor attractions. The strategies focus on positioning Dublin to benefit from ongoing efforts to attract additional hotel stays and visitation: • Positioning Dublin to attract or leverage hotel development opportunities related to the potential multiuse sports, entertainment, and conference venue that Visit Tri-Valley is seeking to bring to the region, and • Working with relevant regional stakeholders to market Dublin as an ideal location for visitors seeking access to employment destinations and events in the Tri-Valley and beyond. Goal 6: Small Business Support. Strengthen startup and growth opportunities for small businesses by pursuing improvements to City processes and maintaining and marketing supportive services and programs. Dublin offers a variety of services to support small businesses. Opportunities exist to ensure that these services are widely known, proven to be effective, and successfully targeted to Dublin's increasingly diverse community of business owners. The following strategies target improvements in the support offered by the City of Dublin for local small businesses: • Enhancing efficiency and transparency with business applicants during City processes, • Enhancing marketing of City -offered incentives, services, and programs to existing small businesses, • Enhancing engagement between the City of Dublin and the full diversity of local small businesses —especially those related to the city's large and rapidly growing Asian populations, and • Expanding small business technical training resources as necessary. Goal 7: Workforce Opportunities. Enhance Dublin's workforce support and development systems to create opportunities for all members of the workforce through collaboration with regional organizations. Dublin's population is relatively well educated overall, but 15 percent of residents hold a high school diploma or did not finish high school. Dublin also includes a concentration of jobs in industry sectors that typically offer relatively low pay and limited benefits —such as retail, food City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 5 11 services, and personal services. Although the City does not directly provide education, training, and workforce development services, the City of Dublin has an opportunity to ensure these services are readily accessible for Dublin residents and workers. Dublin can also potentially enhance regional commute access for Dublin workers and residents. Workforce strategies include: • Leveraging regional workforce and economic development organizations and initiatives to ensure education and training services are accessible and appropriate for Dublin residents and workers, and • Leveraging initiatives to expand and invest in transportation infrastructure that supports worker access to jobs, including the Valley Link Project. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 6 12 II. INTRODUCTION The Dublin Economic Development Strategy is an implementation -focused action plan that serves to prioritize and guide the City of Dublin's economic development activities for the next five to seven years. The Strategy primarily focuses on strategies and actions that the Office of Economic Development will implement with assistance from other City departments and outside partners or organizations. After adoption of the Strategy, the City of Dublin also intends to adopt an updated Economic Development Element of the City's General Plan. The Element serves as a citywide vision and policy plan, while the Strategy functions as a shorter -term implementation tool. This new Economic Development Strategy identifies and leverages the mix of longstanding and new opportunities for the City of Dublin to expand business and workforce opportunities in the community. Dublin's previous Economic Development Strategy dates to 2012. In the 12 years since then, Dublin's population rapidly grew, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed where and how people work, retail opportunities have continued to evolve as e-commerce has grown, and regional and local economic conditions have continued to change. Process for Developing the Strategy The Economic Development Strategy incorporates technical analysis findings, results of stakeholder engagement, and input from City decisionmakers and staff. The conclusions of these efforts identified Dublin's competitive advantages and opportunities, and led to the creation of strategies and actions that best support Dublin's long term economic development. Steps taken to develop the Economic Development Strategy are detailed below: • Technical Analyses: The consultant team —consisting of Strategic Economics, Greensfelder Real Estate Strategy, and Tawni Sullivan (a life science real estate industry expert) —completed detailed economic, market, workforce, and retail and trend analysis to identify Dublin's assets and opportunities. The analyses assessed demographic, employment, real estate, retail, and hotel/tourism conditions and trends. The conclusions of the technical analyses are incorporated in the Strategy, and the full technical analysis report is included as an appendix. • Business and Community Surveys: Strategic Economics conducted two online community surveys targeted to Dublin residents and businesses, respectively. The surveys gauged respondents' opinions regarding the business environment in Dublin, priorities for economic development efforts, and the City's performance in creating a positive business environment. The results of the surveys were summarized in a Community Engagement Report that is included in the community engagement appendix of the Economic Development Strategy. • Stakeholder Interviews: The consultant team and City staff completed seven focus group meetings with local and Tri-Valley stakeholders to gain insights into concerns and priorities relating to economic development for the City of Dublin. The focus groups consisted of commercial brokers and developers, local businesses, local and regional community and non- profit organizations, interested property managers and property owners, regional agencies, and City staff. Strategic Economics also conducted separate interviews with members of the Dublin City Council. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 7 13 Report Contents The remainder of the Economic Development Strategy consists of the following content: 1. Summary of "SWOT" Conclusions: Describes Dublin's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that informed the Strategy. 2. Summary of Community and Business Survey Findings: Describes key takeaways from the community and business surveys conducted for the Strategy. 3. Changes and Progress Since the 2012 Strategy: Provides an overview of the City's progress in implementing the 2012 Economic Development Strategy, including ongoing City efforts and notes on how Dublin's economic opportunities have evolved over time. 4. Goals, Strategies, and Implementation Actions: Describes strategies and implementation actions to achieve seven goals that will guide the City of Dublin's economic development efforts over the next five to seven years. For each goal, an implementation action summary table notes the time frame, responsible party, potential partners, and tasks for implementation. Each goal also includes "Success Indicators," which consist of quantitative and qualitative criteria to measure progress toward achieving each goal. 5. Economic Performance Indicators: This section lists specific performance indicators that Dublin can use to measure the impact and progress of the Economic Development Strategy based on general economic conditions in Dublin. 6. Technical Appendices: The appendices include a technical report describing the findings and conclusions of the analyses and stakeholder input and a summary of the business and community survey results. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 8 14 III. SUMMARY OF "SWOT" CONCLUSIONS The in-depth analyses and community engagement efforts completed for the Economic Development Strategy identified several significant strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) applicable to Dublin's economic development efforts. The conclusions of this analysis are summarized below, with detailed analysis provided in an appendix to the Economic Development Strategy. Key Industries Dublin's economy has historically focused heavily on household -serving uses and government jobs. Illustrated in Figure 1, more than 22 percent of Dublin's total jobs in 2023 were in the "Government" sector (government programs/facilities of all types) and another 30 percent of total jobs were in household -serving industries such as retail, services, and health care. These household -serving jobs corresponded to the city's rapid growth as a residential community. Dublin also includes a longstanding presence of several corporate headquarters or major offices for companies representing a variety of industries. Multiple retail, medical device, financial services, and business services companies have headquarters or major regional offices in Dublin. Examples of companies located in Dublin include Ross Stores Inc., Patelco Credit Union, TriNet, and Zeiss Meditec. FIGURE 1: JOBS BY INDUSTRY SECTOR IN DUBLIN, 2023 MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTORS GREEN = HIGHLY CONCENTRATED IN DUBLIN RELATIVE TO TRI-VALLEY Government I Health Care and Social Assistance Accommodation and Food Retail Trade Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) Construction Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 1 Management of Companies and Enterprises Administrative & Support, Waste Management and.. Manufacturing Information Finance and Insurance Educational Services I= Real Estate and Rental and Leasing I= Wholesale Trade NI Transportation and Warehousing r Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation I• Other Industries II 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 TOTAL JOBS Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2023 Data; Strategic Economics, 2023. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 9 15 Dublin is positioned to build on its larger and highly educated residential base to pivot toward more aggressive business and job growth in professional services and innovation -oriented industries. As shown in Figure 2, Dublin's population grew more than 136 percent from 2000 to 2022—the fastest rate among Tri-Valley cities and now approaching the size of Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Danville. Dublin's residents are also highly educated, with nearly 70 percent of Dublin's population age 25 or older holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Dublin's larger and highly educated population base will allow the city to better compete for jobs in professional services and innovation -oriented industries. As illustrated in Figure 3, Dublin's job growth in the Information industry sector (which includes software and media) and Finance and Insurance sector exceeded the Tri-Valley as a whole from 2016 to 2023. Dublin also attracted more than $300 million in venture capital investments in software and electronic hardware technology related businesses from 2018 to 2023. Given these strengths and broader regional economic trends, Dublin is positioned to attract long term growth in computer technology, professional services, biomedical industries, and other R&D and advanced manufacturing businesses. FIGURE 2: TOTAL POPULATION OF TRI-VALLEY CITIES, 2000 TO 2022 100,000 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 2000 2010 2022 .,Dublin Livermore .,Pleasanton ,San Ramon .Danville Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000,2010, ACS 2018-2022; Strategic Economics, 2024 City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 10 16 FIGURE 3: JOB GROWTH BY INDUSTRY SECTOR IN DUBLIN AND THE TRI-VALLEY, 2016 TO 2023 Information Health Care and Social Assistance Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Administrative & Support, Waste Management... Management of Companies and Enterprises -� Transportation and Warehousing Educational Services Finance and Insurance —� Manufacturing L All Jobs 1 Accommodation and Food ■ Construction Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) ■ Government '� Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Retail Trade 7 Wholesale Trade Other Industries -100% -50% 0% 50% 100% 150% Job Growth, 2016-2023 Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2023 Data; Strategic Economics, 2023 • Dublin • Tri-Valley The Tri-Valley's robust regional institutional assets and industry organizations create opportunities to enhance Dublin's economic development efforts. Nearby institutions and organizations such as Sandia National Laboratory, Las Positas College, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and i-Gate attract talent to the Tri-Valley, drive innovation, and create ongoing potential for Dublin to capture spinoff business growth. Infrastructure, Built Environment, and Real Estate Dublin's office and light industrial building inventory is relatively small and becoming dated as little new development activity occurs —creating a need to support further build -to -suit and speculative development through business attraction and development support efforts. Demand for Dublin's inventory of office and light industrial spaces is reasonably strong, although the city has a much smaller share of new space suitable for office, R&D, and manufacturing uses than other Tri-Valley cities, as illustrated in Figure 4. Recent new office, light industrial, and R&D development activity has been limited, resulting in an aging building stock. Stakeholders interviewed for the Economic Development Strategy noted the need for modernized office, light industrial/flex, and R&D space that offers the chance for businesses to locate and expand in Dublin. This space is more likely to be built when demand rises to a level such that a large business seeks a new build -to -suit space, or when achievable rents and other development conditions improve in Dublin and across the Bay Area. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 11 17 Speculative office and life science development is currently constrained throughout the Bay Area due to recent increases in labor and materials costs, increased financing costs, and limited access to capital. Fortunately, Dublin's economic development efforts have contributed to the construction of the Zeiss Innovation Center, the proposed Dublin Commons project, and proposed redevelopment of the former Hexcel property. FIGURE 4: OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL INVENTORY IN DUBLIN AND OTHER TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES, SQUARE FEET, 2023 20,000,000 18,000,000 16,000,000 14,000,000 32) 12,000,000 10,000,000 - 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 0 I Dublin • Pleasanton Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023 Livermore San Ramon Danville Building Type ■ Industrial ■ Office Flex Dublin's remaining greenfield development sites are major opportunities to attract large-scale, modern office, R&D, and manufacturing uses, but each site requires unique infrastructure or other development support. Dublin's "greenfield" commercial and light industrial opportunity sites consist of previously undeveloped properties at the Fallon East Economic Development Zone, Dublin Centre Project, and near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. This collection of greenfield sites is an asset that Dublin can use to attract new innovation -oriented businesses and, in the case of Dublin Centre, create a modern mixed -use community gathering space. The City is already working to address the major infrastructure needs at the Fallon East Economic Development Zone, and proactively engaging developers at the other major greenfield sites. Several of Dublin's older existing commercial areas, like Downtown Dublin and Hacienda Crossings, require reinvestment and modernization —creating a need for the City to balance efforts to develop greenfield sites while also supporting the health of older commercial properties. Various older commercial areas in Dublin have outdated space that does not meet the needs of modern tenants. In addition, many of these areas suffer from a lack of amenities and welcoming public gathering spaces. These environments are made even less welcoming by limited pedestrian access to and within the shopping centers. The Downtown Dublin Specific Plan intends to resolve these issues by creating a modern mixed -use environment with bike and pedestrian connections, but similar efforts should be targeted for other commercial areas like Hacienda Crossings. Overall attempts to modernize and reinvest in Dublin's existing buildings, spaces, and districts will help balance citywide economic development by promoting infill development in conjunction with ongoing greenfield development. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 12 18 Dublin has strong demand for its limited existing industrial space, but competition from recreation and other household -serving uses creates a need to consider potential preservation of these spaces for industrial uses. According to CoStar real estate data, the vacancy rate in Dublin's small inventory of industrial spaces has been below one percent for much of the past five years. Although Dublin includes a few larger industrial buildings, the variety of smaller buildings and spaces within the Sierra Trinity Business Park represent more than 78 percent and 60 percent of Dublin's industrial and flex space, respectively. This important reservoir of industrial space for construction, manufacturing, repair and maintenance uses in Dublin is also experiencing strong demand from recreation and fitness tenants — creating a need to examine the appropriate balance of uses to ensure production, distribution, and repair services and businesses are still accommodated in Dublin. However, if these spaces are preserved for innovation -oriented industrial uses, then it will also be important to ensure recreational and fitness businesses are accommodated elsewhere in Dublin. Workforce and Job Access Growth of local jobs aligned with Dublin's highly educated population will create an opportunity for more residents to work locally and help reduce current long commutes. Dublin's residents enjoy excellent access to jobs throughout the region via I-580, 1-680, and two BART stations. However, local growth of jobs aligned with Dublin's highly skilled and educated workforce, as shown in Figure 5, will create an opportunity for more residents to work locally and potentially reduce the 35 percent share of Dublin workers commuting more than 40 minutes to work (according to U.S. Census ACS 2017- 2021 estimates). FIGURE 5: DUBLIN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR THE POPULATION 25 YEARS AND OVER, 2010 AND 2021 60,000 • Doctorate Degree 50,000 • Professional School Degree 40,000 Master's Degree 0 30,000 • Bachelor's Degree a °- 20,000 ■Some College 10,000 2010 2021 High School Graduate (Includes Equivalency) • Less than High School Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2010-2014, 2017-2021 5 Year Estimates; Strategic Economics, 2023. Collaborations with Tri-Valley workforce development organizations can enhance the trained and skilled workforce available for Dublin employers and support career opportunities for workers in Dublin. Collaborations with education and workforce development partners can support the availability of trained workers for Dublin employers across all categories of skills and occupations. Workforce and education service providers can also create new career opportunities for workers in Dublin's large share of jobs in industries that typically pay relatively lower wages and have less job stability, such as retail, food service, and personal services. Examples of regional workforce development organizations City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 13 19 include Tri-Valley Career Center, Las Positas College, and the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program. Retail and Hotels Dublin's retail inventory is large and desirable for a wide range of tenants. Dublin has approximately four million square feet of retail space, including a variety of regional and local shopping centers —as shown in Figure 6—and large automobile dealerships. Automobile dealerships and automobile -related businesses generated over 40 percent of Dublin's sales tax revenue in 2022—the City's largest category of sales tax revenue —followed by general consumer goods, business to business sales, and restaurants and hotels. Dublin's overall retail sales have recovered overall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, although performance varied by category of retail. FIGURE 6: DUBLIN SHOPPING CENTERS •f San Ramon Golf Club San Ramon Village F ,, N& r m m o `°• Dougherty -o •i.: a Dr % n111yd4 -o NI ci. O� O O ono nC� :'74, 0O D O~ Shopping Centers in the Dublin Area Center Square Feet Center Type Camp Parks Military Reservation Komandorski Village Livermore Pleasanton • Community Center • Lifestyle Center O Neighborhood Center O Outlet Center O Power Center • Strip Center • Super Regional Mall -n III "e O Fa oen es. • o F � — V 10 3 0 m J = 0 167,000 - 260,000 260,001 - 580,000 580,001 - 875,000 °Greater than 875,000 Dublin - • ow 0 0 " ii you ik O 0 a' Pleasanton Sports Park h Or o 0 O 0 1.5 Milos Black Ave ✓ �� a Sources: oStar, 2023; Esri, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. co nth Park 0 Source: CoStar, 2023; Esri, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dublin's retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities will need to continually evolve in response to growing e-commerce sales and the evolution of bricks -and -mortar retail. As more sales shift online — particularly for undifferentiated "commodity" goods —Dublin should anticipate that the tenant mix within physical storefront spaces will continue to shift toward a greater emphasis on dining, entertainment, personal and medical services, food/grocery, and unique "boutique" retail. These trends are apparent in Dublin's sales tax data for 2022 to 2023, which indicates increasing sales in the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan area but declines among "big box" power centers that typically sell many goods readily available online. These trends especially create challenges for large-scale City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 14 20 shopping centers like Hacienda Crossings. Demand for different types of spaces continues to evolve, and there is currently relatively lower demand for big -box retail spaces than in the past. Broader retail trends make it increasingly difficult to fill large vacant retail space, and it is often expensive or impractical to split these spaces for use by more than one retailer. Dublin's retail spaces primarily consist of traditional automobile -oriented shopping centers and commercial corridors; the city lacks amenity -rich community gathering destinations, although opportunities exist in Downtown Dublin and Dublin Centre. Despite Dublin's strong quality of life and desirable climate, safety, and location, residents and businesses continue to note its lack of a vibrant community gathering space with pedestrian accessibility. Current public -private efforts are underway to develop such a place in Downtown Dublin with the Dublin Commons project, and the Dublin Centre project is also planning to create a similar activity node. Dublin's rapidly diversifying population opens new opportunities to attract businesses reflectinga wide variety of cultural influences. Since 2000, U.S. Census data shows that Dublin's population growth overwhelmingly consisted of residents identifying as Asian, as shown in Figure 7. The U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates that, as of 2021, 48 percent of Dublin's Asian residents were of Indian origin, 26 percent of Chinese origin, and nine percent of Filipino origin. Half of Dublin's residents report speaking a language other than English at home. The rich diversity of Dublin's population creates opportunities to further support the diverse mix of retail, grocery, dining, and personal services businesses in the city. FIGURE 7: RACE IN DUBLIN, 2000 TO 2021 Total Population 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 2000 2010 2020 • White • Hispanic or Latino • African American or Black Asian • Other Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000, 2010, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. Regional initiatives to attract hotel stays and a multiuse venue can support local hotels in Dublin. Dublin's hotels primarily attract business travelers based on the city's convenient access to major employers throughout the Tri-Valley and beyond. As hotel occupancy and revenues continue to recover over time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dublin can position itself to leverage Visit Tri-Valley's efforts to expand visitation. Visit Tri-Valley is pursuing development of a multiuse sports, entertainment, and conference venue, which Dublin could either seek to attract to the city itself or seek to leverage for further hotel stays. