Apr. 17—Bakersfield’s financial improvement wing desires to know: What enterprises do you want to see in your neighborhood?
Released Friday, the seven-query type due Friday asks folks what in-town restaurants and retail shops they like the most, and what shops they would like to see.
“Not just who (folks) want to come to Bakersfield,” stated Jenni Byers, assistant financial improvement director for the city’s Financial & Neighborhood Improvement Division, who created the survey. “We also want to celebrate what enterprises we do have.”
Information collected from the survey will be compiled by employees who will present it to enterprises and developers as a baseline of what Bakersfield desires.
“I am excited by the final results we’re obtaining so far,” Byers stated.
This will be classified according to respondents’ ZIP code, as distinct locations have distinct mixes of shops and solutions.
“Bakersfield is exceptional when you appear at financial improvement as a entire,” Byers stated. “Men and women on the southwest side of town have distinct desires than the east side of town.”
The survey, like numerous current city plans, is aspect of the city’s Financial Improvement Strategic Program, released in 2021 to develop the economy by 2026.
With new information in hand, officials appear to attend this year’s International Council of Purchasing Centers in May perhaps, which on a regular basis attracts additional than 30,000 attendees — developers, genuine estate firms and representatives seeking to expand their organization.
“If there is a business enterprise there that we want,” Byers stated, “we can offer statistics and show them that the city is seeking for and wanting to help that business enterprise coming to our neighborhood.”
Nearly like a vacation want list, Byers stated the concept is to attempt and court commerce that residents want to see in town. Attracting a distinct organization — like Entire Foods, for instance — demands the city to meet metrics, such as population and earnings, set by the business enterprise.
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“Men and women are saying Entire Foods,” Byers stated. “So we are going to go in and see if we meet the metrics. If we do, we can strategy them.”
That stated, officials stated they will give priority to mom-and-pop shops more than retail chains.
“Neighborhood retailer owners are the ones who help the regional chamber of commerce,” Byer stated. “They definitely invest in back into the neighborhood and so that is the initial decision, to get a regional.”
Outcomes from the survey will be released on the city’s social media on April 28. For information and facts, go to https://www.bakersfieldcity.us/231/Financial-Neighborhood-Improvement.