1. MMANC Annual Conference Creating a Downtown from Scratch
November 2017

2. City Center Project
The aim in building City Center Bishop Ranch is to create an animated civic space that serves the community in many ways, night and day, in every season.
With a one-acre piazza at its heart, open to the sky and graced with trees, City Center brings to San Ramon a public place at once welcoming and entertaining. A subtly integrated stage allows for weekly and seasonal events.
Quality shops, restaurants and movie theaters provide the commercial elements essential to the suburban lifestyle. And the light palette of materials gives the whole of the center a luminous quality, an openness and transparency that encourage people of every generation to gather and return. 
City Center Bishop Ranch will be home to approximately 60 stores and restaurants in 300,000 square feet.
A Video Overview (2min 30 sec)

3. City Center is Everything Government Is Not
Government, especially local municipalities, do not build retail like this project
The project is funded by the developer, no city funds are involved
Hardest thing about this is – you can’t control anything!
Difficult for the public to understand and for your elected officials/committee members to understand.
So where do we come in . . .

4. Partnerships
The City of San Ramon Can Partner with the Developer to Augment Their Work
You need to have a balanced, fair and equitable process for all customers
But still recognize that Sunset Development is a major business partner in the community
You can take small steps, better service level - Inspections expedited through on site employees and weekend inspections
The City created an electronic plan submittal process to help this project move forward efficiently
You talk, meet, and respond to the needs of the developer

5. Focus on What You Can Control
San Ramon City Hall
The City turned a land deal into a construction trade.
Sunset built a 44,000 square foot City Hall for the City.
Project built with private resources – much more affordable for the City
San Ramon Library
The City renovated the existing library to create a Civic Area near the City Center
Funds to build the library came from the sale of the old City Hall Building.
Overcrossing
The City focused resource on an overcrossing on the local arterial to enhance traffic flow in the area.
Because government can build bridges!

6. Bring in New Resources
City of San Ramon broke away from the regional Tourism District
Funds ($500,000 per year) were returned to local control by local hotels to promote San Ramon
City staff works in partnership with Discover San Ramon to help them market the community
Marketing focused on a destination experience which is City Center!