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 15 21 IV. COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS SURVEY FINDINGS As part of the Economic Development Strategy process, Strategic Economics administered two online surveys to Dublin residents and businesses, respectively. Both surveys were used to inform the selection of both strategies and implementation actions for the City of Dublin. The surveys' major findings are summarized below and grouped by general positive opinions and concerns about Dublin. The detailed survey findings are shown in an appendix to the Economic Development Strategy. FIGURE 8: ONLINE SURVEY MAJOR FINDINGS Community Survey Positive Opinions about Dublin A wide variety of dining, beverage, and entertainment destinations Large amount of welcoming public parks Large quantity of different shopping and retail stores Concerns about Dublin Lack of high -quality job opportunities compatible with residents Housing affordability Limited downtown or large community gathering space Over -emphasis on residential development by the City Positive Opinions about Dublin Proximity to potential customers Safe and welcoming community Desirable demographic composition and trends City Staff responsiveness and communication Concerns about Dublin Lack of affordable office, retail, or industrial space High water and utility costs and fees Limited awareness of City funding and incentives among existing local businesses City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 16 22 V. CHANGES AND PROGRESS SINCE THE 2012 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY The City of Dublin's previous Economic Development Strategy established four priorities based on conditions and opportunities identified in 2012. The City of Dublin has made —and continues to make — substantial progress on implementing that strategy's implementation actions. Although the new Economic Development Strategy re -prioritizes and adjusts the City's efforts, the Strategy also seeks to build upon and enhance past successes and ongoing actions by the City of Dublin's economic development team. The previous priorities and related ongoing current City actions are described in Figure 9 below. FIGURE 9: REVIEW OF THE 2012 CITY OF DUBLIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: PRIORITIES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION STATUS 2012 Priority 2012 Strategy Actions Ongoing City Efforts Economic Vibrancy Continued development and job growth Maintain and enhance ED activities, Business visits and roundtables including marketing and branding Business incentive and recognition programs Engaging with regional economic development efforts and organizations Maintaining responsive communications, including ongoing interactions with brokers and property owners Small Business Facilitate business expansion projects Enhance development services, with streamlined permitting for routine growth -supporting real estate improvement projects Management of small business navigator and business concierge programs Promotional campaigns, including a holiday gift guide, small business spotlight series, and bi- monthly newsletters Small business support via grants, a mobile text program, business visitation program, and special events like a small business night at the farmers' market Eastern Transit Center Encourage new development, particularly commercial office and retail spaces Increase partnerships with real estate developers and landowners to entitle and market sites As -needed development support Coordination with Alameda County Surplus Property Authority Downtown Dublin Expedite progress toward the Downtown Vision Explore options to facilitate development, including financing mechanisms, funding sources, and revitalization tools Significant ongoing Downtown Dublin development support The City of Dublin has made especially significant progress in implementing the Downtown Dublin and Eastern Transit Center goals. Efforts at Downtown Dublin include completion of an Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel, approval of the Downtown Preferred Vision, adoption of specific plan amendments, adoption of public -private agreements, and a variety of other ongoing development City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 17 23 support efforts. Progress at the Eastern Transit Center includes construction of a parking garage, construction of additional housing, tenanting of storefront spaces, and ongoing support for potential development projects. In addition, Dublin has continued to balance competing priorities as R&D and entertainment uses compete for limited affordable space. The City of Dublin also proactively continued to identify and pursue new opportunities since the 2012 Economic Development Strategy was adopted, as demonstrated by ongoing progress in pursuing development and business attraction to the Fallon East Economic Development Zone. This area consists of approximately 285 acres of largely undeveloped land northeast of Fallon Road and 1-580. In the years since 2012, the City of Dublin recognized this area as a major commercial and industrial development opportunity and has thus far approved General Plan land use amendments in 2022, established an incentives package for targeted types of businesses, and is working with property owners and the City of Livermore to fund and construct the Dublin Boulevard extension to support future development. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 18 24 VI. GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS The following strategies and implementation actions are organized within seven goals that reflect challenges and opportunities identified through the technical analyses and community outreach activities completed for the Economic Development Strategy. The description of each goal includes a list of "Success Indicators." These quantitative and qualitative criteria provide measurements of progress toward achieving each goal. City staff will track the indicators and provide an annual "Economic Development Strategy Progress Report" to the Dublin City Council. An "implementation matrix" follows each set of strategies and actions. The matrices provide detailed strategy implementation guidance by specifying the following information: • Time frame: Details the timing of action implementation. Actions that must be continuously implemented over time are marked as "ongoing." • Subarea: Indicates whether the action item primarily applies citywide or to specific locations. • Supporting organization/department: Lists City departments or outside partners necessary for successful action implementation (in partnership with Dublin's Economic Development staff). • Tasks for Implementation: Identifies tasks to be completed as part of implementing a given strategy or action. Goals The strategies and actions focus on achieving the following seven primary goals to support Dublin's economic vibrancy, workforce opportunities, and overall quality of life. These goals are rooted in the opportunities and challenges noted in this report's "Summary of SWOT Conclusions." Goal 1: Innovation Growth Grow businesses and employment in innovation -oriented and professional services industries matching Dublin's strengths and opportunities —especially computer technology, professional services, biomedical devices, and other R&D/advanced manufacturing —through business attraction and marketing programs. Goal 2: Promote I nfi I I Investment Promote infill development and reinvestment in older retail, office, and industrial areas — including establishing Downtown Dublin as a vibrant community gathering space with a mix of modern employment, retail, dining, and entertainment uses serving residents and workers. Goal 3: Greenfield Development Ensure development of major greenfield opportunity sites with modern commercial and light industrial employment uses by supporting infrastructure needs and reducing cost barriers. Goal 4: Retail Vitality Sustain and strengthen the health of Dublin's shopping, dining, and entertainment businesses through strategic planning and promotional efforts. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 19 25 Goal 5: Hospitality Expansion Work with regional agencies to expand and highlight Dublin's potential as a regional hotel and hospitality destination through hotel attraction efforts and advocacy for attracting a multiuse venue to Dublin. Goal 6: Small Business Support Strengthen startup and growth opportunities for small businesses by pursuing improvements to City processes and maintaining and marketing supportive services and programs. Goal 7: Workforce Opportunities Enhance Dublin's workforce support and development systems to create opportunities for all members of the workforce through collaboration with regional organizations. Goal 1: Innovation Growth Historically, Dublin's economy focused more heavily on household -serving uses, government jobs, and a few larger headquarters, regional offices, and manufacturing/R&D facilities. The City is now poised to pivot toward more aggressive business and job growth in innovation -oriented industries, as indicated by recent venture capital investments and attraction of facilities such as the Zeiss Innovation Center. Attraction of these industries is made possible by Dublin's larger and highly educated population, mix of infill development and greenfield development opportunities, and longstanding assets such as accessibility via BART and 1-680/1-580 and location within the dynamic Tri-Valley market area. Based on this mix of assets and current economic trends, high -priority industry opportunities include: • Information Technology, Software, and Artificial Intelligence • Professional Services • Biomedical - Including medical equipment/device R&D and manufacturing The strategies seek to support Dublin in attracting and retaining businesses in these growing industry opportunities. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Innovation Growth" goal: • Names or numbers of relevant businesses started, attracted, or retained in Dublin. Strategy 1.1 Adjust, enhance, formalize, and implement outreach and engagement with businesses, brokers, industry associations, and Tri-Valley institutions to focus on high -priority industry opportunities, including information technology, professional services, and biomedical uses such as medical equipment/device R&D and manufacturing. Action 1.1.1 Establish standing industry stakeholder groups for information technology, professional and financial services, and biomedical businesses. Convene meetings with each stakeholder group twice per year to City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 20 26 Strategy 1.2 communicate City news and learn about these employers' needs and concerns. Action 1.1.2 Convene meetings with brokers, developers, and major property owners twice per year to provide updates regarding City efforts, resources, and major development projects, and to receive input regarding conditions and needs. Action 1.1.3 Focus existing business visitation program towards high -priority industries to identify specific business needs while connecting them with available resources and services. Action 1.1.4 Continue City practices of offering business seminars and hosting roundtable programs in collaboration with relevant regional stakeholders such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and the East Bay Economic Development Alliance. Within these events, target high -priority industries to maintain relationships with these businesses and better understand challenges and opportunities for City staff to provide support. Action 1.1.5 Continue partnership with local and regional entities such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Tri-Valley, i-Gate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, East Bay Small Business Development Center, and East Bay Economic Development Alliance to participate in business events and other relevant trade shows or industry groups. Establish a business -friendly brand unique to Dublin's economic development efforts targeted to the noted industries and activities, with a focus on Dublin's competitive assets such as its geographic location near 1-580 and 1-680, BART access, high educational attainment, and major infill and greenfield development opportunity sites. Action 1.2.1 Conduct annual City staff trainings to establish a shared understanding of Dublin's assets and messaging for economic development and emphasize the benefits of ensuring the City maintains a business -friendly environment. Action 1.2.2 Undertake and implement an economic development -tailored marketing and branding strategy that focuses on Dublin's competitive assets and transformational development projects/areas identified through the Economic Development Strategy effort, as well as existing business and development incentives. As part of this new branding identity, create a cohesive marketing plan that includes an updated webpage unique to the economic development branding strategy, creation of new materials for handout at industry meetings, and refreshed press and media engagement. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 21 27 FIGURE 10: GOAL 1- INNOVATION GROWTH IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 1.1.1. Establish standing industry stakeholder groups for information technology, professional and financial services, and biomedical businesses. meetings with each stakeholder group twice per year to communicate City news and learn about these employers' needs and concerns. OngoingConvene Citywide Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Biomedical Manufacturing Network, Daybreak Labs, i-Gate Conduct semi- annual meetings 1.1.2. Convene meetings with brokers, developers, and major property owners twice per year to provide updates regarding City efforts, resources, and majorannual development projects, and to receive input regarding conditions and needs. Ongoing Citywide Conduct semi - meetings 1.1.3. Focus existing business visitation program towards high -priority industries to identify specific business needs while connecting them with available resources and services. Ongoing Citywide Identify businesses for monthly visitations 1.1.4. Continue City practices of offering business seminars and hosting roundtable programs in collaboration with relevant regional stakeholders such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and the East Bay Economic Development Alliance. Within these events, target high -priority industries to maintain relationships with these businesses and better understand challenges and opportunities for City staff to provide support. Ongoing Citywide Dublin Chamber of Commerce, East Bay Economic Development Alliance, technical service providers, topic area experts Organize seminars and roundtables 1.1.5. Continue partnership with local and regional entities such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Tri- Valley, i-Gate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, East Bay Small Business Development Center, and East Bay Economic Development Alliance to participate in business events and other relevant trade shows or industry groups. Ongoing Citywide Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Tri- Valley, i-GATE, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, East Bay Small Business Development Center, and East Bay Economic Development Alliance Attend events and partner with organizations City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 22 28 Action Item Time Frame Subarea 1.2.1. Conduct annual City staff trainings to establish a shared understanding of Dublin's assets and messaging for economic development and emphasize the benefits of ensuring the City maintains a business -friendly environment. 1-2 years and then Ongoing Citywide Supporting Organization / Department Community Development Department, Public Works Department, Fire, City Manager's Office Tasks for Implementation Organize annual staff trainings 1.2.2. Undertake and implement an economic development -tailored marketing and branding strategy that focuses on Dublin's competitive assets and transformational development projects/areas identified through the Economic Development Strategy effort, as well as existing business and development 1-2 years Citywide incentives. As part of this new branding identity, create a cohesive marketing plan that includes an updated webpage unique to the economic development branding strategy, creation of new materials for handout at industry meetings, and refreshed press and media engagement. Goal 2: Promote !nth! Investment City Manager's Office, Community Development Department, Communications Division, Information Systems Division Complete a marketing and branding strategy Dublin includes commercial and industrial developments that are now several decades old and positioned to benefit from reinvestment, modernization, or transformational change. These changes will enable Dublin to better compete for innovation -oriented businesses in the industries specified in Goal 1, create a community gathering space in Downtown Dublin, and attract modern retail, housing, dining, recreation, and entertainment amenities. The strategies focus on supporting three locations with significant potential. First, substantial public and private efforts are already underway to construct the "Dublin Commons" project within the Downtown Dublin Preferred Plan area. The new project envisions the creation of a new community gathering hub with a mix of retail, life science, and residential uses. Second, the large Hacienda Crossings shopping center represents a variety of potential future opportunities to attract new entertainment and dining tenants, and potentially re -envision the center's design and uses. Finally, the future of Dublin's older industrial building stock —especially within the Sierra Trinity Business Park — must be carefully considered to examine the proper balance between retaining industrial uses versus allowing other uses to repurpose these spaces. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Infill Investment" goal: • Milestones achieved for completing the Dublin Commons project, including related infrastructure. • Milestones achieved for accelerating other investment and development that supports implementation of the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan. • Milestones achieved for potentially creating a business and innovation incubator. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 23 29 • Tenants attracted to or retained at Hacienda Crossings. • Investments at Hacienda Crossings. • Regulatory adjustments to maintain intended uses at properties zoned for industrial use. Strategy 2.1 Strategy 2.2 Identify and implement investments, partnerships, and regulatory changes that accelerate the emergence of Downtown Dublin as an innovation district and a vibrant mixed -use community and regional gathering destination —including improved integration of the Downtown Core area with other subareas. Action 2.1.1 Continue providing supportive services, regulatory amendments, and participating in development negotiations as part of the public -private partnership to accelerate buildout and tenanting of the Dublin Commons project. Action 2.1.2 Explore adoption of funding and financing tools —including enhanced infrastructure financing districts and community facilities districts —to accelerate construction of public infrastructure that supports buildout of the Dublin Commons project and improves multimodal transportation connections within and between subareas of Downtown Dublin. Action 2.1.3 Continue to build partnerships with interested property owners and developers to identify and implement opportunities to accelerate the development of the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan area. Action 2.1.4 Explore the potential creation of a business and innovation incubator space in the Downtown Dublin area. Explore opportunities with the Hacienda Crossings shopping center owner to support tenant attraction (including non-traditional anchors that attract foot traffic, such as medical office uses), expansion of entertainment and dining, reducing barriers to diversifying uses, and incentivizing reinvestment and new development. Action 2.2.1 Maintain proactive regular contact with Hacienda Crossings management and ownership to identify and address barriers and opportunities for attracting tenants and reinvestment at the shopping center —especially for the specified tenant types and potential addition of different commercial and residential uses. Promote existing tenant attraction incentives such as the sales tax reimbursement program. Action 2.2.2 If the Hacienda Crossings ownership chooses to pursue a significant master planning or re -visioning process for the center, collaboratively identify ways to support and accelerate this process. Strategy 2.3 Undertake a process to determine the functionality and relevance of existing industrial buildings for manufacturing, R&D, and construction businesses; City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 24 30 implement land use restrictions as needed to preserve the diversity of spaces available for businesses. Action 2.3.1 Conduct ongoing actions to study the functionality, relevance, challenges, and opportunities of industrial spaces, especially within the Sierra Trinity Business Park. This study includes establishing areas of focus, conducting outreach to businesses with new or existing business licenses in those areas, and seeking targeted feedback from real estate brokers and property owners. Action 2.3.2 Based on the findings of the preceding action, investigate the need for land use restrictions that limit or expand the types of uses permitted in specific industrial areas in Dublin, particularly in the Sierra Trinity Business Park. FIGURE 11: GOAL 2 - INFILL INVESTMENT IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 2.1.1. Continue providing supportive services, regulatory amendments, and participating in development negotiations as part of the public -private partnership to accelerate buildout and tenanting of the Dublin Commons project. Ongoing Downtown Dublin Retail District City Manager's Office; Dublin Commons development partner Support Dublin Commons buildout and tenanting 2.1.2. Explore adoption of funding and financing tools —including enhanced infrastructure financing districts and community facilities districts —to accelerate construction of public infrastructure that supports buildout of the Dublin Commons project and improves multimodal transportation connections within and between subareas of Downtown Dublin. 