Posted on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 15:25 — by P5Ret
Ok all you anti-WalMart people it is time to step up, WalMart has informed the city that Oakley is one of the stores that will not be built due to the economy and their stock drop. So how do we replace the needed sales tax revenue that the city needs? Lets all remember that there are not any stores beating on the doors to city hall to let them build. Now is the time to show how much you really care about the city and come up with viable revenue sources, or are we going to be like Vallejo and just sit and complain about how much police and fire costs us. I do not want to have to pay an assessment fee so that we can have public safety protection, the only constitutional requirement of local goverment by the way. So step up and prove that you care and were not just spouting the union mantra of no WalMart.
|
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 70
One concept that should gain a bit of traction would be to enter a partnership with one of those developers that love us so much, and are sitting idle during the construction lull, to build a city owned factory outlet center in the same location that Wal-Mart was supposed to be.
Advantages: Area is already appropriately zoned. Cost sharing would encourage developer involvement. There are no factory outlet centers conveniently located to eastern Contra Costa County so our market demographic would be Walnut Creek/Concord east. As partner, the City would realize more than just sales tax revenue.
Disadvantages: Initial investment would be hard for our young city, may require a loan. Certain liabilities would need to be considered and resolved that are not there for private ownership locations.
If the existing location is not effectively available, there is always the Dow location that is also zoned for industrial. That site has the added advantages of easy access to 160, existing parking, and keeping the added traffic out of the heart of town.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 182
Wonderful Idea leatherneck. =))
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 182
P5-
I've been reading these rumors about no walmart for a week now. Where did you get your info? Unfortunatly I'm not sure convincing anyone to come here at this point would work. The economy is in bad shape and even with the govt giving out checks I personally think its too little too late. I am sure that there is someone working for the city who can begin looking for a nice restraunt or go to place. You know how I feel about walmart so I can say I'm happy to hear they are not coming. I would love to see a Sweet Tomatoes come out here or something along that line that we don't have. The closest thing we have to a decent salad bar is at sizzler which is never my first choice. There are alot of options and that someone in the city hall has the job of enticement for business's. I'd love to see the downtown rejunivated. Borders books would be great also.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 259
My info came from someone in the city, I kinda think outlets would be nice but then again I see how many are empty in the center in Tracy that is right off of 205 a major freeway. The problem with restaurants is that they do not generate sales tax in the volume that a major department store would, the low end estimate that I had heard for WalMart was $250,000 in sales tax a year to the city. I'm not sure if the entire project is dead but without an anchor store you are not going to attract too many smaller retailers. I'm sure this will put alot of the redevelopment plans for downtown on hold as well. The problem with the Dupont property that the city is supposed to get is that there is some contamination that will have to be cleaned up, not to mention a whole lot of prep work destruction of what is left of the old site pipelines ect that are still standing. The plan for that site from what I heard a council meeting was for a single business to build an office on the site, there is a company that was interested I think but that is several years down the road so the city is kinda tight lipped on who it is.