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SR-106-005 RMD:MR:JM:F:RESOURCE/STAFFREPORTS/BDC Work Plan FY’03.doc Council Meeting: December 10, 2002 Santa Monica, California To: Mayor and City Council From: City Staff Subject: Recommendation to Approve the Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03 submitted by the Bayside District Corporation in accordance with Contract #6979 CCS Introduction This report recommends that the City Council approve the Annual Operations and Marketing Plan submitted by the Bayside District Corporation consistent with its Services Agreement with the City of Santa Monica. Background In accordance to the Services Agreement between the Bayside District Corporation (BDC) and the City of Santa Monica, the BDC is responsible for establishing programs, projects and services that benefit Santa Monica residents, Downtown merchants and property owners, and customers and visitors. These include but are not limited to conduct of marketing and advertising campaigns for the Downtown; conduct of promotions and special events that attract and benefit local residents, customers and visitors to Downtown; organizing and facilitating filming and other activities in the Downtown; and administering or providing enhanced maintenance services in accordance with its Annual Operations and Marketing Plan. 1 At its meeting held September 26, 2002, the BDC Board of Directors approved its Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03. This action is subject to approval by City Council in accordance with Section 13.1 of Services Agreement Contract 36979 CCS, together with an Annual Report to the City in accordance with Section 9.3 addressing the various programs, operations and activities of the BDC during the prior fiscal year. Discussion Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2001-02 Operations Highlights: BDC created a cyclical maintenance program and special projects designed to provide enhanced maintenance of the public-serving areas of Downtown. Special projects completed during the prior fiscal year include replacement of Bayside logo signage throughout the Downtown; production and installation of new Bayside banners; refurbishment of Promenade tree lighting, dinosaurs and directories; replacement of bollards, trash cans, payphone panels and flags; and in conjunction with City maintenance crews, facilitated tree trimming, tree grate and pavement replacements, and graffiti removal. Marketing Highlights: BDC was a major partner in the Holiday 2001 Shop Santa Monica campaign created to encourage residents and visitors to support their local commercial establishments 2 during the holiday season. It also continued the “Every Color Under the Sun” advertising campaign emphasizing the link between Third Street Promenade and the Downtown area, with print advertising placed in LA Weekly, Argonaut, Where Magazine, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce directory and SMCVB Visitors’ Guide. The Downtown visitors guide booklet and on-street directories were updated to reflect current businesses, and 70,000 visitors guides were distributed in hotels, car rental agencies and tourist areas throughout the region. Commercial events involving new product launches that target specific demographics were conducted by Pizza Hut, Pepsi, XM Satellite and Coke, and Downtown merchants Sprint PCS, Adidas, Borders, Old Navy and Swatch hosted events. Third Street Promenade was also the primary site for such community events as Chamber Health Fair, National Night Out, Senior Day and Summer Concert Series. Artist Liaison Highlights: Through its Artist Liaison Program, BDC assisted street performers and SMPD in implementing regulations affecting rotation of street performers, maintaining spacing and distance from businesses, and facilitating cooperative interactions between performers, merchants and police. BDC provided regulatory assistance in the three blocks of Third Street Promenade, the recently completed Transit Mall, and on the Pier pursuant to an agreement with the Pier Restoration Corporation. 3 Proposed Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03 The proposed BDC Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03 was prepared in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Services Agreement as the statement of the BDC’s overall operational and marketing program to be implemented in the Downtown area during the year. The Plan represents a continuation of efforts commenced in previous years without significant program departures. Operations Highlights: The operational goals and objectives consist of continued effort to create a strong Downtown identification as a preferred commercial district, and continued liaison efforts with merchants, property owners and City staff to promptly repair and maintain public and private improvements within the district. Specific projects that are budgeted and will be managed by BDC during the current fiscal year include Promenade tree trimming and installation of new or refurbished tree lights; updating and repair of Promenade maps and directories; production and installation of a new holiday décor program; and continued coordination of the Dolphin Change Program. On-going special maintenance projects consist of replacing additional Promenade trash cans, chairs and benches; tree thth lighting improvements on 6 Street and 7 Street; and identification and implementation of more energy efficient decorative lighting systems. Marketing Highlights: Marketing goals for the year will continue to focus on building a presence with the local community while also targeting regional residents and visitors. Advertising and 4 promotions will emphasize building pedestrian traffic for both the Promenade and adjacent Downtown commercial streets, and Downtown merchants will have access to cooperative advertising at discounted rates in local and regional publications. Community events planned for the current fiscal year include the popular biannual Chamber of Commerce Health Fair, Senior Day co-sponsored by the BDC and Commission for Older Americans, Holiday Open House co-sponsored by the BDC and Santa Monica Place; and the Summer Concert Series for lunchtime music entertainment. Artist Liaison Highlights: BDC intends to maintain its productive role and relationship between the Downtown merchants, SMPD and the street performers utilizing public space on the Promenade and Transit Mall through enhanced communication and cooperative problem solving. The artist liaison will continue to assist performers in promoting various concert venues to showcase talent, acting as intermediaries when necessary with City regulatory staff, and to use the performers and available space to the benefit of the performers and City. Budget/Financial Impact The BDC’s proposed Annual Operations and Marketing Plan does not affect the City Council’s budget authorization for the current fiscal year. 5 Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the BDC Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2001-02, and