1-2 years Downtown Dublin Retail District Dublin Commons development partner Identify potential funding tools 2.1.3. Continue to build partnerships with interested property owners and developers to identify and implement opportunities to accelerate the development of the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan area. Ongoing Downtown Dublin Retail District, Downtown Dublin Village Parkway, Downtown Dublin TOD Interested property owners and developers in Downtown Dublin Strengthen relationships with property owners and developers City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 25 31 Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 2.1.4. Explore the potential creation of a business and innovation incubator space in the Downtown Dublin area. 1-2 years Downtown Dublin Retail District, Downtown Dublin Village Parkway, Downtown Dublin TOD East Bay Economic Development Alliance, Innovation Tri-Valley, i-Gate, Daybreak Labs, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Las Positas College Explore the creation of an innovation incubator space in Downtown Dublin 2.2.1. Maintain proactive regular contact with Hacienda Crossings management and ownership to identify and address barriers and opportunities for attracting tenants and reinvestment at the shopping center— pp g especially for the specified tenant types and potential addition of different commercial and residential uses. Promote existing tenant attraction incentives such as the sales tax reimbursement program. Ongoing Hacienda Crossings Hacienda Crossings management, ownership, and businesses Strengthen relationship with asset manager 2.2.2. If the Hacienda Crossings ownership chooses to pursue a significant master planning or re -visioning process for the center, collaboratively identify ways to support and accelerate this process. 3-5 years Hacienda Crossings Hacienda Crossings Ownership Collaborate with Hacienda Crossings on a potential re - visioning process 2.3.1. Conduct ongoing actions to study the functionality, relevance, challenges, and opportunities of industrial spaces, especially within the Sierra Trinity Business Park. This study includes establishing areas of focus, conducting outreach to businesses with new or existing business licenses in those areas, and seeking targeted feedback from real estate brokers and property owners. 2-3 years Citywide, Sierra Trinity Business Park Community Development Department Conduct study and work with brokers on a business attraction strategy 2.3.2. Based on the findings of the preceding action, investigate the need for land use restrictions that limit or expand the types of uses permitted in specific industrial areas in Dublin, particularly in the Sierra Trinity Business Park. 3-5 years Citywide, Sierra Trinity Business Park Community Development Department If needed, amend land uses Goal 3: Greenfield Development Dublin's undeveloped "greenfield" sites represent major opportunities for attracting commercial and light industrial development. The Fallon East Economic Development Zone —located east of Fallon Road and north of I-580—is a longstanding City focus area, with the opportunity to attract development City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 26 32 of modern facilities that meet the needs of tenants in innovation -oriented industries. The Dublin Centre project could potentially provide a second downtown -like community gathering space southeast of Tassajara Road and Dublin Boulevard, while also effectively providing daily needs retail for the large number of new housing units to be built in the area. Undeveloped properties owned by Alameda County east of the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station could accommodate transit -oriented development, including "Campus Office" employment uses specified for these properties in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. An adjacent property between Arnold Road and Hacienda Drive, currently owned by IKEA, could potentially accommodate a variety of commercial uses. The following strategies focus on meeting the unique needs of each major greenfield development site by undertaking actions to accelerate development and ensure future growth supports the economic development needs of the Dublin community. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Greenfield Development" goal: • Milestones achieved for completing infrastructure and development in the Fallon East Economic Development Zone. • Number or names of businesses attracted to the Fallon East Economic Development Zone. • Milestones achieved for completing development of a mixed -use community destination as part of the Dublin Centre project. • Milestones achieved to accelerate and complete desired development at properties owned by Alameda County near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. • Milestones achieved to accelerate and complete desired development at the property currently owned by IKEA. Strategy 3.1 Strategy 3.2 Continue prioritizing the Fallon East Economic Development Zone as a key district for attracting R&D, biomedical, office, manufacturing and other light industrial uses, with efforts including infrastructure funding and financing, and proactive consideration of incentives adjustments in response to business/developer feedback. Action 3.1.1 Continue working with property owners, developers, and the City of Livermore to coordinate, fund, and build out the Dublin Boulevard extension and other required infrastructure. Action 3.1.2 As part of ongoing outreach and engagement with relevant businesses, developers, and property owners, solicit feedback on the effectiveness of existing development incentives in the Fallon East EDZ; adjust incentives as needed. Action 3.1.3 Promote greenfield development opportunities at the Fallon East EDZ as part of Dublin's broader marketing and branding efforts, especially when undertaking business attraction efforts focused on R&D, biomedical, office, manufacturing and other light industrial uses. Work with the developer of the Dublin Centre project to ensure the creation of a second modern mixed -use community gathering, shopping, dining, and entertainment destination at the project. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 27 33 Action 3.2.1 Continue ongoing engagement with the Dublin Centre project development team to identify and resolve any potential regulatory barriers to build out the commercial area, support business attraction efforts, and emphasize the importance of fulfilling the community's desire for creation of a vibrant community gathering space that also offers daily needs retail. Strategy 3.3 Continue proactive engagement with Alameda County to determine a shared vision and work plan for activating and developing County -owned parcels near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station with a potential mix of employment and housing uses. Action 3.3.1 Continue ongoing communication with the Alameda County Surplus Property Authority to maintain a shared understanding of the potential preferred uses of the remaining development opportunity sites, explore ways in which the City can support development and business attraction, and coordinate regarding County -led efforts to develop the sites. Strategy 3.4 Continue to monitor opportunities to support desired commercial development at the vacant property currently owned by IKEA (bounded by Arnold Road, Martinelli Way, Hacienda Drive, and 1-580). Action 3.4.1 Continue regular engagement with property owners of the "IKEA" site to encourage consideration of development desired by the City and to identify ways to support efforts to pursue new projects at the site via existing City services. FIGURE 12: GOAL 3 - GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item 3.1.1. Continue working with property owners, developers, and the City of Livermore to coordinate, fund, and build out the Dublin Boulevard extension and other required infrastructure. Time Frame Ongoing Subarea Fallon East Economic Development Zone Supporting Organization / Department City of Livermore, Public Works Department, Relevant property owners and developers along Dublin Blvd. and in the Fallon East EDZ Tasks for Implementation Support the Dublin Boulevard extension and other required infrastructure 3.1.2. As part of ongoing outreach and engagement with relevant businesses, developers, and property owners, solicit feedback on the effectiveness of existing development incentives in the Fallon East EDZ; adjust incentives as needed. Ongoing Fallon East Economic Development Zone Relevant property owners, businesses, and developers in or near the Fallon East EDZ Work with industry leaders and brokers and adjust incentives as needed City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 28 34 Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 3.1.3. Promote greenfield development opportunities at the Fallon East EDZ as part of Dublin's broader marketing and branding efforts, especially when undertaking business attraction efforts focused on R&D, biomedical, office, manufacturing, and other light industrial uses. 2-3 years Fallon East Economic Development Zone City Manager's Office, Community Development Department, Public Works Department, Communications Division Include greenfield development opportunities in updated marketing and branding efforts 3.2.1. Continue ongoing engagement with the Dublin Centre project development team to identify and resolve any potential regulatory barriers to build out the commercial area, support business attraction efforts, and emphasize the importance of fulfilling the community's desire for creation of a vibrant community gathering space that also offers daily needs retail. Ongoing 580 Corridor Dublin Centre project development team Continue engagement with the Dublin Centre team 3.3.1. Continue ongoing communication with the Alameda County Surplus Property Authority to maintain a shared understanding of the potential preferred uses of the remaining development opportunity sites, explore ways in which the City can support development and business attraction, and coordinate regarding County -led efforts to develop the sites. Ongoing Tassajara Road Alameda County Surplus Property Authority Collaborate with Alameda County on the future development of the remaining sites 3.4.1 Continue regular engagement with property owners of the "IKEA" site to encourage consideration of development desired by the City and to identify ways to support efforts to pursue new projects at the site via existing City services. Ongoing Hacienda Drive Relevant property owner(s) Support property owner with permitting/ construction Goal 4: Retail Vitality Dublin's retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities continue to evolve in response to growing e- commerce sales, a growing preference for vibrant public places, and the continuing evolution of brick - and -mortar requirements. As more sales shift online —particularly for undifferentiated "commodity" goods —the tenant mix within physical storefront spaces will continue to shift toward a greater emphasis on dining, entertainment, personal and medical services, food/grocery, and unique "boutique" retail. The following strategies seek to support Dublin's retail opportunities in light of these trends, by reducing cost barriers for new tenants and by supporting the health of existing retail tenants. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Retail Vitality" goal: • Numbers or names of relevant businesses attracted or retained in Dublin, such as stores, restaurants, personal services, automobile dealerships, medical services, professional services, and theaters. • Retail sales tax revenue growth that exceeds other Tri-Valley communities. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 29 35 • Retention of top ten sales tax generators. Strategy 4.1 Strategy 4.2 Study other potential incentives and changes to zoning and land use regulation that will reduce barriers to splitting large vacant retail spaces, and to converting retail uses to in -demand uses such as entertainment, dining, personal service, and flexible retail uses. Action 4.1.1 Collect information regarding specific regulatory barriers to changes of use in retail spaces through ongoing contacts with brokers and retail, dining, and entertainment businesses. Work with the Community Development Department to support review and modification of any barriers as needed. Continue and expand monitoring of the performance of existing shopping centers and commercial areas, especially those consisting of businesses threatened by e-commerce trends, and continue to provide proactive targeted support to underperforming locations. Action 4.2.1 Continue working with the City of Dublin's sales tax data provider to establish data reporting geographies for each shopping center and retail district in Dublin. Action 4.2.2 Continue monitoring sales tax performance on a quarterly basis for all reporting geographies and for any businesses showing a declining sales trend in year -over -year sales compared to a "comparable store," even if the retailer is not showing a major decline in sales. Conduct outreach and market existing City -offered services to owners of shopping centers and businesses experiencing significant declines in sales. Consider retaining a retailer "coach" to work with these businesses. Action 4.2.3 Continue ongoing engagement with brokers and property owners to identify opportunities, challenges, tenant changes, and trends. Strategy 4.3 Continue to communicate with and support the health of Dublin's automobile dealerships and other large sales tax revenue generators. Action 4.3.1 Continue annual outreach to automobile dealership owners and the other top 10 sales tax revenue generators in Dublin to offer City services and identify and resolve any relevant issues and concerns. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 30 36 FIGURE 13: GOAL 4 - RETAIL VITALITY IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item 4.1.1. Collect information regarding specific regulatory barriers to changes of use in retail spaces through ongoing contacts with brokers and retail, dining, and entertainment businesses. Work with the Community Development Department to support review and modification of any barriers as needed. Time Frame Subarea 1-2 years Supporting Organization / Department Community Development Citywide Department, Local businesses and stakeholders Tasks for Implementation Identify and resolve barriers to changes of use in Dublin retail spaces 4.2.1. Continue working with the City of Dublin's sales tax data provider to establish data reporting geographies for each shopping center and retail district in Dublin. Ongoing Citywide HdL Update reporting geographies 4.2.2. Continue monitoring sales tax performance on a quarterly basis for all reporting geographies and for any businesses showing major declines in sales. Conduct outreach and offer services to owners of shopping centers and businesses experiencing significant declines in sales. Ongoing Citywide HdL, Shopping Center property owners and management staff Comple quarterly sales tax performance analysis; outreach as appropriate 4.2.3. Continue ongoing engagement with brokers and property owners to identify opportunities, challenges, and tenant changes. Ongoing Citywide Local brokers and property owners Collaborate with brokers and stakeholders 4.3.1. Continue annual outreach to automobile dealership owners and the other top 10 sales tax revenue generators in Dublin to offer City services and identify and resolve any relevant issues and concerns. Ongoing Citywide HdL, automobile dealership owners, top sales tax revenue generators Conduct annual outreach Goal 5: Hospitality Expansion Dublin's opportunities to attract additional hotels are linked to employment and business growth within the city and Tri-Valley, as well as growth of new visitor attractions. The strategies focus on positioning Dublin to benefit from ongoing efforts to attract a new multiuse sports, entertainment, and meeting venue to the Tri-Valley—including attraction of new hotels —and continuing to promote the accessibility of Dublin's hotels to businesses and Tri-Valley destinations. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Hospitality Expansion" goal: • Milestones achieved in completion of a multiuse venue in Dublin, unless no longer applicable. • Milestones achieved in completion of new hotels. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 31 37 • Hotel occupancy rates that exceed those of the Tri-Valley overall. Strategy 5.1 Strategy 5.2 Position Dublin to attract a potential multiuse venue and new hotels that would capture visitation and commercial activity associated with events at the multiuse venue. Action 5.1.1 Through ongoing collaboration with Visit Tri-Valley, determine potential opportunities for Dublin to better position local opportunity sites for attraction of a multiuse venue. Action 5.1.2 If a site outside Dublin is prioritized for attraction of a multiuse venue, determine potential ways the City can support the venue's construction and attract new hotels and hotel stays based on the venue's operations. Work with Visit Tri-Valley and local hotel operators to market Dublin as an ideal location for visitors seeking access to employment destinations and events throughout the Tri-Valley. Action 5.2.1 Work with Visit Tri-Valley to convene an annual meeting of hotel owners and managers in Dublin to offer services, identify and address concerns, and learn about opportunities to promote the City's hotels. Action 5.2.2 Continue collaboration with Visit Tri-Valley and advocate for promotion of Dublin's hotels and new hotel development. FIGURE 14: GOAL 5 - HOSPITALITY EXPANSION IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 5.1.1. Through ongoing collaboration with Visit Tri-Valley, determine potential opportunities for Dublin to better position local opportunity sites for attraction of a multiuse venue. Ongoing Citywide Visit Tri-Valley Identify potential venue opportunities 5.1.2. If a site outside Dublin is prioritized for attraction of a multiuse venue, determine potential ways the City can support the potential s construction and venuattract new hotels and hotel stays based on the venue's operations. 3-5 years Citywide Visit Tri-Valley, City that is prioritized for multiuse venue Develop a plan / policy to attract hotel development and hotel stays based on the venue's operations 5.2.1. Work with Visit Tri-Valley to convene an annual meeting of hotel owners and managers in Dublin to offer services, identify and address concerns, and learn about opportunities to promote the City's hotels. 1-2 years, then Ongoing Citywide Dublin hotel owners and managers Conduct an annual meeting City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 32 38 Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 5.2.2. Continue collaboration with Visit Tri- Valley and advocate for promotion of Dublin's hotels and new hotel development. Ongoing Citywide Visit Tri-Valley Support promotional collaborations for Dublin hotels Goal 6: Small Business Support Dublin offers a variety of services to support small businesses. Opportunities exist to ensure that these services are widely known, proven to be effective, and successfully targeted to Dublin's increasingly diverse community of business owners. The following strategies target improvements in the efficiency, marketing, and accessibility of support offered by the City of Dublin for local small businesses. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Small Business Support" goal: • Businesses assisted by the business concierge or similar support programs, including services provided. • City process improvements implemented in response to feedback received via follow-up surveys with businesses that interacted with the City of Dublin. • Number of inquiries received from existing businesses regarding available business support services and incentives. • Changes to small business promotional events and initiatives to improve these efforts' effectiveness. • Expansion and usage of small business technical training resources. Strategy 6.1 Improve efficiency and transparency with small business applicants during the City's permitting process. Strategy 6.2 Action 6.1.1 Continue maintaining a "concierge" function to support businesses in navigating processes to obtain business licenses and to serve as an advocate and navigator for obtaining building and planning approvals. Action 6.1.2 Prepare and conduct ongoing follow-up surveys with businesses that interact with the City of Dublin to obtain licenses, permits, and entitlements. Complete an annual review to identify recurring issues that can enhance clarity and efficiency of these processes. Improve marketing of City -offered incentives, services, and programs to existing small businesses in addition to maintaining current success in engaging new businesses. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 33 39 Strategy 6.3 Action 6.2.1 In addition to continuing to promote available City services to new businesses obtaining business licenses, establish and maintain a process and regular timeline for preparing and sending email blasts, social media promotions, and mailing of printed materials to all local business license holders. Through these contacts, promote City business support services, incentives, and relevant news. Action 6.2.2 Continue conducting reviews of small business promotional events and campaigns to assess their impact and relevance to the businesses; consider modifying, ending, or beginning new initiatives based on the findings. Enhance ongoing engagement between the City of Dublin and the full diversity of local small businesses —including businesses specifically targeted to Dublin's fast-growing communities of Indian and Chinese descent —to understand opportunities to support businesses and to share available programs and marketing opportunities. Action 6.3.1 Conduct targeted outreach to businesses and business organizations focused on serving Dublin's Indian American and Chinese American communities to gather information about specific needs, concerns, and potential modifications to City services and explanatory materials. Implement updates to programs, processes, and written and online materials as needed. Strategy 6.4 As opportunities and funding arise, expand small business technical training resources. Action 6.4.1 Continue to provide and, if possible, expand the Small Business Navigator program, and other technical support programs. Action 6.4.2 Continue using the City's website to help connect local small businesses to Federal, State, and nonprofit programs and organizations that provide technical assistance. Action 6.4.3 Continue providing responsive small business assistance through activities such as direction to resources, local grant funding and low-cost loan opportunities, landlord outreach, and connections with real estate brokers and other regional partners. