Fremont Argus (Ang)
Thursday, April 19, 2001 4:05 AM MST
Fremont --->hopes to --->revitalize --->downtown
Panel says the future could hold great things
By Alec Rosenberg
STAFF WRITER
FREMONT -- The city's downtown has plenty of potential, but it will
take time for a thriving city center to develop, a panel of experts
said.
City officials should set a vision for downtown, but need to be
flexible, patient and see past the economic downturn, the panel told
the City Council Tuesday night.
The four-member panel, assembled by the city staff, included an
architect, developer, economic consultant and real estate executive.
"The transformation of the area will take a number of years," said
consultant David Zehnder of Economic & Planning Systems. "It's
important to look at this in phases."
Fremont's downtown has been described as a sea of parking with some
buildings in between.
City officials are trying to create a lively downtown where people
want to walk, shop and dine. They have been working more than two
years on a downtown plan, which the council will consider approving in
late July.
The plan will provide a road map to guide downtown development during
the next 20 years.
"(Fremont) has the critical mass to be a great city ... not to be just
the fourth largest city in the Bay Area, but a great city," said Ed
Del Beccaro, an executive with Colliers International, which is
brokering several projects in Fremont.
One of the first things the city should do is change parking policies
and create structured parking, Del Beccaro said.
"There should never be parking in front of a building downtown," he
said.
Also, a lively downtown needs denser development and a mix of
commercial, retail and residential uses, Del Beccaro said.
The Hub shopping center, on the southwest corner of Fremont Boulevard
and Mowry Avenue, could be improved by dividing it into several
walkable blocks and putting parking in the middle, he said.
Fremont has a good opportunity to attract upscale retailers like
Banana Republic, Crate and Barrel, and Restoration Hardware, said
Zehnder, who has advised officials in Union City and Milpitas.
Also, downtown can expect spinoffs from Pacific Commons technology
business park, he said.
Fremont's downtown has a lot going for it -- demographics,
transportation and existing retail -- but it is very suburban and
lacks an icon, said panelist David Neale of Core Development Inc.
City officials hope to create an icon with a new City Hall and
performing arts center, but have to find a way to fund them.
Fremont has pieces of the puzzle -- BART, some retail, some vacant
land, offices and housing -- but they're not linked, said Neale, a
developer who has worked on mixed-use projects in San Jose.
The challenge is to link the uses together, he said.
Building housing is a key part of the mix, said architect and planner
Frank Hyde with Sandy & Babcock International of San Francisco.
"That's what brings the life in the off hours," he said.
Hyde is working on Santana Row, a mixed-use project in San Jose with a
variety of housing, hotels, restaurants and other retail.
"You don't just plop a Disneyland in the middle of town and think that
is a solution," Hyde said. "It's about creating a place for Fremont."
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Alec Rosenberg covers the city of Fremont for The Argus. He can be
reached at (510) 353-7026 or[40] arosenberg@angnewspapers.com.
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