approve the Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03. Attachments: BDC Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2001-02 BDC Annual Operations and Marketing Plan for Fiscal Year 2002-03 Prepared by: Jeff Mathieu, Director of Resource Management Mark Richter, Economic Development Manager 6 Bayside District Corporation Annual Report Fiscal Year 2001/2002 Overview 2001/02 was a year of change and challenge. The economy dipped further following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, and the transit mall construction consumed most of the fiscal year. These events, as well as others, had significant effects on the business climate in Downtown. The Board took on a broad series of issues this year. The balance of retail/restaurant mix became a major focus resulting in a moratorium on conversions along the Promenade, and the creation of a task force to address the issue. Two Board members serve on the task force, along with three council members, one planning commissioner and one property owner. Their work continues. The work of the Downtown Parking Task Force concluded, resulting in a $92.5 million plan approved by City Council that adds 1,500 new parking spaces in Downtown by 2008. Likely some of the most difficult work was in the area addressing problems associated with transients. The Board created an ad hoc public safety committee to address a variety of real and perceived issues. This work also continues. The Transit Mall construction also concluded this year, and the staff worked long hours throughout this project as part of the City team. The mall opened in May 2002. As always, our work related to Street Performers continues to evolve. The new performance area along the Transit Mall has already posed new challenges that we will address in the annual sojourn to City Council in the spring. The Operations Department has continued with routine maintenance in the District, but has also spearheaded the design and construction of holiday décor 2002. The décor has been in development for over two years, and will debut this season. Focus on long-range capital replacement has begun. Marketing began the year with a cooperative effort with the Shop Local Campaign, and maintained our “Every Color Under the Sun” theme in local advertising venues. The coordination of the monthly Bayside Beat newsletter, holiday plans, and concerts on the Promenade were among the major accomplishments this year. 7 The Promenade continues to host more than four million visitors annually. Consistent maintenance and marketing efforts are essential in keeping the District vibrant. Long term, Bayside District Corporation will continue our efforts to balance the business mix in the District, address parking and access issues in the Downtown, and create innovative concepts to maintain the overall economic vitality of this incredible community resource. Operations Highlights The challenges of maintaining a popular and heavily trafficked district like Bayside are numerous. Downtown is aging, and as this occurs, more and more issues come to the forefront that must be addressed. In order to extend the life of the District, and to keep Downtown viable, the Bayside District Corporation Operations Department must be proactive to offset the effects of time and use. In order to facilitate this, four years ago the Bayside created a cyclical maintenance program designed to automate our approach to general maintenance issues. This plan, which includes routine maintenance such as sidewalk and street pressure-washing, window washing, and Promenade fountain maintenance, allows us to consistently project our annual maintenance costs and determine our remaining budget for other special projects that enhance the entire ambiance of the District and keep us as new and fresh as possible. These special projects are prioritized and executed throughout the year. The following special projects were completed this year: ? Circular, metallic Bayside “Territory Signs” were produced and installed on light poles throughout the Downtown ? New Bayside banners were produced and installed on light poles in the 2nd and 3rd Courts ? Promenade tree lighting was refurbished ? The North Block dinosaur fountain sand filter was replaced ? Promenade light poles were painted ? Promenade directories were refurbished and painted ? Overhaul of both the 1200 and 1400 block Kiosk doors ? General maintenance and repair of Promenade dinosaurs ? Installation of directories in all parking structure lobbies ? Repair and retrofit of 6 Promenade bollards ndrd ? Installation of new “No Parking” signs in 2 and 3 Courts ? Repair and retrofit of 1200 and 1400 block electrical vault doors ? Establishment of Transit Mall pressure-washing schedule with assistance from the Big Blue Bus ? Replacement of sod in Center Court ? Replacement of 6 Promenade trash cans ? Replacement of Promenade payphone panels 8 ? Installation of U.S. Flags to hang over Promenade ? Replacement of Promenade shoe shine stand umbrella and cover ? Installation of Holiday Décor 2002 mock-up over Promenade. The Bayside District Corporation is directly involved with City departments in order to guide the City in its general maintenance of the District, as well as special projects that include divisions such as electrical, plumbing, general construction, and landscaping. In 2001/2002 there were 861 Work Requests generated, over half of which were for graffiti removal. In addition to the above Work Requests, Bayside has worked in conjunction with the City to complete the following special projects: th ? Replacement of landscaping in Parking Structure #5 planters (facing 4 Street) ? Installation of power receptacles placed flush with the ground concrete at North and South dinosaur courts ? Removal of outdoor dining barricade at old Kelly’s Coffee location on Arizona Ave. ndth ? Tree Trimming on Promenade and 2 and 4 Streets ? Retrofit of half of Promenade tree grates ? Repair of numerous Promenade street pavers. As the District ages, additional funding will be necessary for certain capital improvements. Specifically, we will need to either replace or repair the following items: ? Promenade trees ? Promenade tree grates ? Promenade tree lighting ? Promenade water fountains ? Promenade sidewalks and street pavers. The Bayside District Corporation works closely with the Santa Monica Fire Department in matters relating to outdoor dining on the Promenade and Transit Mall. To date, we have facilitated the outdoor dining process at the following locations: Stefano’s Restaurant, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Coffee Cup Bakery, and Gotham Hall. Bayside Operations was also actively involved in the Transit Mall project. Our office worked directly with the District merchants and residents and the City of Santa Monica to coordinate construction work, street and sidewalk closures, sign placement, and other project items. When the Transit Mall project was completed, we assisted the Big Blue Bus in hosting a successful Street Party on the Promenade. During this past year, we have learned a great deal in regards to coordinating work with City departments such as Environmental Public Works Management. Between our departments, The City and Bayside are able to quickly and efficiently tackle many diverse projects involving cleanliness, maintenance, and construction. 