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 34 40 FIGURE 15: GOAL 6 - SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 6.1.1. Continue maintaining a "concierge" function to support businesses in navigating processes to obtain business licenses and to serve as an advocate and navigator for obtaining building and planning approvals. Ongoing Citywide Community Development Department, Public Works Department Continue providing business support 6.1.2. Prepare and conduct ongoing follow- up surveys with businesses that interact with the City of Dublin to obtain licenses, permits, and entitlements. Complete an annual review to identify recurring issues that can enhance clarity and efficiency of these processes. 1-2 years, then Ongoing Citywide Community Development Department, Public Works Department Conduct surveys, analyze data, and hold an annual review with staff 6.2.1. In addition to continuing to promote available City services to new businesses obtaining business licenses, establish and maintain a process and regular timeline for preparing and sending email blasts, social media promotions, and mailing of printed materials to all local business license holders. Through these contacts, promote City business support services, incentives, and relevant news. Ongoing Citywide Community Development Department, Communications Division Establish a press calendar for media and marketing materials to local businesses 6.2.2. Continue conducting reviews of small business promotional events and campaigns to assess their impact and relevance to the businesses; consider modifying, ending, or beginning new initiatives based on the findings. Ongoing Citywide Public Information Department Develop review criteria; complete annual review of small business promotional events 6.3.1. Conduct targeted outreach to businesses and business organizations focused on serving Dublin's Indian American and Chinese American communities to gather information about specific needs, concerns, and potential modifications to City services and explanatory materials. Implement updates to programs, processes, and written and online materials as needed. 2-3 years, then Ongoing Citywide Public Information Department Direct outreach to businesses; update programs, processes, materials, as needed 6.4.1. Continue to provide and, if possible, expand the Small Business Navigator program, and other technical support programs. Ongoing Citywide Communications Division, Information Systems Division Direct outreach to businesses on program availability City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 35 41 Action Item Time Frame Subarea Supporting Organization / Department Tasks for Implementation 6.4.2. Continue using the City's website to help connect local small businesses to Federal, State, and nonprofit programs and organizations that provide technical assistance. Ongoing Citywide Communications Division Keep data and resources current on webpage; bring awareness to resources, and increase online traffic 6.4.3. Continue providing responsive small business assistance through activities such Direct outreach to as direction to resources, local grant Local property small businesses funding and low-cost loan opportunities, Ongoing Citywide owners and real to provide landlord outreach, and connections with estate brokers assistance or real estate brokers and other regional direction partners. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 36 42 Goal 7: Workforce Opportunities Dublin's population is well educated overall, but 15 percent of residents hold a high school diploma or did not finish high school. Dublin also includes a concentration of jobs in industry sectors that typically offer relatively low pay and limited benefits —such as retail, food services, and personal services. Although the City of Dublin does not directly provide education, training, and workforce development services, the City has an opportunity to ensure these services are readily accessible for Dublin residents and workers. Dublin can also potentially enhance regional commute access for Dublin workers and residents by planning for ways to leverage improved accessibility created by the planned Valley Link Project rail service to the San Joquin Valley. The following Success Indicators will be used to track progress toward the "Workforce Opportunities" goal: • Milestones for implementation of existing and new workforce development partnerships. • Milestones for completion of the Valley Link project and related local commute access improvements. Strategy 7.1 Influence and leverage regional workforce and economic development organizations and initiatives to ensure workforce development, education, and vocational training services are available to Dublin residents and workers. Action 7.1.1 Maintain regular contact with and seek opportunities to connect and encourage collaboration between major employers, the Dublin Unified School District, Las Positas College, and Tri-Valley workforce development organizations. Use this process to enhance awareness of available training services and their graduates, encourage creation of internship and on-the- job training opportunities, and clarify the workforce training needs of Dublin's employers. Strategy 7.2 Leverage initiatives to expand and invest in transportation infrastructure that supports Dublin worker access. Action 7.2.1 Consider and incorporate new worker commute access opportunities in City planning and business attraction efforts, based on the Valley Link Project. Ensure new public projects and, when possible, private development projects support robust "last -mile" job access connections from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 37 43 FIGURE 16: GOAL 7 - WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX Action Item 7.1.1. Maintain regular contact with and seek opportunities to connect and encourage collaboration between major employers, the Dublin Unified School District, Las Positas College, and Tri-Valley workforce development organizations. Use this process to enhance awareness of available training services and their graduates, encourage creation of internship and on-the-job training opportunities, and clarify the workforce training needs of Dublin's employers. Time Frame Subarea Ongoing Supporting Organization / Department Dublin Unified School District, Las Positas College, Citywide Tri-Valley workforce development organizations Tasks for Implementation Conduct meetings with relevant workforce development organizations 7.2.1. Consider and incorporate new worker commute access opportunities in City planning and business attraction efforts, based on the Valley Link Project. Ensure new public projects and, when 3-5 years Citywide possible, private development projects support robust "last -mile" job access connections from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. Valley Link, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Tri-Valley Transit, Tri-Valley Transportation Council, Transportation, Community Development Department, Public Works Department Support the development of new worker access projects and opportunities City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 38 44 VII. ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS The following economic performance indicators are recommended for use by the Office of Economic Development to track and market economic conditions in the City of Dublin. These indicators gauge the health of the Dublin economy, but may be influenced by regional, national, or international conditions and therefore outside of the control of the City of Dublin. In contrast, the "Success Indicators" listed for each goal will be used to track progress toward achieving each goal. 1. New and Discontinued Business Licenses: Number of business licenses issued and discontinued annually for businesses located in Dublin, by location within the city. 2. Transient Occupancy Tax Revenue: Amount of annual transient occupancy tax revenue collected annually. 3. Building Permits: Number and value of commercial and industrial building permits issued by the City annually. 4. Sales Tax Revenue: Amount of citywide sales tax revenue collected annually. If this data can be reviewed on a business -by -business basis for retailers, sales trends can point to businesses that may be struggling, but that are not yet at risk of closure. Early intervention with coaching or other expertise may help the City retain these businesses. 5. Resident Employment and Unemployment Rate: Labor force, employment, and unemployment rate for Dublin's residents, updated monthly and annually based on California Employment Development Department data. 6. Jobs Count: Annual number of jobs located in Dublin and the Tri-Valley based on a consistent set of data sources such as Lightcast via the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer -Household Dynamics data, or, as available through custom request, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data via the California Employment Development Department. 7. Overall Real Estate Market Data: Summary of asking rents, vacancy rates, and absorption rates collected quarterly for Dublin's industrial and commercial buildings. City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 39 45 VIII. APPENDICES Appendix A. Technical Analysis Report Appendix B. Community Engagement Summary City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions 40 46 APPENDIX A: TECHNICAL ANALYSIS REPORT This appendix to the City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Actions report ("Economic Development Strategy") summarizes the existing conditions and dynamics of Dublin's economy to identify the City's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for sustaining future economic growth and prosperity. Strategic Economics completed technical analyses and community outreach to develop the findings of this appendix. The "Summary of SWOT Conclusions" section of the Economic Development Strategy summarized the key conclusions of these analyses. Those conclusions and the detailed findings described in this appendix informed development of the economic development strategies and implementation actions. Approach and Contents Strategic Economics completed a variety of data analyses to identify Dublin's competitive positioning, opportunities, and challenges. Strategic Economics and the City of Dublin also conducted outreach to local stakeholders to inform and complement the findings of the data analyses. Stakeholder engagement activities included online business and community surveys, seven focus groups, and interviews with members of the Dublin City Council. These engagement activities were described in detail in the Economic Development Strategy. This report is organized into the following sections: 1. Population and Workforce (page 3) 2. Key Industry Sectors and Jobs (page 11) 3. Office, Flex, and Light Industrial Real Estate Market Conditions (page 20) 4. Retail Performance (page 25) 5. Hotels and Tourism (page 30) The Technical Analysis Report references smaller geographies, or "subareas," within Dublin as shown in Figure 1. These subareas were created in consultation with City of Dublin staff to capture concentrations of business and jobs within Dublin and to better analyze and recommend actions for specific areas of the city. The analyses also often compared Dublin with other major Tri-Valley communities (Danville, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon), the Tri-Valley as a whole, and the East Bay (Contra Costa and Alameda Counties). Regional comparisons provide context for understanding Dublin's competitive positioning and assets, and to identify broader regional trends in the types of jobs and businesses that are growing or declining. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 1 47 FIGURE 1: REFERENCE MAP OF DUBLIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY SUBAREAS trif Q ®'t Subarea 3 Subarea 4 Subarea 5 Subarea 2 Subarea 1 Subareas in Dublin 1. Dublin Village Historic Area 8. Central Parkway (Office) (industrial and Once) 7. Dublin Corporate Center (Office and 2. Downtown Transit-Odented District Healthcare) 3. Downtown Retail District 8. 580 Corridor (Retail) 4. Downtown Village Parkway District 9. Fallon East Economic Development Zone 5. Sierra Trinity Business Park/ 10. Camp Parks and Governmental Facilities Dougherty Road Dublin Livermore Pleasanton � County Boundary Subarea Boundary Subarea 10 Subarea 6 4ubarea 7 F 1 f ,d1( , Subarea 8 2 4 Miles Subarea 9 Sources: City of Dublin, 2023: Esri, 2023: U.S. Census LEND, 2021: Strategic Economics_ 2024. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 2 48 1. Population and Workforce Dublin's population and workforce characteristics impact the community's economic opportunities in a variety of ways. The size and composition of the residential customer base impacts Dublin's ability to support different kinds of retail. The resident workforce affects Dublin's ability to grow jobs and economic activity through entrepreneurship and employer growth, retention, and attraction. Commute patterns clarify existing workforce transportation assets and potential gaps in matches between local jobs and resident skills. The Population and Workforce findings open with a discussion of key demographic and household trends that impact Dublin's competitive positioning for jobs and retail. These findings are followed by a comparison of Dublin's resident workforce versus local jobs and an assessment of resident and worker commute patterns. DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS The following findings describe the existing demographics of Dublin's population and households in terms of population, income, race and ethnicity. The findings are based on analysis of 2000, 2010, and 2020 data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Census, and 2021 data obtained from the Census's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Dublin is the fastest growing city in the Tri-Valley region and is now comparable in size to other major Tri-Valley communities. As shown in Figure 2, Dublin's population grew 136 percent from 2000 to 2021, with growth accelerating since 2010 and greatly exceeding all other Tri-Valley communities. Dublin's population of nearly 70,000 residents is now approaching the size of Livermore, San Ramon, and Pleasanton's populations —which ranged from 79,558 to 88,403 as of 2021. FIGURE 2: TOTAL POPULATION, 2000 TO 2021 Total Population 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 Dublin 69,818 30,066 2000 2010 2021 Livermore Pleasanton San Ramon tDanville Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000, 2010, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin has a diverse population compared to other major Tri-Valley communities, with a rapidly growing Asian population. Figure 3 illustrates Dublin's growing Asian population, which grew by over 1,000 percent from 2000 to 2021 according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Census and American Community Survey. As seen in Figure 4, Dublin's racial composition includes a higher share of People of Color than other major Tri-Valley communities, with Asian residents constituting 52 percent of the population, Hispanic or Latino residents constituting 10 percent, and Black residents constituting four percent (the highest share of Black residents of any Tri-Valley community). The retail Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 3 49 section of this report discusses potential opportunities associated with this expanding racial and ethnic diversity in Dublin. FIGURE 3: RACE IN DUBLIN, 2000, 2010, AND 2021 Total Population 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 s 2000 2010 2021 White Hispanic or Latino African American or Black Asian ■ Other Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000, 2010, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. FIGURE 4: RACIAL COMPOSITION OF TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES, 2021 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 52% 1 4% 15% 23% 1 2% 39% 2% 11% 48% 8% 15% 7% 1% ■ Other Asian 3% African American or Black 73% • Dublin Livermore Pleasanton San Ramon Danville Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. ✓ Hispanic or Latino ■ White Dublin's Asian population is itself diverse, consisting primarily of people of Indian, Chinese, and Filipino origin. The U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates that, as of 2021, 48 percent of Dublin's Asian residents were of Indian origin, 26 percent of Chinese origin, and nine percent of Filipino origin. In addition, as of 2021, nearly half of Dublin's residents report speaking a language other than English at home. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 4 50 FIGURE 5: ASIAN POPULATION BY ORIGIN IN DUBLIN, 2021 Two or More Other Origin Japanese, Origins, 2% Specified 1% Vietnamese, 3% Korean, 5% Filipino, 9% Chinese, Except Taiwanese, 26% Pakistani, 0. Taiwanese, 1% Asian Indian, 48% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin has a relatively high -income population, and Dublin's household income levels grew rapidly since 2010. Dublin's median household income of just over $185,000 as of 2021 was more than $65,000 higher than the East Bay as a whole. Dublin's median income is comparable to other Tri- Valley communities such as Pleasanton and San Ramon. In addition, Dublin's median income growth has outpaced all other major Tri-Valley communities. As seen in Figure 6, Dublin's inflation -adjusted median household income rose by 30 percent between 2010 and 2021, highest among all Tri-Valley communities during that time. FIGURE 6: MEDIAN INCOME OF TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES (CONSTANT 2022 DOLLARS), 2010 TO 2021 $200,000 $150,000 0 $100,000 $50,000 $0 $185,110 $142,098 1 i I $181,611 $151,300 $153,135 $123,495 Dublin Livermore $187,653 $196,151 $159,892 $160,469 Pleasanton San Ramon Danville ■ 2010 2021 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin's population is highly skilled and educated, comparable to Pleasanton and San Ramon. As shown in Figure 7, 68 percent of Dublin's population age 25 years or older has a bachelor's degree or higher level of education, up from 52 percent in 2010. The share of Dublin's population with a bachelor's degree or higher is comparable to Pleasanton and San Ramon, at 66 percent and 70 percent, respectively. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 5 51 FIGURE 7: DUBLIN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR POPULATION 25 YEARS AND OVER, 2010 TO 2021 60,000 • Doctorate Degree 50,000 c 40,000 0 30,000 a 0 a 20,000 10,000 2010 2021 Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2006-2010, 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. WORKFORCE • Professional School Degree Master's Degree ■ Bachelor's Degree ■ Some College High School Graduate (Includes Equivalency) The following findings describe characteristics of Dublin's workforce in terms of occupation and commuting patterns. In addition, Dublin's residents were compared to workers at jobs in Dublin to examine the match between the resident workforce versus the number and types of jobs located in the city. Occupational characteristics used for these analyses were based on 2021 data obtained through U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employer -Households Dynamics (LEHD) data. Educational attainment findings and commute patterns were based on 2000, 2010, and 2020 data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2021 data obtained from the American Community Survey (ACS), and 2021 LEHD data. It is important to note that the U.S. Census LEHD data differs from the Lightcast data used in the detailed economic analysis in the next section of this report. LEHD data provides a consistent data set for comparing the characteristics of workers at jobs versus residents who hold jobs, and for examining commute patterns. However, LEND data only describes relatively broad industry sectors and is not available for recent years; the data therefore cannot be used for detailed and timely economic analysis. The highest shares of workers at jobs in Dublin are employed in household -serving industries such as the Retail, Accommodation and Food Service, and Healthcare and Social Assistance industry sectors. As of 2021, 42 percent of Dublin's total workers at jobs in the city worked within these three industry sectors, as shown in Figure 8. The mix of jobs by industry in Dublin is significantly different from the types of jobs held by Dublin's residents, with a higher share of workers at jobs in Dublin concentrated in industries that tend to pay lower wages. Compared to the industries in which Dublin's residents work, the city includes a high share of retail and service jobs focused on serving the consumer needs of Dublin's large and fast- growing residential population. In 2021, LEHD data indicated that only seven percent of Dublin's employed residents worked in the Retail Trade industry, yet 18 percent of workers at jobs in the city were employed in Retail Trade. In addition, nearly 10 percent of workers at jobs in Dublin worked in the Accommodation and Food Services industry, compared to less than five percent of Dublin's employed residents. Jobs in the Retail Trade and Accommodation and Social Assistance industries Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 6 52 tend to include a relatively high share of lower wage jobs, increasing the likelihood that these workers will commute from relatively lower cost communities outside Dublin. A much higher share of Dublin's residents work in the Information and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (PSTS) industry sectors compared to workers at jobs in the city. As of 2021, nearly 29 percent of Dublin's employed residents worked in the PSTS and Information industry sectors, yet only eight percent of workers at jobs in Dublin were employed in those industry sectors. The PSTS and Information industry sectors include professional services, research and development, and technology businesses that tend to pay high salaries and have high educational attainment requirements — corresponding to Dublin's population and household characteristics. The limited share of such jobs in Dublin relative to the resident workforce suggests that a significant share of Dublin's residents commute to concentrations of these jobs outside Dublin itself —and that an opportunity may exist to grow industries that benefit from proximity to this highly skilled workforce. FIGURE 8: SHARE OF DUBLIN'S WORKERS AT JOBS IN THE CITY VERSUS WORKING RESIDENTS, BY INDUSTRY SECTOR, 2021 Retail Trade Health Care and Social Assistance Accommodation and Food Services Construction Educational Services Management of Companies and Enterprises Manufacturing Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Administration & Support, Waste... Other Services (excluding Public Administration) Wholesale Trade Information Finance and Insurance Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Transportation and Warehousing Public Administration Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Utilities Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% Workers Residents Note: LEHD data assigns government jobs to various industry sectors, whereas the Lightcast data described in the next section of this report groups "Government" jobs into a single category. Therefore, the "Public Administration" item in the chart above does not correspond to the Government jobs shown in the Lightcast data analyses. Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer -Household Dynamics, 2021; Strategic Economics, 2024. Employed residents of Dublin have higher educational attainment than workers at jobs in Dublin. As seen in Figure 9, the percent of employed residents in Dublin that hold a bachelor's degree or higher is 42 percent, compared to 28 percent of workers at jobs in Dublin. Note that the data does not track the share of workers with more advanced degrees, such as a master's or doctorate degree, as a separate category. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 7 53 FIGURE 9: EDUCATION ATTAINMENT OF DUBLIN'S WORKFORCE AND RESIDENTS, 2021 100% — 90% 28.20% • Bachelor's degree or advanced 80% degree 70% Some college or Associate degree 60% 23.10% 50% 21.20% High school or equivalent, no college 40% 30% 10.90% 13.40% Less than high school 0 ° 9.10% Not Available 10% 13.80% 15.10% 0% 22.70% Workers Employed in Dublin Working Residents of Dublin Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer —Household Dynamics, 2021; Strategic Economics, 2024. Dublin's mismatch between local jobs versus the types of jobs held by residents represents an ongoing evolution of Dublin from a relatively small and primarily residential Tri-Valley community to a now larger community with a substantial base of skilled resident workers. Dublin's concentration of household - serving jobs corresponds to the community's recent history as a fast-growing residential city with convenient access to other Tri-Valley and Bay Area employment destinations. As Dublin's population has grown, including a large share of highly educated professional workers, a new opportunity is emerging to enhance growth of businesses and jobs in the city that benefit from proximity to this residential workforce. Collaborations with Tri-Valley workforce development organizations can enhance the trained and skilled workforce available for Dublin employers and support career opportunities for workers in Dublin. Collaborations with education and workforce development partners can support the availability of trained workers for Dublin employers across all categories of skills and occupations. Workforce and education service providers can also create new career opportunities for workers in Dublin's large share of jobs in industries that typically pay relatively lower wages and have less job stability, such as retail, food service, and personal services. Examples of regional workforce development organizations include Tri-Valley Career Center, Las Positas College, and the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program. COMMUTE PATTERNS Dublin residents have long average commute times compared to the East Bay region overall. As seen in Figure 10, 25 percent of Dublin's resident workers aged 16 and older commute more than 60 minutes for work; 15 percent of workers in the East Bay commute for 60 minutes or longer. Figure 11 illustrates that nearly a quarter of Dublin residents commute to the region's largest concentrations of jobs in places like San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland —roughly the same share as workers who commute to Tri-Valley locations. Although the rate at which workers work from home is still evolving, data shows that a relatively high share of Dublin's residents were working from home in 2021 compared to the East Bay overall. In 2021, 22 percent of Dublin's employed residents worked from home versus 16 percent for workers in the East Bay overall. From 2014 to 2021, the share of Dublin's workers aged 16 and over who worked Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 8 54 from home nearly quadrupled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the share for workers in the East Bay overall grew by 2.5 times. The higher rate of working from home in Dublin is partly explained by the City's high share of residents in professional industries with occupations allowing work to be performed remotely. FIGURE 10: AVERAGE COMMUTE TIME FOR DUBLIN RESIDENTS 16 YEARS AND OLDER, 2014 TO 2021 Travel Time Worked At Home 90 or More Minutes 60 to 89 Minutes 40 to 59 Minutes 30 to 39 Minutes 20 to 29 Minutes 10 to 19 Minutes Less than 10 Minutes 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 Number of Workers Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2010-2014, 2017-20215 Year Estimates; Strategic Economics, 2023. FIGURE 11: TOP 15 EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS OF EMPLOYED RESIDENTS OF DUBLIN, 2021 Employment Destination (City) Employed Residents of Dublin Share of Total San Francisco 2,977 9.8% Pleasanton 2,623 8.7% San Jose 2,289 7.6% Dublin 1,751 5.8% Oakland 1,360 4.5% Fremont 1,326 4.4% Livermore 1,236 4.1% San Ramon 1,203 4.0% Sunnyvale 851 2.8% Santa Clara 822 2.7% Hayward 726 2.4% Mountain View 712 2.3% Palo Alto 669 2.2% San Leandro 585 1.9% Walnut Creek 573 1.9% Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer —Household Dynamics, 2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. 2021 2014 About 5.8 percent of Dublin's working residents both live and work in Dublin, which is lower than other major Tri-Valley communities. According to U.S. Census Bureau LEHD data, in 2021, a relatively lower share of people both lived and worked at their primary job in Dublin than in all other major Tri-Valley Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 9 55 communities. Dublin's share of the employed population who worked in the same community was much lower than communities like Livermore and Pleasanton, in which shares of 21.2 and 14.2 percent of employed residents also work at their primary jobs in those cities, respectively. With a net "export" of workers commuting in and out of Dublin, Dublin is a resident -rich city with more employed residents than jobs. As shown in Figure 12, Dublin's 0.79 ratio ofjobs to employed residents is lower than all major Tri-Valley communities except Danville. This means that more Dublin residents are commuting elsewhere to work than there are outside workers commuting to Dublin. The ratio reflects Dublin's history as a fast-growing residential community that is now positioned to accelerate growth of businesses and jobs. FIGURE 12: RATIO OF JOBS TO EMPLOYED RESIDENTS BY TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITY, 2021 0.79 1.69 1 1.22 • 1.02 Dublin Pleasanton Livermore San Ramon 0.61 J Danville Note: Data reflects all jobs located in each community versus a count of the "primary job" associated with each employed resident—i.e., the latter is a count of employed residents rather than a count of all the jobs those residents may hold. The data comes from U.S. Census LEHD and is therefore internally consistent, but the actual job counts will differ from data based on any other source —such as the Lightcast data used in the detailed industry sector analysis of this report. Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer -Household Dynamics, 2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin's ratio of jobs to households is slightly lower than the Tri-Valley area overall, but significantly higher than the East Bay. As shown in Figure 13, Dublin's ratio of jobs to households of 1.7 is slightly lower than the Tri-Valley's 1.8 ratio but significantly higher than the East Bay as a whole. Like the ratio of jobs to employed residents, the ratio of jobs to households provides context for understanding Dublin's relative balance of jobs and population. Both metrics can be used to broadly track progress over time in expanding jobs relative to Dublin's households and working residents. However, the ratio alone does not capture nuances of commute patterns or alignment of jobs with resident skills. For example, a commonly used criterion is that a healthy ratio of jobs to households is approximately 1.5, but this ratio does not capture comparative local context and nuance on its own. FIGURE 13: RATIO OF JOBS TO HOUSEHOLDS BY DUBLIN, TRI-VALLEY, AND EAST BAY, 2021 Total Jobs Total Households Ratio of Jobs to Households Dublin 38,960 22,946 1.70 Tri-Valley 228,144 127,097 1.80 East Bay 1,260,812 986,789 1.28 Note: Tri-Valley total household data reflects the sum of total households in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 ACS data for Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon, and Danville. The Lightcast employment count for Dublin covers ZIP code 94568. The job counts shown in this figure are based on Lightcast data, which differs from the LEHD data used to calculate the ratio ofjobs to employed residents. Source: Lightcast Q3 2023 Data Set; U.S. Census Bureau 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2024. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 10 56 2. Key Industry Sectors and Jobs The "Key Industry Sectors and Jobs" findings describe the composition and performance of Dublin's economy —along with other relevant challenges and assets for growing jobs and businesses —to identify competitive strengths and opportunities. The findings are based on analyses of jobs by industry sector, venture capital investment patterns, and qualitative input from local Dublin business and industry stakeholders. The industry and sub -industry sectors described throughout this chapter conform to the North American Industry Classification System, commonly referred to as "NAICS." NAICS is a standardized set of industry and sub -industry classifications, each of which is assigned a NAICS code ranging from high-level 2-digit industry codes to more detailed 6-digit industry codes. The analysis of jobs by industry sector was based on 2023 data obtained from Lightcast for the 2-digit and 6-digit NAICS code levels. Venture capital investment data for 2023 was obtained through Pitchbook via the City of Dublin. As part of the process to identify industries that are concentrated in Dublin, Strategic Economics employed a metric known as the "location quotient." This metric calculated the relative concentration of jobs in a given industry in Dublin compared to the Tri-Valley region. Strategic Economics also performed a detailed evaluation of opportunities for expanding life science and innovation -oriented industries in Dublin, as requested by the City of Dublin. WHAT IS A LOCATION QUOTIENT? A location quotient (LQ) is a metric used to understand the relative concentration of an industry in a study area (in this case, Dublin), compared to a reference geography (in this case, the Tri-Valley). LQs are used to assess an area's specialization, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth within a broader region. The LQ of a given industry A in Dublin, compared to the Tri-Valley, is calculated using the following formula: LQ for Industry A = (Jobs in Industry A in the TriValley/(Total Jobs in TriValley) (Jobs in Industry A in Dublin)/(Total Jobs in Dublin) LQs were interpreted using the rules of thumb below. Note that these vary based on the aggregation level of the industry and the size of the study area and reference geography. • LQ > 1.15 indicates a generally high concentration relative to the reference geography; • LQ between 0.85 and 1.15 indicates a normal or average distribution of that industry compared to the reference geography; • LQ < 0.85 indicates a relatively low concentration relative to the reference geography. INDUSTRY COMPOSITION AND TRENDS, BY NUMBER OF JOBS The following findings provide a foundation for understanding which industry sectors support large shares of Dublin's jobs and create opportunities to sustain their presence, and which industry sectors are positioned for growth regardless of their current size. The findings describe the composition and evolution of Dublin's economy based on analyses of jobs by industry sector and job growth by sector Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 11 57 between 2016 and 2023. A more detailed analysis of industry opportunities follows in the next section of this report, based on consideration of broader economic trends and Dublin's competitive assets for businesses. As of the third quarter of 2023, Dublin had an estimated 40,820 jobs, with job growth similar to that of the Tri-Valley in the period since 2016. Jobs grew by 6.4 percent in Dublin since 2016, from 38,377 in 2016 to 40,821 jobs in 2023, as shown in Figure 14. This slightly outpaces the 5.8 percent job growth in the Tri-Valley overall during that period. These similar growth rates indicate that Dublin is keeping pace with job growth in the Tri-Valley area over the long term. FIGURE 14: DUBLIN AND TRI -VALLEY TOTAL JOBS, 2016 TO 2023 Number of Jobs 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Dublin Tri-Valley 38,377 41,259 40,821 2016 2019 2023 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 229,563 241,183 242,919 2016 2019 2023 Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2016, 2019, and 2023 Data Set; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin's largest industry sectors primarily consist of Government jobs and household -serving industries, though the city's economy does include a variety of professional services, research and development, manufacturing, and technology industries and businesses. Figure 15 shows Dublin's industries by number of jobs, while Figure 16 compares industry composition to the Tri-Valley and East Bay. Growth trends from 2016 to 2023 are summarized in Figure 17. Major industry sectors or groupings of industry sectors are profiled below. Government. Government jobs constitute Dublin's largest share of employment, accounting for over 22 percent of total jobs as of 2023. This large share of jobs in the city is attributable to local government jobs (including the local school district) and the presence of facilities in Dublin such as Santa Rita Jail, Alameda County Superior Court, Parks Reserve Forces Training Area ("Camp Parks"), and other county and federal facilities. The number and share of Government jobs slightly decreased in Dublin between 2016 and 2023. During the same period, the share of Government jobs grew at a rate of over 20 percent in the Tri-Valley region. These Government jobs provide employment opportunities for residents and attract workers and visitors to Dublin that support consumer spending. Healthcare and Social Assistance. This primarily household -serving industry sector is Dublin's second largest, accounting for 12 percent of total jobs as of 2023. Since 2016, the total share of Healthcare and Social Assistance jobs grew by 103 percent, greatly exceeding the Tri-Valley's 27 percent increase in these jobs during the same period. Examples of these jobs include hospitals, medical offices, home health aides, medical diagnostic labs, assisted living facilities, and individual and family service and relief organizations. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 12 58 Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade. These two primarily household -serving industry sectors —which include restaurants, retail stores, and hotels —combined to constitute 20 percent of Dublin's total jobs in 2023. Jobs in these sectors declined or grew slowly between 2016 and 2023—particularly for retail jobs. Dublin's jobs in Retail Trade declined by 21 percent, compared to a 14 percent decline in the Tri-Valley. Dublin's Accommodation and Food Services jobs grew by five percent, although this growth outpaced flat growth in the Tri-Valley overall. Food Services employment is likely to continue outpacing growth in Retail Trade, since restaurants are an "experiential" activity that cannot be replicated through online sales. Other Services. The Other Services industry sector is another primarily household -serving industry sector that includes many types of businesses that are also located in commercial and light industrial areas, including a variety of personal services such as salons, dry cleaners, and automobile repair. The industry sector also includes some categories of nonprofit organizations and domestic workers. Other Services was Dublin's fifth largest industry sector in 2023, constituting eight percent of jobs. The sector grew slowly between 2016 and 2023, with one percent growth in Dublin and five percent growth in the Tri-Valley. However, this growth may have been constrained by the COVID-19 pandemic. As with Food Services, jobs at personal services businesses are generally positioned for ongoing growth relative to Retail Trade. Besides Government jobs and jobs in primarily household -serving industries, Dublin's economy includes a mix of jobs in a variety of individually smaller industry sectors representing professional services, corporate headquarters, technology, and innovation -oriented industry sectors. The PSTS, Information, Finance and Insurance, and Real Estate industry sectors collectively constituted 11 percent ofjobs in Dublin in 2023, versus 25 percent ofjobs in the Tri-Valley. These industry sectors include businesses such as professional services (attorneys, real estate brokers), software companies, and scientific research and development. Jobs in the Management of Companies and Enterprises sector constituted another five percent of employment in Dublin, with the Ross Stores corporate headquarters likely accounting for most of these jobs. Dublin's Information and Management of Companies and Enterprises jobs grew at a much faster pace than the Tri-Valley from 2016 to 2023, and Finance and Insurance jobs also grew in Dublin while declining in the Tri-Valley (see Figure 17). However, PSTS jobs and Real Estate jobs declined in Dublin despite growth in the Tri-Valley. Manufacturing, Transportation and Warehousing, and Wholesale Trade jobs —which are largely associated with industrial land uses —constitute a relatively small share of Dublin's jobs. Jobs in these industry sectors constituted six percent of Dublin's jobs in 2023, versus 11 percent in the Tri-Valley.1 Transportation and Warehousing and Manufacturing jobs grew in Dublin from 2016 to 2023, though growth rates slightly lagged these industries in the Tri-Valley overall. Dublin has long included a presence of advanced manufacturing jobs, such as at the former Hexcel facility, the current Zeiss Innovation Center, and smaller employers such as Kensington Laboratories (a wafer robotics manufacturer). These jobs serve to diversify the Dublin economy, despite their small overall share of Dublin's economy. Construction industry sector jobs are also associated with industrial uses. Lightcast data shows that these jobs constituted Dublin's sixth largest industry sector in 2023. However, such jobs are often not actually located in the area indicated by data either because workers are at job site elsewhere or located temporarily in a given community for specific projects. This mismatch and ambiguity also occur with many jobs in the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation industry sector, which includes many temp agency jobs. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 13 59 FIGURE 15: DUBLIN TOTAL JOBS BY SECTOR, 2023 Government Health Care and Social Assistance Accommodation and Food Retail Trade Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) Construction Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Management of Companies and Enterprises Administrative & Support, Waste Management and... Manufacturing Information Finance and Insurance I• Educational Services Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Wholesale Trade I= Transportation and Warehousing Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Other Industries ■ 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,00010,000 TOTAL JOBS Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. FIGURE 16: SHARE OF JOBS BY INDUSTRY SECTOR AND LOCATION, 2023 Government Health Care and Social Assistance Accommodation and Food Retail Trade Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) Construction Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Management of Companies and Enterprises Administrative & Support, Waste Management and... Manufacturing Information Finance and Insurance Educational Services Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Wholesale Trade Transportation and Warehousing Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Other Industries ME- 1 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Share of Jobs by Location Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. • Dublin ■ Tri-Valley • East Bay Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 14 60 FIGURE 17: INDUSTRY GROWTH IN DUBLIN AND THE TRI-VALLEY, 2016 TO 2023 Information Health Care and Social Assistance Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Administrative & Support, Waste Management... Management of Companies and Enterprises Transportation and Warehousing Educational Services Finance and Insurance Manufacturing All Jobs Accommodation and Food Construction Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) Government Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Retail Trade Wholesale Trade Other Industries ■ m- ■ Z 7 -100% -50% 0% 50% 100% 150% Job Growth, 2016-2023 Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2016 and 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. ECONOMIC ASSETS AND INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES • Dublin • Tri-Valley The following findings identify Dublin's major opportunities for future industry growth. These opportunities informed the preparation of economic development strategies that support these industries while also ensuring a generally attractive business environment for all potential businesses. The findings describe factors used to identify different industry opportunities. Examples include industry size, concentration, trends favoring future growth of the industry, venture capital investment patterns, compatibility with Dublin and the Tri-Valley's workforces, links to existing large employers in Dublin or the Tri-Valley, and potential opportunities associated with Tri-Valley institutions. Dublin is likely to maintain its large and concentrated presence of household -serving industry sectors, given the larger local population, ongoing local population growth, and the city's accessible location along 1-580 for regional consumer access. Household -serving industry sectors are heavily concentrated in Dublin. As shown in Figure 18, Other Services, Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade, and Health Care and Social Assistance are all more heavily concentrated in Dublin than the Tri-Valley or East Bay. Potential job growth in these sectors will be linked to household consumption, population growth, and trends favoring services and dining as retail sales increasingly shift to online shopping. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) also projects that Accommodation and Food Service jobs will grow by 47 percent in the East Bay from 2020 to 2030, as shown in Figure 19. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 15 61 Dublin's concentration of professional services, technology, advanced manufacturing, and research and development jobs is relatively limited today, but the city does include a significant existing base of these jobs. As shown in Figure 18, Dublin includes a relatively low concentration of jobs in the Manufacturing, Finance and Insurance, Real Estate, Information, and PSTS industry sectors compared to the Tri-Valley and, for most sectors, the East Bay. However, the city already includes a base of jobs in these sectors (as described earlier) and several major employers representing these sectors or activities such as Patelco Credit Union, TriNet, and Zeiss Meditec. PSTS jobs are projected to grow significantly by 2030 in the East Bay, along with lower but significant growth for Manufacturing and Information jobs. As shown in Figure 19, as of May 2023 the California EDD projected that PSTS jobs will constitute the fourth fastest growing industry sector in the East Bay between 2020 and 2030. Projected growth rates are lower for Manufacturing and Information jobs, but positive growth is anticipated for both industry sectors. Dublin is well positioned to expand its base of professional services (such as attorneys, accountants, and finance), technology, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and other innovation -oriented businesses given the City's existing business, population, location, and infrastructure assets within the Tri-Valley. Based on the economic assessment and input from local and regional business stakeholders, these assets include: • The highly educated workforce in Dublin and the Tri-Valley (as described earlier), along with local workforce training and education assets such as Las Positas College. • Regional access to a diverse workforce, including diverse occupations and skills from within the Tri-Valley and surrounding areas. • Transportation infrastructure assets, including BART for commuters, I-580 for commuters and goods movement needs, and future connections via the Valley Link Project that will create a passenger rail connection to Northern San Joaquin Valley. • Regional research and development institutional anchors such as the Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. • Regional startup and business support initiatives such as i-Gate's support for startups. • A large and competitive existing base of these jobs in the Tri-Valley: Figure 16 indicates that the Tri-Valley's economy includes a relatively high share of jobs in the PSTS, Information, Finance and Insurance, and Real Estate industry sectors compared to the East Bay as a whole. These industry sectors also grew recently in the Tri-Valley, as shown in Figure 17. Venture capital investments in Dublin -based companies indicate the city's potential to grow businesses and jobs related to Al and software. Dublin is especially well positioned to expand jobs in the computer technology and software industry, leveraging growth of artificial intelligence (Al). In addition to Dublin's rapid growth of Information jobs from 2016 to 2023, these jobs are also highly concentrated in the city compared to the East Bay (Figure 18). Dublin has seen considerable venture capital investment in computer -related technology startups based in Dublin since 2018. Figure 20 and Figure 21 illustrate venture capital deals by industry sector and deal size for startups based in Dublin. Over 72 percent of venture capital deals in Dublin were for startups based in the information technology industry. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 16 62 FIGURE 18: RELATIVE CONCENTRATION OF INDUSTRY SECTORS FOR DUBLIN VERSUS THE TRI-VALLEY AND EAST BAY, 2023 (EXPRESSED AS A LOCATION QUOTIENT) Government Management of Companies and Enterprises Other Services (Excluding Public Administration) Accommodation and Food Services Retail Trade Health Care and Social Assistance Construction Educational Services Other Industries Administrative & Support, Waste Management and... Manufacturing Finance and Insurance Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Transportation and Warehousing Information Wholesale Trade Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 0.00 1.00 2.00 Location Quotient (Equal Concentration of Industry Sector at 1.0) 3.00 • Dublin vs. Tri-Valley • Dublin vs. East Bay Note: As described earlier in this report, a location quotient of 1.0 indicates equal concentration of an industry sector in Dublin versus the comparison geography. Location quotients above 1.0 indicate the extent to which an industry sector is more heavily concentrated in Dublin versus the comparison geography. Source: Lightcast Employment Q3 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. FIGURE 19: PROJECTED JOB GROWTH BY MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTOR, EAST BAY, 2020 TO 2030 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Accommodation and Food Services Transportation and Warehousing Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Educational Services (Private) Health Care and Social Assistance Administrative and Support and Waste Management... Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Construction Wholesale Trade Manufacturing Retail Trade Information Management of Companies and Enterprises Finance and Insurance Government Other Services All Jobs 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Percent Change in East Bay Jobs, 2020 to 2030 Source: California Employment Development Department, 2020-2030 Industry Employment Projections, Oakland -Hayward -Berkeley MD, May 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 17 63 FIGURE 20: DUBLIN VENTURE CAPITAL DEALS BY CATEGORY, 2018 TO 2023 Industry Sector Venture Capital Deals Information Technology Consumer Products and Services (B2C) Financial Services Healthcare Energy 33 5 2 4 Total 45 Source: Pitchbook, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. FIGURE 21: DUBLIN VENTURE CAPITAL DEAL SIZE, 2018 TO 2023 Category Venture Capital Invested (Millions of Dollars) Commercial Services 0 Communications and Networking 3 Computer Hardware 306.2 Consumer Durables 0 Consumer Non -Durables 0.25 Energy Equipment 0.08 Healthcare Technology Systems 45 IT Services 2.41 Other Financial Services 51.2 Retail 38.36 Semiconductors 20.09 Services (Non -Financial) 0.01 Software 27 Total 493.6 Source: Pitchbook, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. The biomedical industry's presence is relatively limited in Dublin today, but a cluster of these businesses exist within the Tri-Valley area. The City of Dublin requested targeted analysis of life science industry opportunities. As defined by the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EDA), the broader biomedical industry includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical equipment, genomics, and digital healthcare.2 Zeiss Meditec, a maker of optical medical equipment, is Dublin's largest biomedical industry employer. A few smaller biomedical businesses also exist in the City, such as the medical equipment company Azure Biosystems. However, recent mapping by the East Bay EDA shows that Dublin can build upon its location within an already thriving biomedical business cluster, with Pleasanton already home to a large number of biomedical businesses.3 2 https://www.resilienteastbay.org/industry-biomedical/ 3 https://www.resilienteastbay.org/map/ Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 18 64 Dublin is positioned to expand its presence of businesses in the biomedical industry —and especially medical devices and equipment —based on the industry's long term regional growth potential and Dublin's competitive assets. Dublin is positioned to grow biomedical businesses and jobs based on the skilled and diverse workforce of the Tri-Valley, existing base of biomedical industry businesses in the Tri-Valley, and opportunities for development of new facilities in Dublin such as the Downtown Commons project and at the Fallon East Economic Development Zone. However, the Tri-Valley is relatively distant from the Bay Area's largest concentrations of pharmaceutical and biotechnology research in South San Francisco and Emeryville. As a result, Dublin is likely best positioned to compete for other aspects of the biomedical industry such as medical equipment/devices, genomics, and digital healthcare. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 19 65 3. Office, Flex, and Light Industrial Real Estate Market Conditions The performance of commercial real estate in the City of Dublin reflects the community's ability to retain and expand different kinds of businesses. Rental rates, vacancy rates, and development activity are indicators of market demand and growth in the city. This report section provides a market assessment of office, flex/R&D, and light industrial land uses in the City of Dublin. The findings are based on real estate market data obtained from real estate data service CoStar Group (CoStar), interviews with local brokers and developers, and focus group meetings and interviews with industry stakeholders. OFFICE, FLEX, AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL Dublin includes a relatively small share of the Tri-Valley's non-residential building inventory. As shown, in Figure 22, Dublin has fewer square feet of non-residential building inventory compared to other Tri- Valley cities. Dublin constitutes 13 percent of the total square feet of industrial, office, and flex space within Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, and San Ramon combined. FIGURE 22: TRI-VALLEY CURRENT INVENTORY BY SQUARE FEET, 2023 20,000,000 15,000,000 m 2-2 10,000,000 ') 5,000,000 0 Dublin Source: Costar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Pleasanton Livermore San Ramon Danville Industrial Office Flex Dublin's nonresidential building inventory primarily consists of retail and office uses. As shown in Figure 23, retail uses constitute 44 percent of Dublin's nonresidential building inventory, in square feet. Office uses constitute 29 percent of space, while flex and industrial uses constitute 15 and 12 percent of space, respectively. FIGURE 23: DUBLIN EXISTING INVENTORY BY BUILDING TYPE, 2023 (SQUARE FEET) Flex 15% Retail 44% Office 29% Industrial 12% Sources: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 20 66 The "Sierra Trinity Business Park/Dougherty Road" subarea includes most of Dublin's light industrial and flex spaces. Figure 24 shows that the Dougherty Road subarea accounts for 59 percent of Dublin's flex space inventory and 78 percent of Dublin's light industrial inventory. FIGURE 24: DUBLIN INVENTORY SHARE BY SUBAREA, 2023 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 26% Flex Industrial Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. 21% 35% 8% Office 30% Retail ■ Dublin Corporate Center ■ Dublin Village Historic Area ■ Downtown Village Parkway District ■ Downtown Transit -Oriented District ■ Downtown Retail District ■ Sierra Trinity Business Park/Dougherty Road ■ Central Parkway ■ Camp Parks and Governmental Facilities ■ 580 Corridor Dublin's office rents lag those of many other Tri-Valley communities, while industrial rents are comparable to other communities. As shown in Figure 24, Dublin's office rents slightly lag those of San Ramon, Pleasanton, and Danville. As shown in Figure 25, however, Dublin's industrial rents match those of Pleasanton and San Ramon. Historically, Dublin was a relatively low-cost office location within the Tri-Valley, but rents are now approaching those of other Tri-Valley communities. As shown in Figure 25, Dublin commanded lower average office rents since 2019 compared to San Ramon, Pleasanton, and Danville. Dublin's rents have recovered in recent years, however. FIGURE 25: DUBLIN AVERAGE OFFICE RENT PER SQUARE FOOT, 2012 TO 2023 $45.00 $40.00 $35.00 $30.00 Annual Rent Per Sq. Ft. $25.00 $20.00 $15.00 $10.00 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: Rents shown on a full service gross basis. Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. San Ramon - Pleasanton Danville - Dublin Livermore Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 21 67 FIGURE 26: DUBLIN AVERAGE INDUSTRIAL RENT PER SQUARE FOOT, 2012 TO 2023 Annual Rent Per Sq. Ft. $50.00 $40.00 $30.00 $20.00 $10.00 $0.00 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: Rents include all service types. Note: CoStar provides no industrial building data for Danville. Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin Pleasanton Livermore San Ramon Dublin's office vacancy rates have remained competitive with San Ramon and Pleasanton during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Dublin benefitting from a stable mix of business headquarters, major regional offices, and health care services. As shown in Figure 27, Dublin's 14.6 percent vacancy rate in late 2023 slightly exceeded Pleasanton and was lower than San Ramon. Although Dublin's office vacancy rate was historically higher than San Ramon and Pleasanton, the COVID-19 pandemic and adoption of widespread work from home policies has not created an outsized impact on vacancies within Dublin's small inventory of office space. Strong demand exists for Dublin's existing industrial spaces. Despite limited overall inventory, Dublin's industrial space is in high demand for service, distribution, and recreation tenants. Based on CoStar real estate data, the city's industrial vacancy rate was below one percent between 2018 and 2022. Dublin's industrial vacancy rate has remained lower than other Tri-Valley communities for much of the last decade. Dublin's vacancy rate did significantly increase in 2023 due to the closure of the Hexcel facility, which the new property owner plans to redevelop. FIGURE 27: OFFICE VACANCY RATES FOR TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES, 2012 TO 2023 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Source: Costar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. San Ramon Dublin Livermore Pleasanton Danville Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 22 68 FIGURE 28: INDUSTRIAL VACANCY RATES FOR TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES, 2012 TO 2023 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Note: Increased vacancy in 2023 was driven by closure of the Hexcel facility. Note: CoStar provides no industrial building data for Danville. Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin San Ramon Livermore Pleasanton Little new office, flex, and industrial development occurred in Dublin during the past decade. As shown in Figure 29, Dublin's inventory of office, industrial, and flex spaces was nearly flat in the past decade and beyond, while retail inventory grew over time to serve the city's growing population. The only significant additions to Dublin's office and industrial inventory included a Kaiser medical office building in 2019 and the Zeiss Innovation Center (classified as a flex/R&D building) in 2021. FIGURE 29: DUBLIN BUILDING INVENTORY IN SQUARE FEET, 2006 TO 2023 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 a) 2,500,000 cn 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 0 A 4, 0 o <o A icb 0 o 1' o0o0odOr" or" oyoyo�ol.yoti (1�( Source: CoStar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Retail Office Industrial Flex Dublin's office, flex, and light industrial building inventory is relatively small and becoming dated as little new development activity occurs. Limited development activity in Dublin has resulted in an aging building stock. Local stakeholders interviewed for the Economic Development Strategy noted the need for modernized office, light industrial/flex, and R&D space that offers the chance for businesses to locate and expand in Dublin. The relatively slow pace of office development activity is partly due to the relatively low achievable rents in Dublin and other Tri-Valley communities compared to some other Bay Area locations. Tri- Valley communities command relatively lower rents for office space compared to other regional locations; for example, as of September 2024, CoStar reported that Dublin's asking rent per square foot for office space was 29 percent lower than Downtown Oakland. Commercial, flex, and light industrial development is currently constrained throughout much of the Bay Area due to broader construction cost challenges and lower achievable rents within the Tri-Valley area. New office, flex, and light industrial space is more likely to be built in Dublin when demand rises Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 23 69 to a level such that a large business seeks a new build -to -suit space, or when achievable rents and other development conditions improve in Dublin and across the Bay Area. Speculative office and life science development is currently constrained throughout the Bay Area due to recent increases in labor and materials costs, increased financing costs, and limited access to capital. These broader development challenges create a need and opportunity to support further build -to -suit and speculative development in Dublin through City efforts to expand and enhance business growth. Dublin's economic development efforts have contributed in recent years to the construction of the Zeiss Innovation Center and proposed development of the Dublin Commons project. Despite strong demand for Dublin's limited existing flex and light industrial space, competition from recreation and other household -serving uses creates a need to consider potential preservation of these spaces for industrial uses and to pursue new development. The important reservoir of flex and light industrial space for construction, manufacturing, repair and maintenance uses in the Sierra Trinity Business Park / Dougherty Road area of Dublin is also experiencing strong demand from recreation and fitness tenants. This competition for space creates a need to examine the appropriate balance of uses to ensure production, distribution, and repair services and businesses are still accommodated in Dublin. This may occur through protecting existing flex and light industrial space and/or supporting development of new space. If existing spaces are preserved for traditional industrial uses, then it will also be important to ensure recreational and fitness businesses are accommodated elsewhere in Dublin. Dublin's remaining greenfield development sites are major opportunities to attract large-scale, modern office, R&D, and manufacturing uses, but each site requires unique infrastructure or other development support. Dublin's "greenfield" commercial and light industrial opportunity sites consist of previously undeveloped properties at the Fallon East Economic Development Zone, Dublin Centre Project, and near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station. This collection of greenfield sites is an asset that Dublin can use to attract new innovation -oriented businesses and, in the case of Dublin Centre, create a modern mixed -use community gathering space. The City is already working to address the major infrastructure needs at the Fallon East Economic Development Zone, and proactively engaging developers at the other major greenfield sites. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 24 70 4. Retail Performance The following findings describe Dublin's retail real estate inventory, retail sales performance, and interviews with local retail brokers, businesses, and property owners. Sales tax revenue data was obtained from HdL and the City of Dublin for 2017 to 2022. Sales tax revenue was analyzed at both the city and subarea level. Taxable sales data —which allowed for comparison between cities —was obtained from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDFTA) for 2018 to 2022 for the Tri-Valley region. Worker flow data was obtained from U.S. Census Bureau's Longitudinal Employer -Household Dynamics (LEND) tool for 2021. RETAIL REAL ESTATE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS Dublin's retail inventory is large, diverse, and desirable for a wide range of tenants. Dublin has approximately four million square feet of retail space, including a variety of regional and local shopping centers —as shown in Figure 30—and large automobile dealerships along 1-580. The inventory includes large regional destinations like Hacienda Crossings, and other centers and "big box" power centers that draw customers from larger trade areas such as the collection of Downtown Dublin's retail or Fallon Gateway. Dublin also includes a variety of smaller grocery -anchored centers that serve local residential trade areas such as Shops at Waterford and Persimmon Place. FIGURE 30: DUBLIN SHOPPING CENTERS canvo„ ��a San Ramon Golf Club 0 San Ramon Village . c/ 0 6 o� � ° ° °no O• rat Camp Parks Military Reservation Komandorski Village Dougherty 260,001 - 580,000 580,001 - 875,000 °Greater than 875,000 Dublin Livermore Pleasanton a S• Oo ° °~ n • • _0 0 O 0 ... a• 11y1 • v O Fairlands Park o r s O 0 2O v. Shopping Centers in the Dublin Area Center Square Feet Center Type 0 167,000 - 260,000 0 • Community Center • Lifestyle Center O Neighborhood Center O Outlet Center O Power Center O Strip Center • Super Regional Mall 0 • n p Pleasanton Sports Park a ° 0 0.38 0.75 1.5 Mil®s Black Ave a 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Sources:b oStar, 2023; Esri, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. co 0 O° ° ° L Source: CoStar, 2023; Esri, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2023. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 25 71 Dublin's shopping centers benefit from access and visibility via 1-580 and 1-680 and, for centers serving a local trade area, via Dublin Boulevard. Figure 30 shows that Dublin's shopping centers are arranged along these major transportation corridors. Retail development and growth has occurred in conjunction with Dublin's population growth. As noted earlier and shown in Figure 29, retail development has continuously occurred as Dublin's population grew. This includes more recent development activity in the eastern portion of Dublin as housing was added to those areas of the city. Dublin's low retail vacancy rates and competitive rents indicate continued strong demand for retail space. As shown in Figure 31, in 2023 Dublin's approximately four percent vacancy rate was lower than any time since 2018. In recent years, Dublin's retail vacancy rate has fallen below other Tri-Valley communities, emphasizing the high demand for retail space in Dublin. As seen in Figure 32, Dublin's retail areas achieve relatively high rents compared to other Tri-Valley communities. FIGURE 31: TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES RETAIL VACANCY RATE, 2012 TO 2023 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Source: Costar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024. FIGURE 32: TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES RETAIL RENT PER SQUARE FOOT (NNN), 2012 TO 2023 Average Annual Rent Per Sq. Ft. $ 50.00 $45.00 $40.00 $35.00 $30.00 $25.00 $ 20.00 $15.00 $10.00 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Source: Costar, 2023; Strategic Economics, 2024. Pleasanton Danville San Ramon Dublin Livermore Danville Dublin Pleasanton Livermore San Ramon Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 26 72 RETAIL PERFORMANCE AND OPPORTUNITIES Dublin is a major regional and local retail destination —especially for automobile dealerships, and restaurants. Comparison of taxable sales per capita (i.e., sales relative to the local resident population) between Tri-Valley communities demonstrates the extent to which a given community may be attracting customers and sales beyond spending by local residents. As shown in Figure 33, Dublin's 2022 taxable sales per capita exceeded all other Tri-Valley communities for Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers and only slightly lagged Pleasanton for Food Services and Drinking Places. FIGURE 33: TAXABLE SALES PER CAPITA BY BUSINESS TYPE, 2022 $9,000 $8,000 $7,000 $ 6, 000 $ 5, 000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $0 Pleasanton San Ramon c n0 o E J Pleasanton San Ramon Pleasanton San Ramon P & Pleasanton Clothing and Clothing Food Services and Gasoline Stations General Merchandise Motor Vehicle and Accessories Stores Drinking Places Stores Parts Dealers Source: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, 2018-2022; Strategic Economics, 2023. San Ramon Automobile dealerships and automobile -related businesses generated over 40 percent of Dublin's sales tax revenue in 2022 the City's largest category of sales tax revenue. As shown in Figure 34, Dublin's next largest categories of sales tax revenue are general consumer goods, business to business sales, and restaurants and hotels. Dublin's sales tax revenues recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with growth driven by automobile - related sales and, to a lesser extent, a variety of other industry categories. As shown in Figure 34, sales tax revenues across most "Major Industry Groups" have recovered since 2020. Sales growth was primarily driven by the "Autos and Transportation" category. Retail sales tax revenue in Dublin is driven by large shopping centers along the 1-580 corridor and in Downtown Dublin, as well as automobile dealerships. