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Bakersfield College - March 24, 2000

Our Slogan:
� The best kept secret in California
� Working together for a better tomorrow
� The Heart of California
� Bakersfield - If you haven't been there lately, you haven't been there!
� Bakersfield-the Best of California


Our Image:
� Cultural center
� Vibrant
� Family oriented
� Clean!
� Friendly
� Modern
� Business center of the South San Joaquin Valley
� Silicon Valley of the Southern Valley
� Culturally diverse
� A place to visit and have fun when you were on vacation
� A little bit country, a little bit Rock N Roll


Our Reputation:
� Great hospitality
� We enjoy our familes, friends, & visitors
� Safe
� Smart
� Ethical
� Diverse
� A place to get a high dollar job in a pleasant living area
� Excellent place to get a vocational education


Business Environment:
� More job for children - to feel good about themselves
� Knowledge based
� Jobs/professional opportunities
� High tech/high pay jobs that support oil & Ag - process, package, etc. here
� Tourism = economic development "We are a destination"
� Fair to all participants
� Access to Federal Courts


Arts & Culture:
� Lincoln Center Complex
� Performing Arts Center (free for the children)
� Larger Art Museum
� Noon concerts downtown
� Historic theatre districe and arts and cultural center
� Youth oriented concerts
� More than just the Crystal Palace
� Keep our Symphony - new facility


Education:
� Vocational education
� Computer Tech/Science Univ.


Heart of the City:
� More recreation for teens: teen club 15-18 yers; Recreation Center
� Promote urban village community - residences, shops, recreation in the heart of the city
� Easy transport from everywhere to the heart of town - for business, entertainment, shopping, dining and seeing people
� Homeless in homes outside of city limits
� More boutique shopping
� Famous Medical Center -Ex: UCLA/USC


Technology:
� Virtual reality entertainment complex
� Center for high tech development in oil & ag and "new industries"


Our Values:
� Collaboration
� Honesty
� We Care About Kids
� MidWestern - strong work ethic - still
� Family values
� Embracing our differences


Transportation:
� Circulari - Beltway
� Airline connections
� Hi-speed rail system
� Metro Rail System: Rosedale-Downtown
� Light rail/Expressways
� Shuttle from hotels and major centers to recreation/art/sports areas
� Major airlines


Biggest Changes:
� Financial district
� Knowledge based economy
� Loop freeway
� Nordstroms
� Downtown is (again) the major site of business, entertainment, & govt.
� Theme park
� Bakersfield - as far South as you can get in Northern California


Break Thrus:
� Acceptance of cultural differences
� Valley Fever
� Great grandkids not afraid to go out on Halloween


Looking Back I'm Most Proud of�
� The Vision 2020 process!
� �being involved


What is our Vision for Our Economy over the Next 10-20 years?
� Destination Market - tourism - sports & entertainment
� More technology business
� A haven for professionals
� Complaints from L.A. Chamber of Commerce of flights of businesses to Bakersfield
� Shopping & restaurants around professional office buildings
� Neighborhoods built to last
� Less reliance on oil/agriculture
� Clean industry
� Promote image of economic activity by development and concentration of high-rises in downtown area
� Knowledge based cow �?
� Educating hispanics about ressources available to them
� Show people how to get involved more for children


What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
� Airport access
� Plan to apply for all grant issues - used more widely in other areas
� Tax incentives for new development that stays within the 2020 or 2010 plans
� Solid diverse economy
� Youth job development (training)
� Youth internships in farm businesses -volunteer organizations


What kind of Jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
� Computer technology
� Good teachers
� Major manufacturing
� Excellence in education beyond secondary level
� Craftment to support new and existing industries
� Professionals: architects, doctors, lawyers
� Multinational businesses - manufacturing and technology
� High tech corporate offices
� Light industrial/manufacturing
� Health care
� Technology support services