9 We also must continue to focus on making significant improvements throughout the District. 2001/2002 has been a challenging year and has allowed Bayside the opportunity to become even more involved in finding solutions to the maintenance issues facing our District. Finding solutions to these issues before they become problems is our priority. Calls for Help Bayside receives as many as 100 calls for help each week. Although there was a percentage decrease in the number of questions about where individual stores are located, perhaps because of the wider distribution of our directory, these calls still were the majority of the requests, over 20%. 10% of the calls were for directions; 15% were interested in the vendor cart program and shops in Santa Monica Place. Requests for designer dresses and shoes keep staff on our toes and up on current fashion trends. In addition to routine calls about maintenance and operations, filming, marketing and events, we help managers, owners and customers solve and resolve issues that come up daily in the District. 10 Marketing Highlights Bayside District Corporation was a major partner in the Holiday 2001 Shop Santa Monica campaign. The campaign was created to encourage residents and visitors to support their local businesses during the holiday season. The marketing department served as the primary liaison with the creative designer. Marketing also placed advertising and negotiated costs with various vendors on behalf of the campaign. Bayside continued the "Every Color Under the Sun" advertising/branding campaign emphasizing the link between Third Street Promenade and Downtown Santa Monica. ? There were three eye-catching themes used "Red Hot," "True Blues" and Tangerine Dreams." These cohesive themes were brought to life in various media. Print advertising was placed in LA Weekly, Argonaut, Where Magazine, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Directory and the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau Guide. The Bayside Beat newsletter celebrated its one-year anniversary in May 2001. The publication has continued to provide news that is pertinent to Downtown Santa Monica. The Beat has developed a strong readership and has grown as a valid source of information for residents and businesses alike. The visitors guide booklet for Third Street Promenade and Downtown Santa Monica was updated to reflect the current businesses. The guide features an introduction to the area, a redesigned map, a page on the Dolphin Change Program, directions and a business directory. Seventy thousand (70,000) visitors guides were printed, and Certified Distribution was retained to rack the guide in hotels, car rental and tourist areas in Los Angeles. Bayside also does local distribution to neighboring facilities. The 12 outdoor directories were updated to include new businesses. The map is now color coded to simplify a visitor’s orientation. Landmarks such as the new Santa Monica Visitors Center were included. The official Bayside District Corporation website is www.downtownsm.com. The website’s speed and search options were improved to provide a more user-friendly experience. The website was updated on a weekly basis. Bayside District Corporation maintained its communications with area businesses by holding regular merchant meetings. The merchant meetings have proved to be very valuable as various issues and concerns have been addressed. Marketing fielded hundreds of calls and e-mails that inquired about holding events on Third Street Promenade. Most commercial events involve new product launches that target specific demographics. Over the past fiscal year companies such as Pizza Hut, Pepsi, XM Satellite and Coke have held events here. Downtown merchants such as Sprint PCS, Adidas, Borders, Old Navy and Swatch have also held events. Third Street 11 Promenade was also a primary site for many community events including the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Health Fair and National Night Out. Bayside District Corporation also hosted the tenth annual Senior Day (May 2002). Senior citizens were treated to a free movie, lunch and dancing. This event was the best attended Senior Day to date. Also, Marketing was in charge of pre-planning staging, sound and advertising for the new Summer Concert series. Special Projects Dolphin Change Program Marketing placed slide advertising for the Dolphin Change program in local movie theatres through NCN Advertising. The dolphin slides ran from October 2001 – January 2002 in all screens of the Mann and the AMC theatres in Santa Monica. End of Construction Campaign The end of construction of the Transit Mall project took place on schedule. Marketing placed advertising in several local papers announcing the end of construction. The ad campaign began May 2002. Santa Monica Street Party June 22, 2002 Bayside District Corporation worked in conjunction with the City to host the Santa Monica Street Party. This was a celebration of the new Transit Mall. Musical entertainment and vendor booths were located throughout the Third Street Promenade. The event drew hundreds of patrons to Downtown. Artist Liaison Highlights Each year the Ordinance that supports our work is reevaluated and revamped to better serve the needs of all Bayside’s stakeholders and therefore the Artist Liaison Program continues to evolve, pushed by the complex interaction between performers, merchants and the City. Through the spring we interacted with the street performers group, whose temporary formation we spearheaded, the Police, the PRC, and Bayside in order to coordinate a unified vision that each of these groups could share. Many of the regulations that in the beginning seemed daunting, such as rotation, performer spacing and distance from businesses are now largely self-supporting features of the Promenade’s Performance Zone and consequently take less energy to enforce. The education process that underlies those gains, however, continues due to the constant influx of new performers as well as the regular emergence of entirely new types of performances. We have maintained our relationship with the City Attorney in order to address the changeable nature of our environment and have spent considerable time over the last year working through small adjustments to the Performer’s Ordinance to improve both the functionality of the system for performers and the quality of the end result for the public at large. 