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 27 73 FIGURE 34: DUBLIN SALES TAX REVENUE BY MAJOR INDUSTRY GROUPS, 2017 TO 2022 (NOMINAL DOLLARS) $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Autos & Transportation Restaurants & Hotels Food & Drugs General Consumer Goods Building & Construction Business & Industry Fuel & Service Stations Note: Sales tax revenue from the "county pool" is not shown. That revenue category reflects e-commerce related sales tax collections. Note: The "Business and Industry" category primarily consists of business to business sales, and is therefore not attributable to retail businesses. Source: HdL, 2022; City of Dublin, 2022; Strategic Economics, 2024. Dublin's retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities will continually evolve in response to growing e-commerce sales and the evolution of bricks -and -mortar retail. As more sales shift online —particularly for undifferentiated "commodity" goods —Dublin should anticipate that the tenant mix within physical storefront spaces will continue to shift toward a greater emphasis on dining, entertainment, personal and medical services, food/grocery, and unique "boutique" retail. Based on subarea sales tax data provided by the City of Dublin, these trends are apparent in Dublin's sales tax data for 2022 to 2023. This data indicates increasing sales in the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan area but declines among "big box" power centers that typically sell many goods readily available online. The shift away from commodity goods retail toward boutique retail and services creates challenges for Dublin's larger "big box" shopping centers and spaces. These trends especially create challenges for large-scale shopping centers like Hacienda Crossings. Demand for different types of spaces continues to evolve, and there is currently relatively lower demand for big -box retail spaces than in the past. Broader retail trends make it increasingly difficult to fill large vacant retail space, and it is often expensive or impractical to split these spaces for use by more than one retailer. Dublin's retail spaces primarily consist of traditional automobile -oriented shopping centers and commercial corridors; the city lacks amenity -rich community gathering destinations, although opportunities exist in Downtown Dublin and Dublin Centre. Despite Dublin's strong quality of life and desirable climate, safety, and location, residents and businesses continue to note the city's lack of a vibrant community gathering space with pedestrian accessibility. Current public -private efforts are underway to develop such a place in Downtown Dublin with the Dublin Commons project, and the Dublin Centre project is also planning to create a similar yet smaller activity node. Dublin's rapidly diversifying population opens new opportunities to attract businesses reflectinga wide variety of cultural influences. Since 2000, U.S. Census data shows that Dublin's population growth overwhelmingly consisted of residents identifying as Asian, as described earlier in this report and shown in Figure 4. The rich diversity of Dublin's population creates opportunities to further support the diverse mix of retail, grocery, dining, and personal services businesses in the city. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 28 74 Through an online business survey and stakeholder interviews, retail business and property owners noted several advantages and challenges for their operations in Dublin: Positive feedback included: • A main positive for Dublin businesses is the City's central location and its proximity to potential customers. • Dublin was described as a safe and welcoming community. • Dublin has a desirable demographic composition and trends that support strong business performance. • The City of Dublin's staff are responsive and clear in their communication with businesses. Several challenges were also raised: • Challenges finding relatively affordable office, retail, or industrial space in Dublin. • Local businesses would benefit from enhancing the marketing of City -offered incentives, services, and programs to existing small businesses, in addition to current promotion of services to new businesses. • Numerous businesses raised concerns about high sewer and water capacity fees charged by the Dublin San Ramon Services District (which is separate from the City of Dublin). Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 29 75 5. Hotels and Tourism The following findings describe recent conditions and trends in both Dublin's and the Tri-Valley's hotel markets, including analysis of hotel occupancy, revenue, and transient occupancy tax revenue. The findings also summarize issues and opportunities identified through interviews with Visit Tri-Valley representatives and review of the organization's 2023 Strategic Plan. Hotel occupancy, revenue, and inventory data was obtained from CoStar for Dublin and the Tri-Valley region for 2012 to 2024. Dublin hotel performance data was obtained from the City of Dublin for 2019 to 2024. Dublin's inventory of 689 hotel rooms constitutes 12 percent of the Tri-Valley's total inventory. As of 2024, CoStar notes five hotels in Dublin that include a mix of economy, midscale, and upper midscale hotels. As shown in Figure 35, Dublin has a relatively small share of the hotel inventory in the Tri-Valley, with just 12 percent of the hotel rooms in Tri-Valley communities located in Dublin. Dublin's hotel inventory has grown slowly over time. The most recent addition to Dublin's hotel inventory is an "Aloft" branded property that opened in 2018. According to available data, that was the first new hotel to open in Dublin since the early 2000s. FIGURE 35: TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES HOTEL INVENTORY, 2024 City Number of Hotel Properties Percentage of Total Hotel Properties in the Tri-Valley Region Number of Hotel Rooms Percentage of Total Hotel Rooms in the Tri-Valley Region Danville 1 2% 62 1% Dublin 5 10% 689 12% Livermore 21 43% 1,612 29% Pleasanton 15 31% 2,050 37% San Ramon 7 14% 1,147 21% Tri-Valley Region Total 49 100% 5,560 100% Sources: Costar, 2024; Strategic Economics, 2024. The Dublin and Tri-Valley hotel markets are recovering slowly from the COVID-19 pandemic, which will likely constrain hotel development opportunities in the near term. As shown in Figure 36 and Figure 37, Dublin's average revenue per room recovery rate and occupancy rate, along with other Tri-Valley Cities, are slowly recovering since 2020. Transient occupancy tax receipts also reflect these conditions, with nearly all hotel properties in Dublin generating lower revenue in 2023 than in 2019. Hotel demand in Dublin is primarily driven by business travelers. Based on input from Visit Tri-Valley and review of Dublin's mix of hotel properties, Dublin's hotels primarily serve business travelers seeking convenient access to major employers throughout the Tri-Valley and beyond. Dublin's hotels also provide relatively low cost accommodation compared to many other parts of the Bay Area while also providing convenient access to destinations via BART and freeways. Demand for hotel stays in Dublin could potentially be expanded through local employment growth and diversification of visitors to the city and Tri-Valley. Given that business travelers constitute much of the demand for hotel stays in Dublin, business and job growth in Dublin and the Tri-Valley can provide additional demand for hotel stays over time. Visit Tri-Valley is also exploring opportunities to diversify hotel demand through attraction or development of other destination and meeting amenities. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 30 76 FIGURE 36: AVERAGE REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM BY YEAR IN THE TRI-VALLEY REGION, 2012 TO 2024 $150.00 $100.00 $50.00 $- 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 YTD Year Danville Dublin Livermore Pleasanton San Ramon Tri-Valley Region Note: 2024 data reflects data through July. Source: CoStar, 2024; Strategic Economics, 2024. FIGURE 37: TRI-VALLEY COMMUNITIES AVERAGE HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE, 2012 TO 2024 100% O 80% • 60% c O 40% 0 20% 0 0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 >> YTD - Danville Year Dublin Livermore Pleasanton San Ramon Note: 2024 data reflects data through July. Source: CoStar, 2024; Strategic Economics, 2024. Local stakeholders noted a lack of hotels with larger conference centers or meeting spaces in the Tri- Valley. Stakeholders interviewed for this study noted that no hotels exist in Dublin, Pleasanton, or Livermore that can host large conferences or meetings, due to a limited number of large hotels and a lack of hotels with adequate meeting spaces. The San Ramon Valley Conference Center was noted as the closest facility that can host larger events, though the property only includes 119 on -site guest rooms. Regional initiatives to attract hotel stays and a multiuse venue can support local hotels in Dublin. As hotel occupancy and revenues continue to recover over time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dublin can position itself to leverage Visit Tri-Valley's efforts to expand visitation. Visit Tri-Valley is pursuing development of a multiuse sports, entertainment, and conference venue to diversify hotel demand and expand visitor spending. Dublin could either seek to attract this facility to the city itself or seek to leverage the future facility to attract additional hotel stays. Dublin Economic Development Strategy Technical Report 31 77 /` STRATEGICECONOMICS Community Engagement Summary City of Dublin Economic Development Strategy and Economic Development Element Update April 24, 2024 .1t4 DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Table of Contents 1. Survey Introduction and Purpose 2. Local Business Survey Results Summary • Who responded (background questions) • Survey Results 3. General Community Survey Results Summary • Who responded (background questions) • Survey Results STRATEGIC ECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Introduction and Purpose ad. Survey Introduction and Purpose • The City of Dublin is in the process of updating its Economic Development Strategy and Economic Development Element. Both documents will guide the City's economic development policies and actions in both the short and long term. • To assist in this project, both a General Community Survey and Local Business Survey were prepared and distributed to Dublin's residents and businesses, respectively. These surveys were marketed by the City of Dublin and left open for responses during December 2023 and January 2024. • The purpose of the surveys was to provide an opportunity for Dublin's residents and businesses to comment on their current economic development priorities and concerns. • The survey results, alongside analyses and other stakeholder engagement activities, will be used to inform prioritization of the economic development strategies included in the Economic Development Strategy and Economic Development Element. S STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Local Business Survey Local Business Survey Results Summary Individual Responses: 70 gill STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Local Business Survey Who Responded (Background Questions) Local Business Survey Results Summary gill STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN 82 CALIFORNIA iFw Local Business Survey Question 14 - Which of the following best describes your business? Other (please specify) Restaurant/cafe/bar Professional services (attorneys, accountants, therapists, etc.) Health and wellness Real Estate Arts, entertainment, and recreation Equipment or vehicle service and repair Warehouse and distribution Scientific research and development Retail (non-food/grocery) Personal services (nail salons, hair salons, pet grooming, etc.) Manufacturing Education Child care and after school programs Information technology Construction Hotel and hospitality Grocery/convenience/food store 0% • "Other" responses include: • Banking/Financial Institution • Consulting • Other Personal Services 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA 6 83 IIF Local Business Survey Question 15 - Where is your businesses based out of? 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% ql A commercial or industrial building/space (office, storefront, industrial building, etc.) A residential home Virtual office address ■ DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Other Summary of Survey Respondents • Nearly 70 percent of respondents were based out of commercial or industrial space in Dublin • Around 25 percent of respondents represented businesses based out of a residential home STRATEGICECONOMICS 84 OPF Local Business Survey i 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Question 16 - How many employees does your business employ, including yourself? 1 (self-employed 2-9 employees 10-19 employees 20-50 employees More than 50 with no other employees employees) STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" ■ DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Summary of Survey Respondents • Most survey respondents employ between 2 and 9 people • Just over 25 percent of respondents were self-employed • Less than 10 percent of respondents represented companies that employ more than 50 people 8 85 Local Business Survey Question 17 - Where do you live? 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Dublin Other San Ramon Danville Pleasanton Livermore ------/ 41 STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Summary of Survey Respondents • Over 40 percent of survey respondents live in Dublin • 10 percent of survey respondents live in San Ramon and Danville, respectively • Remaining respondents are spread across the Bay Area, but primarily in the East Bay • "Other" responses include: • Oakland • San Francisco • Hayward • Fairfield rillr- Local Business Survey 4 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Question 18 - What is your age? 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75 years Prefer not years years years years years years and older to say STRATEGICECONOMICS ite DUBLIN Summary_of Survey Respondents • Most survey respondents were between the ages of 45 and 64 • Dublin's actual age distribution illustrated below for reference 75 and over 55-74 co a) c 35-54 a) Q 18-34 Under 18 Condensed Age Distribution in Dublin, 2021 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% % of Population ■ 2021 87 CALIFORNIA FP— Local Business Survey Question 19-Whatisthe combined annual income of everyone in your household? 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 1 F Less than $25,000 - $50,000 - $75,000 - $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 Prefer not $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 - STRATEGICECONOMICS .N DUBLIN $150,000 $200,000 or More to say Summary of Survey Respondents • Nearly a quarter of survey respondents reported a combined annual household income of greater than $200,000 • Around 15 percent of survey respondents reported an income of less than $100,000 • Dublin's actual income distribution shown below as reference Household Income Distribution in Dublin, 2021 (Constant 2022 Dollars) T.) $200,000 or More a) J N E o $125,000 to $199,999 0 a- ) o $75,000 to $124,999 0 c C < $25,000 to $74,999 a) u) c a) c c � Less than $24,999 iii M...1 0% 10% 20% 30% Households 40% 50% ■ 2021 11 88 CALIFORNIA Question 20 - Which catego, best describes you? 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 35% 21% 10% 1 8% 8% 1 1 6% 3% 3% CP. �`O S°: �C.rd \G\ • G�� G\ O`? c ciezy cc\O DUBLIN Summary of Survey Respondents • 35 percent of survey respondents identified as White/Caucasian • Around 25 percent of survey respondents identified as Asian • Dublin's actual demographics shown below for reference 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Dublin Total Population Racial Composition, 2021 6% Dublin • White • Hispanic or Latino • African American or Black Asian • Other Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2017-2021; Strategic Economics, 2023. 12 STRATEGICECONOMICS CALIFORNIA 89 Local Business Survey Survey Results Local Business Survey Results Summary "----_____./ °AI STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA rr Local Business Survey 1 Question 1 - What factors drew your business to its location and to Dublin generally? Weighted Average Score (1 to 5, with 5 Indicating "Very Important") Safe community Proximity to customers Access to freeways Proximity to home Affordable office, retail, or industrial space Office, retail, or industrial space that met the business's physical requirements (size, ceiling... Dublin's reputation/brand as a place to do business City of Dublin's permitting and approval processes Access to employees City of Dublin's business incentive programs Dublin's public transportation options (BART, bus) Proximity to suppliers STRATEGICECONOMICS 0 1 2 3 4 5 .1" DUBLIN Responses by Level of Importance of Each Item Safe community Proximity to customers Access to freeways Proximity to home Affordable office, retail, or industrial space Office, retail, or industrial space that met the business's physical requirements (size, ceiling... Dublin's reputation/brand as a place to do business City of Dublin's permitting and approval processes Access to employees City of Dublin's business incentive programs Dublin's public transportation options (BART, bus) Proximity to suppliers 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 5=Very Important, 1=Not Important • Very Important • Important Moderately Important • Slightly Important • Not Important N/A 14 91 CALIFORNIA i-P— Local Business Survey Question 1 Gathered Opinions on Important Factors That Drew Businesses to Dublin: Summary of Important Factors for Businesses Some of the most important factors that drew businesses to Dublin: • Safe community • Proximity to customers • Office, retail, or industrial space that met the business's physical requirements (size, ceiling heights, power, loading, etc.) M STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Some of the least important factors that drew businesses to Dublin: • Proximity to suppliers • Dublin's public transportation options (BART, bus) • Factors with a relatively split opinion on importance: • City of Dublin's business incentive programs i-P— Local Business Survey 4 Question 2 - Where else did you consider opening, expanding, or relocating your business? Pleasanton San Ramon I never considered a location outside Dublin Livermore Walnut Creek Other Alameda County Bay Area locations not listed above Outside California Other Contra Costa County Other California locations not listed above San Joaquin County STRATEGICECONOMICS 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% .11 DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Summary of Places Businesses Considered for Expansion, Relocation, or Opening • Pleasanton and San Ramon represent the most cited alternative location options for responding business representatives • Nearly a third of respondents noted that they never considered a location outside of Dublin • Areas outside of the East Bay were not typically considered for locating or expanding businesses that are currently located in Dublin 93 Local Business Survey Question 3 - What kind of concerns does your business face in Dublin? Weighted Average Score (1 to 3, with 1 indicating "Not at All Concerned") High or increasing local taxes and fees Crime High or increasing housing costs for myself or employees Increasing cost of commercial or industrial building rents or land in Dublin Automobile traffic congestion along major Dublin corridors Ability to meet electricity needs in Dublin Local government regulation and restrictions related to development Long employee commute times Challenges recruiting employees to work on -site Inadequate internet service speeds in commercial or industrial districts Lack of available space in Dublin for business relocation or expansion Inadequate internet service speeds in residential areas 1 0 1 2 3-Very Concerned, 1=Not at All Concerned 3 Responses by Option High or increasing local taxes and fees Crime High or increasing housing costs for myself or employees Increasing cost of commercial or industrial building rents or land in Dublin Automobile traffic congestion along major Dublin corridors Ability to meet electricity needs in Dublin Local government regulation and restrictions related to development Long employee commute times MLMI. Challenges recruiting employees to work on -site Inadequate internet service speeds in commercial or industrial districts Lack of available space in Dublin for business relocation or expansion Inadequate internet service speeds in residential areas 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% ■ Very Concerned Somewhat Concerned ■ Not at All Concerned ■ Don't Know STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA 17 94 FP— Local Business Survey Question 3 Gathered Opinions on What Kinds of Concerns Local Businesses Face in Dublin: Summary of Local Business Concerns The following are higher concerns for businesses in Dublin: • Crime • High or increasing local taxes and fees • High or increasing housing costs for myself or employees M STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA The following are lesser concerns for businesses in Dublin: • Lack of available space in Dublin for business relocation or expansion • Challenges recruiting employees to work on -site • Inadequate Internet service speeds in commercial or industrial districts Other concerns noted by businesses: • High cost of utilities which is restrictive for local small businesses • An overall lack of industrial space for sale in Dublin r—ir Local Business Survey 4 Question 4 - Please note other concerns for your business in Dublin Key Takeaways/Themes from free responses • Rising and prohibitive cost of rent and land • High water and other utility costs • Perceived lack of City efforts to support and communicate with local small businesses • The citywide emphasis on housing production limits industrial and retail space • Rising crimes that effect both businesses and employees, and the