Our Vision for Downtown:
� Remove Hwy 178 in Downtown
� Light rail alaong Truxtun to Rosedale, along Union, Proceed from downtown to the Northeast
� Green belt along 34th
� Big Park in center
� Fresaurant Fow
� Fountains
� Hi storied walking/working
� Baseball stadium
� Federal Court and Federal Agencies on California and Chester
� Busines corridor on Lakeview
� Indoor shopping mall on Truxturn and Union
� Outdoor shopping mall closed to traffic, e.g. Santa Monica
� Recreation Complex - Nascar/Softball/water Park/hiking pathe, etc.
� Focus on the River - cleanup and beautify
� Beautification of Hwy 99 of entrances to the city - Monument signs both ends of 99
� Crystal Palace and more ET clubs
� Baseball stadiumat the Metro Rec. Center - Museum grounds
� UC Medical Center near Columbus
� Urban residentail area
� Cut and cover Hwy 178
� Historic Theatre district on Chester
� Green belt along California
� Small police substations scattered around
� Upscale shopping mall (Nordstrom)
� Antique Row along H St. with more eateries
� Beyond H.S. education center between Union and Chester - also Senior Housing
� High density housing and good day-to-day shopping between Lakeview and Union
� Attach a park to every school
� Professional Men and Women Soccer stadium on Union between Truxtun and California. Also, ice rink ;and YMCA
� Old Town Historic Cultural Center near Beale
� Riverwalk along So. Fork of river
� Retail/parking along Chester - Educ. Center
� Hi rise residential around Riverwalk


In our Community's Future We Wanted and We Got�
� Pedestrians downtown
� Regional youth centers
� Business involvement with K-12 education
� Efficient use of taxpayer dollars
� Recreation complex in Northeast
� New Central Park Downtown
� Horseback riding stables along Kern River Trail
� More restaurants
� More play areas after school
� Bigger Malls
� Nordstroms
� More moral and ethics in school in relation to soslving problems of broken families and new families - in relation to pregnancy - abortion, achievement in school, job level and educational attainmment and all vocational training
� Theme park
� More electric cars
� Pioneer & Fairfax area needs more things for the kids to do: We need swimming pool, arts & crafts, teach children to love themselves and neighborhoods
� All buildings and developments overseen by licensed architect
� Justice for Federal jurors
� High speed rail - downtown
� Ice rink
� To see the mountains more often
� Easpy parking/transport for all civic functions and entertainment
� More bike trails
� Excellence in vocational education
� Retail in-fill/improvement rather than abandonment of existing retail centers
� Neighborhoods built to last a lifetime
� Professional baseball stadium
� Mixed use development
� Big skateboard park


In our Community's Future, We didn't Want and We Didn't Get�
� Congested streets and highways
� No dumping grounds
� Leap-frogging
� Billboards
� Unrestricted growth - stay within the plan
� Dairies (got milk)
� No gas cars
� No forced trips to Fresno
� Gangs
� Urban sprawl and large welfare rolls
� Further loss of prime Ag land to unplanned urban sprawl and cheaply made homes
� No more cheesy housing and neighborhoods
� No more strip malls


2010 Area Map
� Beltway along 7th Standard, Shafte Hwy, Bear Mt. Blvd.
� River all the way through town with restaurants and entertainment
� Keep River native with trees and native habitat in the flood plan, undeveloped area
� Extended bike trails and green belts - Brundage, Gosford, Buena Vista Rd. Stockdale, Mt. Vernon
� High 'rise offices and big park downtown
� Arts amphiteatre
� Federal Court center
� Welcome to Bakersfield signs
� Outlet mall E. of Union
� Industrial Center - Cottonwood
� Baseball stadium - Mt. Vernon and Beale area
� Residential development in the Northeast (E. of 178)
� Recreation/sport complex on Kern Canyon Rd.
� Supermarkets spread out through town
� Incentivize infill in the core of the city
� Landscaped and maintained bike paths - Alfred Harrell


Common Themes
� Beltway
� Environmental issues
� Develop downtown
� Art & recreation centers
� Light rail
� Kern River greenway
� Lots of green
� Youth issues
� Nordstroms
� S.E. blighted area developed
� Educational system to support new industries - vocational training
� Restaurant Tow
� Federal building and court hourse
� High tech/hi paid jobs
� No leapfrog development


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