12 We also maintain a very productive relationship with the Police Department through our interaction with Sgt. Ira Rutan. This is essential because the lines of jurisdiction between the Artist Liaison and the PD are often ill defined in relation to the Street Performers. Over the last year a strong give-and-take relationship has developed which has allowed us to address the sometimes-contradictory needs of the venue and the letter of the law to the benefit of both. We regulate the performance zones on the three blocks of the Promenade, the Transit Malls and the three performance zones on the Pier, roughly a mile and a half of territory in total with three monitors. Within that area we’ve had more than 500 performers add their energy to the district, fielded roughly 1,200 phone calls for service, 500 for information and 100 for infrastructure concerns. We’ve intervened in countless disputes, given hundreds of advisals and initiated citations in 25-30 instances, although education, shaming and cajoling continue to be the principle tools of our trade. Dolphin Change Program Over $8,000 was collected from the Dolphin banks and an additional $500 from schools and individuals. Three $5,000 grants were awarded at the Westside Coalition Breakfast in September. The recipients were Ocean Park Community Center in the name of Marianne Dorn, PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) and Upward Bound. These funds will be used to help with their clients’ immediate needs. Bayside staff has now taken over the responsibility of emptying the banks, counting the money and making the deposit. A time-consuming, often dirty, task, but uniquely rewarding. In the Spotlight One of the highlights this year was the Alanis Morrisette concert that was taped for MTV. The Promenade visitors were surprised and thrilled to see her performing during their lunch hour. The critically acclaimed show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" frequently films in the Downtown. Larry David, the creator, has his offices in the District. You may also see the Promenade in other shows: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "7th Heaven," "The Conspiracy Zone," and "The Man Show." Look for the Promenade in Arby's, Lexus, Mervyns, Sheer Cover cosmetics, and Starbucks commercials. Board of Directors 2001/2002 Walter Marks, Chair Ruth Elwell, Secretary/Treasurer 13 Nancy Desser, Vice Chair West Hooker, Vice Chair John Warfel, Vice Chair Ann Greenspun Art Harris Patricia Hoffman Henry Lichtman Bill Tucker Don Wheeler Staff Kathleen Rawson, Executive Director Andrew Thomas, Operations Manager Marivi Valcourt, Marketing Manager Steele Smith, Artist Liaison Linn Wile, Administrative Assistant Maria Fotopoulos, Administrative Assistant Liliana Magallanes, Performer Monitor 14 Bayside District Corporation ANNUAL OPERATIONS AND MARKETING PLAN For Fiscal Year 2002 - 2003 15 Table of Contents Page BDC Mission Statement 2 Roles and Responsibilities 3 Executive Summary 4 Operations 6 Marketing, Promotions and Public Relations 11 Artist Liaison Program 17 Staff 19 Board of Directors 19 16 Bayside District Corporation Mission Statement On behalf of the City of Santa Monica, to promote economic stability, growth and community life within the Bayside District through responsible planning, development, management, and coordination of programs, projects and services designed to benefit the community as a whole; which includes the District’s businesses, property owners, visitors and residents. 17 BDC Roles and Responsibilities The BDC is responsible for promoting the continued economic revitalization of the Downtown as well as programs, projects, and services that benefit Santa Monica residents, Downtown merchants, property owners, customers and visitors. • Organizing, advising, and/or conducting marketing and advertising campaigns for the benefit of the Downtown; • Organizing, advising, and/or conducting promotions and special events that attract and benefit local residents, customers, and visitors to the Downtown; • Advising the City regarding long-term planning and zoning issues, retail mix, streetscape and capital improvement projects, public parking projects, signage, specific discretionary planning and zoning cases, and developmental strategies in order to enhance the economic vitality of the Downtown to benefit local residents and continue as a community resource; • Assisting in the identification, location and development of new businesses in the Downtown that will enhance its economic vitality; • Advising the City on operational issues involved in management of the Downtown, including but not limited to, leasing and management of City-owned property, maintenance and security concerns, parking operations, vending cart operations, outdoor dining, and the City’s Farmers Market program; • Organizing and facilitating filming and special events in the Downtown; • Advising merchants, property owners, and others with business interests in the Downtown on private property issues including, but not limited to, retail mix, merchandising, maintenance, and security concerns; • Serving as an advocate on behalf of merchants, property owners, tenants leasing City-owned real estate, and the general public on issues affecting the continued vitality of the Downtown; • Serving as liaison with other local governments and professional organizations seeking information on the development or current operations of the Downtown; • Upon request of merchants, property owners, or residents with the Downtown, advocating various means of providing funding and implementation of additional measures of service in the Downtown that are not covered by the assessment districts and business improvement areas in place as of June 24, 1998; 18 • Administering or providing enhanced services and other activities for the Downtown as determined by the BDC staff and Board of Directors consistent with the Working Plan. Executive Summary Overview While always striving to maintain a good balance of commerce and community, Bayside District Corporation is intimately involved in all issues relating to Downtown. We focus on long-term planning and growth, legislation effecting downtown commercial and public activities and provide a global perspective to challenges we face in the changing marketplace. We continue to foster a comprehensive maintenance and operational program with the City of Santa Monica. Our enhanced marketing and promotional programs position us to better compete with limited shopping and entertainment dollars. The coordinated street performer monitoring continues to make a substantial difference in the entertainment and cultivates a pleasant atmosphere for all visitors. Over the last six months, a number of significant issues have affected the Downtown area. Not only have sales dropped due to a soft economy and the threat of additional terrorism, but thirteen months of municipal construction and countless private construction projects limited access to the Downtown area. These factors have helped spotlight an increase in the number of transients concentrated in the downtown area, and the public health and safety issues that accompany this population. Bayside Efforts High on the agenda for BDC, is the balance of uses on the Third Street Promenade. One Board member participates in this Task Force, and BDC staff acts as one of the staff positions. The Downtown Parking Task Force recommendations which were approved by city Council late last year, will be followed through the Environmental Impact Report process to ensure additional parking will be built. After three years of planning, new Holiday décor will be built and installed on the Promenade and in the District. This effort will have a major marketing component with the goal of attracting a large number of regional visitors throughout the season. The calendar of events will culminate in a New Years Eve event on the Promenade. Maintenance work in the downtown has reached a difficult crossroads. Much of our infrastructure has aged beyond its reasonable lifetime, and is therefore more and more difficult to maintain. This year we will establish a document that outlines the needs and the associated costs and present it to City Council for funding. 