desire for increased police response STRATEGICECONOMICS .11' DUBLIN CALIFORNIA a • • c Li • It ree Response Answer Examples It's expensive to start a business an rent is very expensive..." Permitting processes through the city re long and tedious. It feels like we ave to jump through a lot of hoops nd as a small business it sometimes reates a barrier to start up." sewer, water and utility add on fees nd tiered pricing for businesses..." IIF Local Business Survey I2 Question 5 - What is the outlook for your business in Dublin? Very Positive Somewhat Positive Unclear Somewhat Negative Very Negative 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Summary of Local Business Outlook: • Over 75 of respondents were positive about the outlook of their business in Dublin • Less than five percent of survey respondents were negative about the outlook of their business in Dublin STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA 97 Local Business Survey 1 Question 6 - What factors influenced your response to the previous question? (On Local Business Outlook) Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses Factors that are creating a positive outlook for local businesses: • Strong and consistent local customer base • Sustained access to employees • Continued demographic trends make Dublin a desirable place to locate a business Factors that are creating a negative outlook for local businesses: • Current broader economic trends are negatively affecting local business sales • Rising rents can push out local small businesses STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA ree Response Answer Examples "Been in business for over 30 years in Dublin. We have a very strong base of regular customers" Location, growing population, development of downtown coming, etc." bility to expand and convert usable ace" As rent keeps going up small businesses can not afford to stay" Continued growth in Dublin" 21 Ir- Local Business Survey Question 7 - How would you define your interactions with the City of Dublin in relation to your business? Very Positive Somewhat Positive Unclear Very Negative Somewhat Negative 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" ■ DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Summary of Interactions with the City_of Dublin • Over 80 percent of respondents noted positive interactions with the City of Dublin 99 Local Business Survey 1 Question 8 - What factors influenced your response to the previous question? (On Interactions with the City of Dublin) Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses Positive interactions: • Quick turnaround and assistance for permitting and other small business needs • Knowledgeable, responsive, and friendly City staff • City marketing and newsletters keep businesses informed Less positive interactions: • Lack of connection to local businesses outside of those pursuing specific City resources STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN ree Response Answer Examples "City news email keep me informed and espond accordingly." "The staff at the City of Dublin has always en courteous, nice, and helpful. It's just of hoops and barriers to get business unning and costly for small businesses..." "Long timeframes, permitting costs...often nhibit or negatively impact our business" veryone at the city office is friendly and it easy to do the license renewals." `Quick feedback on permit issues" 23 CALIFORNIA i-P— Local Business Survey i Question 9 - Do you utilize any programs or incentives offered to businesses by the City of Dublin? Yes, 24% M STRATEGICECONOMICS , .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA No, 76% Summary of Incentive or Program Utilization • Less than 25 percent of respondents report utilizing any programs or incentives offered by the City of Dublin • Those that responded yes primarily noted relief granted by the City of Dublin during the Covid pandemic ir Local Business Survey ou Question 10 - If you answered no to the previous question, what factors influenced this response? (On Program or Incentive Utilization) City programs or incentives would not help my business, 9% City programs or incentives do not apply to my business, 17%, Applying for City programs or incentives is too difficult, 6% Other, 21% STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA I am not aware of City programs or incentives, 47% Summary of Responses • Of respondents that said they do not utilize city -offered incentives, nearly 50 percent noted that they are not aware of City programs or incentives • Nearly 40 percent of respondents said that City programs or incentives would not help, or do not apply, to their business • "Other" responses mostly consisted of respondents who answered "yes" to the previous question (question #9) 25 102 Ir- Local Business Survey Question 11- Do you receive business -related email communications from the City of Dublin? M STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Summary of Responses • Over 80 percent of respondents receive business - related email communications from the City of Dublin 26 OF Local Business Survey 4 Question 12 - What changes in Dublin would help your business and industry prosper? Weighted Average Score (1 to 5, with 5 indicating "Very Important") Reducing crime Affordable office, retail, or industrial space New events and promotions to draw customers to local businesses Simplifying and streamlining City of Dublin permitting and approval processes Expanding City of Dublin business incentive, grant, and programs Increased opportunities for business owners to meet and interact Growth of housing opportunities affordable to me and my employees Marketing Dublin as a location for businesses to locate Reducing automobile traffic congestion Expanding workforce development resources and programs Diversifying the sizes, types, and locations of office, retail, and industrial buildings/spaces Expanding education and training resources for business owners Growing the number of residents/customers in Dublin Diversifying the types of businesses in Dublin Growing the number of businesses in Dublin Growing the inventory of office, retail, or industrial buildings/spaces Improving public transportation service (BART, bus service) STRATEGICECONOMICS 0 1 2 3 4 5 5=Very Important, 1=Not Important .1" DUBLIN Affordable office, retail, or industrial space New events and promotions to draw customers to local businesses Simplifying and streamlining City of Dublin permitting and approval processes Expanding City of Dublin business incentive, grant, and programs Increased opportunities for business owners to meet and interact Growth of housing opportunities affordable to me and my employees Marketing Dublin as a location for businesses to locate Reducing automobile traffic congestion Expanding workforce development resources and programs Diversifying the sizes, types, and locations of office, retail, and industrial buildings/spaces Expanding education and training resources for business owners Growing the number of residents/customers in Dublin Diversifying the types of businesses in Dublin Growing the number of businesses in Dublin Growing the inventory of office, retail, or industrial buildings/spaces Improving public transportation service (BART, bus service) Responses by Option Reducing crime MI M i 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% ■Very Important Important • Moderately Important ■Slightly Important • Not Important 27 104 CALIFORNIA Irw Local Business Survey Question 12 Gathered Opinions on What Changes Are Needed for Local Businesses to Prosper Summary of Responses on Changes that Would Help Businesses Prosper Changes that were noted as most important to helping local businesses prosper: • Reducing crime • Affordable office, retail, or industrial space • New events and promotions to draw customers to local businesses M STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Changes that were noted as less important to helping local businesses prosper: • Improving public transportation service (BART, bus service) • Growing the inventory of office, retail, or industrial buildings/spaces • Growing the number of businesses in Dublin Changes that had divergent responses as to their ability to help businesses prosper: • Marketing Dublin as a location for businesses to locate • Diversifying the types of businesses in Dublin 28 OF - Local Business Survey Question 13 - What other issues, opportunities, and priorities should be addressed in the Dublin Economic Development Strategy? Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses • Continue to provide a business - friendly environment in Dublin • Support the marketing and visibility of local small businesses • Look for ways to streamline the permitting process • Partnership with regional groups to support public transportation and reduce local traffic congestion STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA ree ResDonse Answer Examples ontinue to provide businesses with the type of business -friendly nvironment that attracts more businesses to Dublin." ontinued partnership with Tri-Valley cities to address public transportation nd area traffic issues." ;Opportunities for business to meet sidents as a meet and greet." "Making it easier for ads to be displayed." 29 Mr General Community Survey General Community Survey Results Summary Individual Responses: 406 gill = S STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Mr General Community Survey Who Responded (Background Questions) General Community Survey Results Summary ........„, A 31 STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA gr General Community Survey i. Question 1-First, please tell us which of the following describes you: (check all that apply) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% live in Dublin I shop in I work in I go to school Dublin Dublin in Dublin STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" ■ DUBLIN CALIFORNIA I am a business owner in Dublin Other Summary of Survey Respondents • Nearly all respondents live in Dublin • Only 21% of respondents work in Dublin • Those who responded "other" primarily had children who go to school in Dublin 32 NVGeneral Community Survey Question 7 - Where do you live? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 99% Dublin 1% 0% 0% 0% Livermore Pleasanton San Ramon Other (please specify) ______, A STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN Summary of Survey Respondents • Nearly all respondents report living in Dublin 33 110 CALIFORNIA ITGeneral Community Survey go Question 8 - What is your age? 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% o ■ 0% 0-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75 years Prefer not years years years years years years years and older to say u IIII �i STRATEGICECONOMICS .11 DUBLIN Summary of Survey Respondents • The largest share of respondents were between the ages of 35 and 44 • Over 75 percent of total respondents were between the ages of 25 and 54 • Only about 10 percent of total respondents were less than 25 or more than 65 years of age • Dublin's actual age distribution shown below for reference 75 and over 55-74 V2 co a) c 35-54 a) tto 18-34 Under 18 Condensed Age Distribution in Dublin, 2021 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% % of Population • 2021 34 111 CALIFORNIA General Community Survey 0 Question 9-Whatisthe combined annual income of everyone in your household? 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% • I Less than $25,000 - $50,000 - $75,000 - $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 Prefer not $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 - STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN $150,000 $200,000 or More to say Summary of Survey Respondents • Nearly 50 percent of all respondents noted their annual household income as greater than $200,000 • Only seven percent of respondents noted their annual household income as less than $100,000 • Dublin's actual income distribution shown below as reference Household Income Distribution in Dublin, 2021 (Constant 2022 Dollars) T.) $200,000 or More a) J N E o $125,000 to $199,999 0 a- ) o $75,000 to $124,999 0 c C < $25,000 to $74,999 a) u) c a) c c � Less than $24,999 iii IM.4 0% 10% 20% 30% Households 40% 50% ■ 2021 35 112 CALIFORNIA Mlir General Community Survey Question 10 - Which category best describes you? 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 5`a� �ra� J o Ar Q.k STRATEGICECONOMICS o� co coo .1" DUBLIN 1 1 Summary of Survey Respondents • Over 40 percent of respondents identified themselves as falling within one or more of the Asian ethnic categories • 30 percent of respondents identified themselves as White/Caucasian • Dublin's actual demographics shown below for reference 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Dublin Total Population Racial Composition, 2021 • Dublin • White • Hispanic or Latino • African American or Black Asian Other 36 113 CALIFORNIA ipix General Community Survey Question 11 - What is your current employment status? 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% I...__ �,c6c\ e ,:k \oho �o�� gy . ez , ��� �o'� �� ,,c ��� Qk a Summary of Survey Respondents • Over 70 percent of respondents were currently employed • Around 10 percent of respondents were currently retired or semi -retired STRATEGICECONOMICS ■ DUBLIN CALIFORNIA ipix General Community Survey Question 12 - What is your current occupation category? Computer or Mathematical Business or Financial Operations Other (please specify) Not employed Architecture or Engineering Management Healthcare Educational Instruction or Library Office and Administrative Support Legal Student Sales Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, or Media Life, Physical, or Social Sciences Real Estate (realtors, brokers, property managers,...M Construction M Community or Social Service Protective Service (police, security, etc.) • Production / Manufacturing • Food Preparation or Serving (restaurants, catering, etc.) • Military • Transportation or Material Moving/ Warehouse 1 Farming, Fishing, or Forestry 1 Personal Care or Service (hair salons, nail salons,... Installation, Maintenance, or Repair (service technicians,... Building and Grounds Cleaning or Maintenance STRATEGICECONOMICS 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% .1" DUBLIN Summary of Survey Respondents • Occupations with the highest share of respondents: • Computer or Mathematical • Business or Financial Operations • Architecture or Engineering • Not Employed • "Other" responses include: • Technology • Marketing • Management • "Not Employed" responses likely include many retirees 115 CALIFORNIA Mr General Community Survey Survey Results General Community Survey Results Summary ........„, A STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA InGeneral Community Survey I Question 2 - Please indicate your level of agreement with each statement below: Weighted Average Score (1 to 5, with 5 Indicating Strong Agreement) Responses by Level of Agreement with Statement 1 Dublin has stores that meet my needs. Dublin has many great eating, drinking, and entertainment places. I regularly use, and benefit from, the BART service at either of Dublin's stations. Existing transportation options in Dublin make it easy for me to get to work. Dublin has a community gathering place where I can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and... Dublin is a great environment for small independent businesses. I have access to great education and job training opportunities in or near Dublin. Dublin offers high quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession. Housing in Dublin is affordable for people and families with a range of different incomes. Childcare is accessible. Dublin offers adequate support and services for entrepreneurs to start businesses. 1 1 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 5=Strongly Agree, 1=Strongly Disagree yll Dublin has stores that meet my needs. ii Dublin has many great eating, drinking, and entertainment places. I regularly use, and benefit from, the BART service at either of Dublin's stations. Existing transportation options in Dublin make it easy for me to get to work. Dublin has a community gathering place where I can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and entertainment. Dublin is a great environment for small independent businesses. I have access to great education and job training opportunities in or near Dublin. Dublin offers high quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession. Housing in Dublin is affordable for people and families with a range of different incomes. Childcare is accessible. Dublin offers adequate support and services for entrepreneurs to start businesses. I Mr--• Mawr 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% • Strongly Agree • Agree Neutral — Disagree • Strongly Disagree Don't Know STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA 117 General Community Survey a Question 2 Gathered Opinions on How Dublin Meets the Community's Needs: Summary of Feedback on Dublin's Performance The statements with the highest weighted average positive response —meaning the most strongly agree/agree responses were the following: • Dublin has stores that meet my needs regularly use, and benefit from, the BART service at either of Dublin's stations • Dublin has many great eating, drinking, and entertainment places STRATEGICECONOMICS .11' DUBLIN CALIFORNIA The statements with the lowest weighted average negative response —meaning the most disagree or strongly disagree responses were the following: • Dublin offers high quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession • Housing in Dublin is affordable for people and families with a range of different incomes • Dublin has a community gathering place where I can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and entertainment Statements with a large range of responses, indicating diverging opinions: • I regularly use, and benefit from, the BART service at either of Dublin's stations • Dublin has many great eating, drinking, and entertainment places 118 General Community Survey ..11 Question 3 - What are Dublin's other important strengths and weaknesses related to the economy and workforce? Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses • Dublin has a large amount of green space and public areas that are welcoming and accessible • Dublin has a large variety of retail businesses and fantastic schools • Dublin does not have a downtown or "unique" regional entertainment destination that can attract residents and visitors • Dublin has a lack of local jobs, requiring residents to endure lengthy commutes • There is concern regarding new higher - density residential development ee Response Answer Examples Dublin is a comfortable place to Iive...Iiving Dublin allows me to live close to work." Dublin lacks a true downtown that is alkable and attracts residents to help form community." issing some place families can go for ntertainment" trengths - good schools, safe community, ntral location near major cities/attractio► riety of dining/grocery options." 42 STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA UPI General Community Survey Question 4 - Please select how important each action is for you: Weighted Average Score (1 to 5, with 5 Indicating "Very Important") Responses by Level of Importance of Each Item Increase the number of great eating, drinking, and entertainment places in Dublin. Increase the number of community gathering places where I can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and entertainment. Improve opportunities for small independent businesses to succeed in Dublin. Increase the number and types of stores in Dublin. Offer more services for entrepreneurs seeking to start businesses. Increase education and job training opportunities in Dublin. Make it easier to find high quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession in Dublin. STRATEGICECONOMICS Increase the number of great eating, drinking, and entertainment places in Dublin. Increase the number of community gathering places where I can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and entertainment. Improve opportunities for small independent businesses to succeed in Dublin. Increase the number and types of stores in Dublin. Offer more services for entrepreneurs seeking to start businesses. Increase education and job training opportunities in Dublin. Make it easier to find high quality job opportunities in my occupation/profession in Dublin. ■ Mi Ilm Elms' Km" 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 ■Very Important Important Moderately Important ■Slightly Important ■ Not Important 5=Very Important, 1=Not Important .11' DUBLIN 43 120 CALIFORNIA 1111. General Community Survey 1 Question 4 Gathered Opinions on Which Priorities are Important to Dublin Residents: Summary of Resident Priorities Actions very important to Dublin residents: • Increase the number of great eating, drinking, and entertainment places in Dublin • Increase the number of community gathering places where one can easily walk to restaurants, stores, and entertainment • Improve opportunities for small independent businesses to succeed in Dublin STRATEGICECONOMICS .1" DUBLIN CALIFORNIA Actions somewhat less important to Dublin residents: • Make it easier to find high quality job o pportunities in my occupation/profession in Dublin • Offer more services for e ntrepreneurs seeking to start businesses • Increase education and job training o pportunities in Dublin 44 Question 5 - What are other priorities that should be addressed in the Economic Development Strategy? Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses • Focus on existing residents' quality of life instead of continued housing development • This includes combating the housing costs and traffic congestion that may come with development • Increase job opportunities for residents to reduce their required commute • Emphasize affordable housing production • Increase commercial establishment diversity • This includes a desire for "upscale" shopping and dining destinations ii • • ii Li ii ee Response Answer Examples Vould like to see...stronger walkable, ikeable, and alternative transportation pportunities" ore affordable housing for young ouples and families." u lease make sure our new downtown 1 n with entertainment and good staurants" e should also address the Infrastructur plift needed to support the economic owth and all the new housing." STRATEGICECONOMICS DUBLIN CALIFORNIA General Community Survey Question 6 - What other issues, opportunities, and priorities should be addressed in the Dublin Economic Development Strategy? Key Takeaways/Themes from Free Responses • The need for more affordable housing in Dublin • Concern about increasing Dublin's residential density (relating to crime, congestion, infrastructure) • The importance of redeveloping Downtown Dublin into a place that attracts visitors from across the region • Overall lack of regional appeal or "brand" for Dublin • Traffic and congestion concerns • The need to improve bike and pedestrian connections and safety citywide STRATEGICECONOMICS VN DUBLIN ee Response Answer Examples `Create a core Downtown." "Making sure Dublin stays safe." "Something about Dublin should be drawin eople from other areas to want to come ere." ore bike/walking paths and the ability to onnect existing trails." "Places for people to gather from both in own and out of town and resources to courage people to start, or engage with, usinesses..." 46 CALIFORNIA