Economic Development

By Nancy J. Nadel

I envision an Oakland that has a thriving downtown and neighborhood retail sector with strong office, commercial and industrial components in well-planned locations. This community of businesses will employ a well-educated and trained workforce that will include many Oakland residents.

I envision a city administration that supports local business through:

• Excellent assistance to obtain business licenses, zoning clearances and planning permits.
• Efficient, clear and transparent regulatory procedures.
• Contracting preferences for local Oakland businesses.
• Creation of strong business attraction, retention, and support programs that will also encourage Oakland residents to become entrepreneurs.

Implementation:

City Council - Our City Council shall provide the leadership to support Oakland's existing core business sectors, reward staff for meeting goals to attract new "next generation" businesses in the city, encourage small craftspeople, and be a voice for business interests through local, state and federal advocacy.

City Administration - Through their actions, regulations and procedures a responsive City Staff and their contractors shall encourage and support business activity including help in navigating regulations.

Training - Partnerships with Peralta College District, OUSD Adult School and specialty training entities such as Cypress/Mandela, YEP, University of Phoenix and others shall assure that both workers and entrepreneurs have the skills they need to be successful. Increase adult literacy.

Community involvement - Educate community members about the importance of job creation and elicit their views on sectors to attract. Encourage local residents to start retail and other businesses.

City Contracting - Consistently monitor contracting opportunities to assure local and small business goals are met. Periodically update the Croson study to assure that the city is practicing fair and diverse contracting. Assure that contractors are paid promptly.

Incentives - Explore incentives to attract green business. Explore business tax discounts in sectors we want to attract. Utilize redevelopment dollars to help develop the infrastructure needed to attract new industry.

Land Use - Support the development of a land use policy that will protect mixed-use business zones from inappropriate residential development and will also protect residents from disruptive and polluting business activities.

Economic Development Accomplishments

West Oakland Economic Development Working Group - Working together with business owners, property owners and residents, Nancy established this group in 2005 to reactivate idle industrial land with job producing uses and assure that jobs go to Oaklanders.

Preserved Industrial Land for industrial and commercial use to assure the possibility of jobs and sustain viable business in Oakland

Business Improvement Districts - Advocated for and helped pass a Koreatown BID and provided support staff and guidance for the establishment of 3 more (Uptown, downtown and old Oakland. These are public private partnerships that pool resources for public safety and beautification.

Army Base - Has been actively involved in getting the Army Base transferred and developed with uses appropriate for that location..

Adult Literacy - Established an adult literacy task force to develop a consortium of service providers, improve outreach and add complementary services to help the many Oaklanders with reading deficiencies better compete in the labor force.

Grocery Stores - Helped to bring the first grocery story to West Oakland. When it closed, helped bring together another group to form a worker owned co-op store which is set to open in April at the West Oakland BART station.

Small Business Issues - Advocated for improving outreach to small businesses and contract compliance

Wireless Regulations - Worked with community to get a moratorium on cell towers in the City of Oakland until we could establish the strongest protections for the community that the law allows.

Co-op Credit Union - Advocated for them to find a better location closer to BART. This is the only bank in West Oakland which Nancy was responsible in helping to establish.

Housing - Supported numerous mixed income, mixed housing type developments in District 3.

Retail - Supported a specific plan for upper Broadway to develop a retail attraction area for Oakland. Helped bring Ikea, Best Buy, Expo to West Oakland.

Entrepreneur Encouragement - Nancy has recently started a small business herself to get a better sense of the paths and obstacles to doing so, and to serve as a model for other entrepreneurs.

City Car Share - Helped establish this unique service in Oakland to cut down on unnecessary car ownership and congestion.

Arts - Advocated for the Crucible to move to West Oakland; advocated for Art Murmur street closure; advocated for funding for the first affordable artists live/work development in Oakland (Adeline Lofts).