19 The Board will also continue its work on public safety researching and presenting changes in legislation, partnerships with social service agencies and work with the Santa Monica Police Department. As always, limited resources make our mission a challenge. We vie for the same shopper who has many, many choices and is bombarded with advertising from our competitors. BDC is committed to maintaining the economic vitality of the Downtown, and with adequate support and resources, we will continue to be the destination of choice for years to come. 20 Operations Overview The Bayside District Corporation Operations and Maintenance Department’s objective is to make certain that the District’s levels of maintenance, public safety, and customer service meet the high standards of the BDC. This goal must be consistent in all public facilities within the Bayside and Downtown District. The Bayside District Corporation Operations Department coordinates with The City of Santa Monica Resource Management Division to ensure the completion of special maintenance and District improvement objectives. This coordination consists of all project phases, from conception to completion, including: job initiation, qualification, request for bids, and all other necessary steps. It is the mandate of the Operations Department to work directly with the necessary City of Santa Monica maintenance departments in order to meet its objectives. This work includes the initiation of Work Requests for general repair projects relating to electrical, landscaping, construction, graffiti removal, lighting, and pest control. The Bayside District Corporation will also work with The City on projects that impact the Downtown District. The BDC monitors and assists in the management of these projects (including the Downtown Transit Mall, and all other Capital Improvement Projects in the District). The Operations Department is also responsible for maintaining its role as the chief liaison between tenants and all City-owned property. The Bayside District Corporation coordinates the repairs to these facilities, as well as provide guidance to these tenants in their relations with The City. The City and the BDC must also work in conjunction in the processing and operation of the Outdoor Dining Agreements and the enforcement of sign compliance with the Downtown District. Objectives ? Create a strong Downtown “brand” that is visibly recognizable throughout the District • Make informed recommendations to The City and Bayside Board on major operations projects with the District. • Develop solid, dependable relationships with The City to ensure Bayside Operations Department effectiveness throughout the District in projects relating to maintenance issues, standards of cleanliness, and all other District projects and daily tasks. 21 • Advocate for all merchants within the Downtown District Maintain a strict and timely schedule on all repeated projects to ensure the optimal effectiveness of the maintenance cycle. Strategies Since the Bayside District Corporation has no jurisdiction or authority over City Staff, we must build healthy, solid relationships to achieve our objectives. The BDC meets this challenge by maintaining constant communication with City Staff and working in a partnership to keep the Downtown District operating a high level to match our standards. On larger projects, the BDC will initiate efforts to facilitate the City’s selection of contractors and special maintenance orders while maintaining City policies. The BDC’s mitigation efforts will allow the City to focus its time spent on Downtown District projects while furthering the BDC’s goals of maintaining consistent standards of operations, maintenance, customer service, and public safety. Projects The following projects are budgeted and managed through the Bayside District Corporation. Tree Lights on Third Street Promenade • Twice a year the trees on the Promenade are trimmed, and new lights are installed or refurbished. (April, September) Back-lit Promenade Directories • Twice each year the backlit directories and maps on the Promenade are updated and replaced. In addition, replacements are installed for broken or damaged signs. We also perform routine maintenance on the plexi-glass pieces that cover the directories. Dolphin Change Program • Coordinate and oversee cash pick-up, repairs to money collection box and safes throughout the Downtown. (on-going) Holiday Decor and Lighting Program • 22 The Bayside District Corporation has embarked on the new, and exciting challenge, of upgrading our Holiday Décor for the 2002 holiday season. The BDC has hired the design firm Ramsey Avery Design to produce a new décor concept and then, with the Bayside’s help, manage the vendors responsible for production, installation, and strike. The conceptual theme created by Ramsey Avery Design is of the Downtown District as a winter wonderland. On the Promenade itself, fiberglass lit ice flows will surround our dinosaur courts, and large lit ice trees will reside in the court areas. The Promenade fountains will splash into an icy reservoir. Overhead, on strung cable, lights will illuminate hanging ice shards, causing light to reflect throughout the Promenade. We will turn off our usual Promenade tree lighting, so the overhead lights will seemingly lower the “stars and sky” to create a more intimate setting below. Also, ice shards will hang from light poles throughout the Downtown District creating a sense of unity stretching beyond the Third Street Promenade. Ramsey Avery Design, with direct supervision from the Bayside District Corporation, has thus far completed the design phase of the project. The BDC has approved these designs as well as several physical mock-ups of certain ice items. In these instances, we installed portions of the project (light pole ice shards to be hung throughout the Downtown District and ice shards and lighting to be placed directly over the Third Street Promenade) and reviewed them to assure their compatibility with the environment and to be certain that every item meets our high standards of safety in the public space. Currently, our production