Downtown Santa Rosa

To strengthen downtown vitality and economic performance, we support:

• Expansion of public art and cultural amenities
• Enhanced pedestrian-level lighting and safety improvements
• Increased walkability, including temporary street closures to support pedestrian access and commerce
• Targeted incentives for businesses that provide services, activities, and experiences in the downtown core
• Support for facade improvement programs and targeted incentives for both new tenants and property owners to activate vacant storefronts

Given ongoing staffing limitations and capacity constraints within the City of Santa Rosa, we support expanded collaboration with qualified external organizations to advance research, planning, and project implementation. Leveraging outside resources can help move priority initiatives forward more efficiently and reduce delays.

To maximize the return on investment in Courthouse Square, we support strategic use of city resources, including land and incentives, to encourage critical housing and commercial developments downtown.

• Expansion of housing opportunities downtown
• Incentives to attract employment and business opportunities downtown
• Investment in events and cultural programming downtown
• Beautification, lighting, and wayfinding improvements
• Addressing public safety issues
• Addition of essential services, such as grocery stores, performing arts venues, and meeting/event spaces
• Utilization of public land for housing and redevelopment opportunities

Continued investment in placemaking is essential to attracting residents, visitors, and employers. Placemaking is a key driver of economic development, helping to attract and retain businesses, boost tourism, and foster community pride and engagement. Creating vibrant, welcoming spaces enhances the downtown experience and delivers long-term economic and community benefits. We support investment in downtown as a family-friendly destination that promotes livability, strengthens community identity, and creates lasting benefits for future generations.

Together, these investments enhance the downtown’s appeal, safety, and accessibility—making it a destination for residents, businesses, and visitors alike. They increase property values, expand the tax base, attract new employers and jobs, reduce commuting, and stimulate local spending. By driving tourism, foot traffic, and cultural activity, and by activating underused spaces into vibrant hubs of activity, these initiatives generate sustained economic growth and a resilient downtown.

Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs) are an important tool to fund critical infrastructure while supporting housing and commercial development. By aligning infrastructure investment with development goals, EIFDs help incentivize projects in priority areas. We support the strategic use of EIFDs throughout Sonoma County to advance planned growth and long-term economic vitality. Santa Rosa and Sonoma County lose significant convention business due to a lack of adequate convention space. Downtown Santa Rosa is an ideal location for the development of a convention center based on the proximity of parking, commercial, arts, restaurant, and retail. The development of a convention center would significantly enhance downtown vitality and generate substantial regional economic benefits.

Support of our downtown businesses is key to economic growth and vibrancy. Available commercial space should be leveraged to attract new businesses to Sonoma County, particularly as evolving workforce and transportation patterns have expanded location flexibility and increased Sonoma County’s competitiveness. We encourage strategic and timely spending of park development fees from downtown projects, through community-informed priorities, into art, parks, and recreation that strengthen downtown vibrancy.