Karima Magazine Sep-Oct 2017

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HOW DOWNTOWN MODESTO REINVENTED BY ANGELA KARIM 11 N 2001, JOSH BRIDEGROOM, urban city planner was tasked with a special project: re-inventing downtown Modesto. “At the time, there were just a lot of night clubs in downtown. Unfortunately, they were associated with fights and there were patrol cars everywhere when they were open. It wasn’t bidding well with patrons or the business owners. So, I had to work on relationships and develop a game plan,” said Bridegroom. First order of business: meeting with the CEO of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. “I needed to figure out what worked and what didn’t,” said Bridegroom. “That was my first step.” Bridegroom believed that he could create a more urban feel, which patrons would be excited to embrace, with the addition of functional art bike corrals. He convinced the Modesto City Council and the Modesto art museum to collaborate on this step. To create ambiance on a budget and encourage patrons to enjoy outdoor mingling, Bridegroom purchased outdoor chairs and furniture to give out to local eateries. “The tables and chairs set out definitely invite people to sit and linger a while. The bike corrals appealed to those wanting to come and not have to deal with parking their car downtown,” said Bridegroom. “It was a really inexpensive solution that helped encourage people to come downtown.” Property owners joined the mission and a consultant was brought to advise on public safety enhancements. In no time Bridegroom had put together necessary bylaws and volunteers were tapped. And, the spirit was catching as the local Orchard Supply Hardware store sprang into action by supplying paint required for the bike lanes and such. Bridegroom, also aware of the general public’s well-founded security concerns, still had pressing problems to address. “We all knew that small time offenders were being released and dropped off in the middle of the night in downtown Modesto. And understandably, patrons didn’t like being panhandled or having to deal with people who have drug and/or mental health issues.” Bridegroom decided to hire five, non-armed men as “safety staff.” Their job was to serve as guides, and address panhandling and illegal activity. The safety staff can be identified by their ever-present, brightly colored uniforms. “People now feel like downtown is better maintained. In addition to the safety staff, an armed security firm was hired to monitor all overnight activity. We wanted to ensure that no vandalism was going to occur when venues were closed,” said Bridegroom. Bridegroom said that he and his team will continue to manage social disruption together with the County Office of Behavioral Health and the Modesto Police Department. He feels as though it is pertinent to community safety. In addition, his team felt that by enhancing the lighting downtown, it would help foster a sense of safety and dissuade any criminal activity. After tackling issues with ambiance and safety, Bridegroom still felt a piece of the puzzle was missing, something to bring the community together. He decided that a continual market offering an evening of crafts, goods, and hot food would be a great addition to downtown to encourage locals to come out and play. The team created a family friendly environment with designated areas for parking. The downtown Modesto market happens every week from June until <strong>Oct</strong>ober. “We have seen an uptick in traffic due to the changes being made,” said Bridegroom. In short, his plan was a success in a relatively
BUSINESS BEST How Downtown Modesto Reinvented short period of time. Many more people now find it much easier to access downtown Modesto. Restaurants are able to stay open later. There is more of a balance between clubs and other types of businesses. Everything is co-existing and businesses are booming. Currently, Bridegroom runs his own nonprofit, Downtown Modesto Partnership that does a similar work, revitalizing the area. “I went out on my own, because I was and am still passionate about revitalizing downtown and as a city employee there are politics and hoops to jump through. Now I have the freedom to work around city hall and I’m more effective.” When asked what he thought about another city (Stockton) in the Central Valley, still struggling at attempts to revitalize its once vibrant downtown he replied, “Downtown Stockton has so much potential. It has something that Modesto doesn’t have. It has all of those amazing buildings. I think it will only succeed with collective impact and everyone involved must believe, share the common vision, (downtown’s reincarnation) and really start to work for it. What’s really key is getting Stockton residents to believe in it. Human capital needs to be there and you have to overcome safety issues.” Bridegroom also noted that, “for cities to succeed, we now need to build great downtowns.” He continued as he spoke of the definitive trend occurring right now referred to as, ‘reversal life,’ where downtown areas are becoming popular again. “There are basic steps that every city wanting to head in that direction need to take,” advised Bridegroom. Below are Bridegrooms “basic steps” for re-inventing any downtown area. Bridge the structural gaps downtown. Get community organizations to work toward one cause Create easy access parking Must have unity/common vision and work in concert together Tackle a way to ensure downtown is looked at as a safe & secure environment (must be attractive to businesses and developers) Consult with professionals and determine what cost to do development and how can reduce any costs Develop a great communication plan. A communication plan between the safety staff, behavioral health staff, and police officers Make the most of top community events. What is the bar/standard for the events? How do we support the events? 12
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Karima Magazine Sep-Oct 2017

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