company is in the process of creating the molds that will form our ice sculptures. Once these are complete, we will review them as well. We will begin the installation and testing of all of the holiday elements once project production is complete. The installation phase begins no later than November 15, 2002, in time for our holiday event on November 23, 2002. The strike of holiday décor will take place no later than January 15, 2002. The following projects are budgeted through the City of Santa Monica Resource Management Department. Bayside District Corporation works in conjunction with this Department to coordinate maintenance projects in the District. The Maintenance and Operations Department typically oversee these efforts. Routine Maintenance Projects 23 Routine maintenance items are generally on-going projects that are required to keep the District’s high standards intact. Projects in this category may include, but are not limited to the following: • Kiosk cleaning 2x/ year • Concrete/dinosaurs chemically washed 2x/year (environmentally sound) • Bayside sidewalk deep cleaning 4x/year • Paint lamp poles and Promenade directories 1x/year • Kiosk door maintenance annually / as needed • 2nd/4th St. decorative tree light maintenance monthly • Decorative tree lights 2nd/4th 1x/year • Kiosk window washing monthly • Awning cleaning Parking Structure #5 2x/year • Alley banner repair as needed • Pest Management monthly / as needed ? Deep cleaning of 2nd and 3rd Court alleys 1x/year ? Dinosaur Repair as needed ? Parking Structure Sign Maintenance as needed ? Deep cleaning of 4 crosswalks 4x/year Special Maintenance Projects Special maintenance items are those projects that are longer lasting once repairs or replacement is completed. Several items on this list require immediate attention given the age of the Promenade. ? Replacement of 7 trashcans on the Promenade that are in poor condition. ? Replace half of the existing Promenade benches with new chairs in the same style. 24 th I. Improve the lighting in the Downtown District by lighting the trees on 6 th and 7 and the cross streets within the District after determining available power within these streets. II. Manage the production and installation of the new Holiday Day Décor 2002 project to be used this holiday season. III. Replace existing Bayside phone panels with newer panels that are six times stronger. IV. Replace existing Promenade tree lighting with more energy efficient and safer lights that provide the same amount of illumination. V. Explore the option of installing an audio system in Center Court. VI. Install custom planters to be placed on all pedestals on the three dinosaur courts. Goals for Department • Improve the communication/timelines for all projects and maintenance occurring within the Downtown • Improve the operation and cleanliness of the Downtown parking structures by conducting regular walk-throughs of the areas with City Staff and Standard Parking representatives. • Continue to expand the Bayside District operational functions throughout the Downtown as budget allows. • Increase compliance with City sign ordinance. • Improve the overall maintenance and cleanliness of the District. 25 Marketing Overview The Bayside District is a thriving shopping, dining, entertainment and tourism destination consisting of Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade. The Marketing Department will continue its efforts in drawing tourists, the drive market and locals to the area through advertising and holding special events. We will continue to strengthen our public relations via our newsletter and website as well as our merchant relations by hosting regular merchant meetings. Objective Bayside District will continue its marketing campaign targeting regional residents and tourists. Bayside has made great steps in building presence with the local community and we will continue these efforts. Market the Bayside District - Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade- as - a shopping and entertainment district. Drive foot traffic to the district - Build strong relations with downtown merchants and businesses in order to understand - their needs and issues. Build awareness of the Bayside District Corporation - Strategies We will market the Bayside District by using the tagline - Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade - in all advertising. Our efforts to drive traffic will focus on advertising campaigns, creating awareness of merchant events and publicizing special events that take place on Third Street Promenade. We will build merchant and business relations by having regular merchant meetings and we will build awareness of the Bayside District Corporation via our Bayside Beat newsletter and website. Marketing Campaign Advertising The advertising budget limits most of our ads to print media. Both color and black and white print ads are placed in various publications - targeting tourists, regional residents or locals. Targeting Tourists It is important to be consistent when targeting the tourist market. Ads will appear in the monthly tourist publication, Where Magazine. The Bayside District will be highlighted on the new Santa Monica City Map featuring a distinct call-out section with our logo. There will also be a special section for Bayside in the annual Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau Guide. Targeting the Regional/Drive Market 26 Bayside will place ads in special editorial issues of regional publications to help generate awareness to the drive market. Examples of editorial issues that we would consider include “American Film Market”, “Best of LA”, “Summer Dining” and “Fashion ”. Publications with these special editorials include LA Weekly, New Times and LA Magazine. Targeting Locals Bayside District Corporation will initiate creating a local Downtown Santa Monica co-op advertising section for our merchants. We will create a general layout and contribute to the cost of the spread. Bayside’s contribution will result in discount rates for participating merchants. Publications that will be considered include the Argonaut and Santa Monica Mirror. Bayside has web button advertising on the local news site - The Lookout, surfsantamonica.com. An annual ad is also placed in the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Directory. Public Relations The Bayside Beat is a monthly, informative newsletter that provides news, analysis and features of interest for the people in Downtown Santa Monica. The newsletter has proven to be a strong PR vehicle for the Bayside District Corporation. The Marketing Department coordinates stories, photos, design and printing each month in order to produce the newsletter. The Bayside Beat is broken down into several sections: The Lead story – an article that focuses on the hot topic of the month The Word – a “state of business” column written by Ed Moosbrugger The Wrap – a wrap up of the monthly Bayside Board meetings The Hall – a wrap up of the City of Santa Monica Council Meetings The Street – an article on construction and/or operational issues Take Five – a focus on a local personality Check It Out – a thematic focus on local services and merchants Time Warp – historical photo or Event Highlight - photo/information News, Moves & Changes – a running list of recently closed and newly opened businesses The Bayside Beat has developed a strong following of community readers and over the past year, we have increased its distribution. The newsletter is distributed for free to residents, workers, property owners and merchants in Downtown. The newsletter is also dropped off at key locations including the Santa Monica information kiosk, Santa Monica Library, Ken Edwards Center, City Hall, Emeritus College and the Senior Rec. Center. As a service to our merchants, Bayside will explore advertising opportunities in the Bayside Beat for Downtown businesses. 27 The “End of Construction” ad campaign creates awareness for the newly completed Transit Mall. The campaign consists of print ads inviting the public to see the ‘new’ and ‘improved’ Downtown Santa Monica. Ad placement will include the Argonaut, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica Bay Week, Santa Monica Daily Press and the Palisadian Post. Bayside District Corporation will be a major partner in the Shop Santa Monica campaign. This campaign encourages locals to support Santa Monica merchants during the holidays and features print ads, street banners, light banners, parking garage banners, bus sides, a web page and television spots. The Marketing Department will be instrumental in coordinating vendors and advertising on behalf of the partnership. Press releases, calendar listings, news and feature story submissions are regularly submitted to local media for coverage. Visitor’s Guide and Backlit Directories The Visitor’s Guide is an all-in-one marketing tool that combines informative copy, an area map and a business directory. Bayside District Corporation retains Certified Folder to distribute over 70,000 guides to hotels, car rental offices and visitor centers in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Guide is also used as part of presentation packets for business meetings. This year the Visitor’s Guide will be updated and mailed out to all residents of Santa Monica to promote our local merchants. There are twelve backlit directories located on the Third Street Promenade. The backlit cases are double-sided. One side features a listing of all the businesses in the downtown area with a map and legend. The design of the directories has been streamlined and color-coded and also features a “you are here” symbol to aid orientation. The second side features an “Every Color Under the Sun” branding panel for Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade. The 1200 block features “True Blues”, the 1300 block features “Tangerine Dreams” and the 1400 block features “Red Hot”. Both the Visitor’s Guide and the backlit directories will be updated with new merchants. Website Bayside District Corporation website URL is www.downtownsm.com .The site has proven to be an invaluable resource for residents and tourists. The website is broken down into several pages including “Home” – general information “About Us” - featuring historical information, a photo gallery link, a parking information link and a contact information link “What’s Happening”-featuring an events calendar “Business Directory” - listing area merchants by category and via a search option. 28 The Marketing Department continues to work on improving the website. . We will secure www.thirdstreetpromenade.com as a search URL so when “third street promenade” is typed into a search engine, it will point to our current website www.downtownsm.com. The speed and search options will continue to be improved in order to handle growing traffic. Marketing will also field all of the general e-mail requests from the website and will update sections of the website on a weekly basis. Events The Marketing Department fields hundreds of requests to hold events on Third Street Promenade. There is an application and review process for these requests and we make sure that the events enhance the community and generate traffic to the downtown area. Events are broken down into three categories: Community Events, Merchant Events and Commercial Events. Bayside District Corporation also hosts a number of annual events that benefit the community. Chamber of Commerce Health Fair Bayside District Corporation is a sponsor of the Chamber’s Health Fair that features local health and medical services. The Health Fair takes place twice a year and is free to the community. Senior Day Senior Day is co-sponsored by Bayside District Corporation and The Commission for Older Americans. The event is free to senior citizens and features a free movie, lunch, dancing and door prizes. The Marketing Department coordinates, production, donations, publicity and the program for the day. Holiday Open House and Sale Fit for a Scrooge Bayside District Corporation (in conjunction with Santa Monica Place) will again host a Holiday Open House and Sale fit for a Scrooge. This grand event is a continuation from last year and Bayside hopes the event grows into a community tradition. Bayside creates a festive atmosphere for holiday shoppers in order to encourage their patronage. Bayside provides three stages of theatrical, musical and community entertainment. A Promenade gift-wrapping cart is set up during the event in exchange for open donations. Bayside encourages all downtown merchants to be involved by producing in-store contests. The Holiday Open House and Sale fit for a Scrooge is heavily advertised and press releases are sent to local and regional news outlets. Summer Concert Series The newest Bayside District Corporation sponsored event is the Summer Concert Series. We have partnered with LA club, Spaceland to book up and coming talent. The Series began on July 5, 2002 with the intention to provide musical entertainment in the Center Court area. We 29 hope that the Summer Concert Series will grow in its notoriety and be known as a gathering spot for the lunchtime crowd. Special Projects Dolphin Change Program Bayside will be involved in marketing the Dolphin Change Program in order to create greater awareness. A prominent page for the Program will continue to be incorporated into the Third Street Promenade and Downtown Santa Monica 2002-2003 Visitors Guide. Bayside has also produced a 30 second Dolphin Change Program Public Service Announcement through City TV's PSA program. We hope to distribute the spot to local hotels for as part of their in-room viewing. Bayside will continue to market and promote the Dolphin Change Program. Holiday 2002 Bayside District Corporation is building a month-long campaign to market Holiday 2002. In order to create excitement and awareness for the new Downtown Santa Monica holiday décor, our campaign will consist of three main elements. Publicity The new holiday décor presents a wonderful opportunity for press and other media to do holiday features focusing on Downtown Santa Monica. There will be several press releases emphasizing different aspects of the campaign such as the custom design, the creation of “a new holiday tradition” and the event schedule that will be furnished to the media in order to gain publicity coverage. Events We are planning a series of great events during the holidays. The tentative schedule includes: November 23 - “Flip of the Switch” lighting celebration. The Santa Monica community and Santa Monica officials will be invited to join us as we “Flip the Switch” and experience the first viewing of the fantastic lighting décor on Third Street Promenade. December 1 - Hanukah This year’s Hanukah Celebration will be enhanced by a partnership with the Skirball Museum and Cultural Center. Bayside will host the Skirball as they present a children’s arts & crafts project, children’s story-telling and an on-going docent presentation of Hanukah and the Jewish culture during the holiday. December 7 & 8 - Holiday Open House and Sale Fit for A Scrooge. Bayside District Corporation continues this weekend event featuring Scrooge giving away prizes to shoppers. Music and a theatrical presentation of “A Christmas Carol” are highlights of the festivities. 30 December 31 – New Years Eve Countdown Bayside will partner with local radio to present a New Years Eve Countdown. There will be music, contests and prizes given away as we ring in the new year. Advertising and Promotion In order to create awareness for the Holiday 2002 in Downtown Santa Monica, we will need to aggressively advertise. A newly customized ad campaign will be designed for the holidays. Elements will include an oversize postcard, over the street banners and print layouts. The oversize color postcard will be mailed out to residents and inserted into Seascape. The postcard will also be distributed to schools and local organizations. The print advertising will be placed in daily, weekly and monthly publications. Bayside District Corporation will be partnering with a local radio station to build up the awareness for the Holidays. This partnership will target radio listeners through promotional radio mentions. It will also provide an opportunity to merchants to gain airtime via giveaways. The station will also provide radio talent at key events during the holidays. Goals Develop more link opportunities for the website The Internet will play an increasing role in raising awareness about the district. It will be important to research “linking” opportunities with high volume tourist sites such as Time Out LA, Fodor's and Frommers as well as local sites. Increase advertisingfrequency It is important to build awareness for Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade by increasing the frequency in print media. More consumer impressions of our campaign will help build public awareness. Research will also be done in partnering with merchants and restaurants to create "Special Advertising Supplements" in various publications. Build distribution for BaysideBeat Newsletter The Bayside Beat Newsletter list consists of merchants, businesses and residents. Current circulation is 2000. We will use resources from the City of Santa Monica and Execumail to build up our mailing lists. We will also take advantage of City events i.e.) Twilight Dance Series as an opportunity to distribute the newsletter. Artist Liaison Program 31 Overview In 1999 a new street performers’ ordinance was adopted by the City of Santa Monica to regulate the growing number of performers on both the Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier. It was the City’s intention that a civilian monitor operate as a conduit between the performers, the police and the venue’s merchants in order to promote an environment mutually beneficial to all the area’s stakeholders. The Bayside District was chosen to house this new position, and the Artist Liaison program came into existence in fall 1999. The first year of the program was largely devoted to establishing a functional method of achieving what the Ordinance required. One example of this would be rotation. Rotation was accomplished by creating a graphic representation of the Promenade and tracking the performers’ locations throughout the day during each two-hour period. This subsequently evolved into a forward-looking system that beyond simply tracking performers actually helped the performers negotiate the complicated movements that rotation requires. The system serves both the needs of the district and the needs of the performers. It also reduces the amount of tension generated at the moment of rotation by allowing us to see far enough into the future to know, for example, that two incompatible types of performance were too close to each other for either to be successful. These types of problems could now be corrected before they began and this became the model of regulation the Artists Liaison program strives to produce. Objectives To maintain a productive relationship between the District, the City, the Police Department and the performers utilizing public space in Santa Monica. To foster and enhance communication between each of these entities in order to focus on the mutually beneficial aspects of the relationships. To continue to support the development of an independent Performers’ association that can take political action on its own behalf. To assist the performers in devising ways to use the narrower performance zone along the Transit Malls in such a way as to enhance those spaces. Strategies The Performers Code comes up for re-evaluation on a biannual basis. The Artist Liaison spends considerable time in the months leading up to these Council meetings talking 32 with the Performance community, The PRC, The Bayside District, the City Attorney and the Police Department in order to find common ground that can be expanded upon and to reduce the inherent suspicion between the Performers and the City by clearly translating what it is that both sides are seeking through any proposed changes. As always, we will strive to finds way to foster and promote the development of Santa Monica’s street performers. This includes various concert series to highlight the musical talent available in the district as well as a continued effort to guide outside talent agencies toward our substantial talent base. The Artist Liaison is currently interviewing applicants for monitors who will be cross- trained both on the Pier and the Promenade. Through this hire we will be able to provide more consistent coverage on the Pier and some much needed flexibility in scheduling coverage of the Promenade. 33 Bayside District Corporation 2002/2003 Staff Executive Director Kathleen Rawson Operations Manager Andrew Thomas Marketing Manager Marivi Valcourt Artist Liaison Steele Smith Administrative Assistant Linn Wile Administrative Assistant Maria Fotopoulos Performer Monitor Liliana Magallanes Board of Directors Ruth Elwell Ann Greenspun Art Harris Patricia Hoffman Henry Lichtman Wally Marks David Martin Rob Rader Bill Tucker John Warfel Marvin Zeidler 34 35