Summit offers ways to boost Downtown Lodi's image

Imagine Downtown Lodi with shops open on evenings and Sundays, seasonal displays of vibrantly colored flowers, a profusion of townhouses and retail anchors like Borders and Whole Foods.

These were visions discussed as local business leaders, City Council members, urban planners and the man who redesigned Lodi's Downtown more than a decade ago gathered on Friday.

"School Street in Lodi should have its own identity," said Marco Li Mandri, president of New City America, an urban planning firm. He said it should be a name that generates an image, such as Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco or the Gaslamp District in San Diego.

Li Mandri said one of the biggest needs for Downtown is shops staying open later to keep the area bustling.

"Businesses have to operate like businesses," he said. "Not hobbies that close at 5 p.m."

Another aspect he was adamant about was public beautification. The California native said cities like Chicago and New York have more public beautification in poorer weather than most cities in the Golden State.

"We're idiots when it comes to planting flowers in California," he said.

Li Mandri said having seasonal displays goes a long way in making a downtown a desirable destination, and that the city should be taking advantage of its surroundings more.

Michael Freedman, who is principal at Freedman, Tung and Sasaki, an urban design and city planning firm, said Downtown Lodi is in a great place to move up to the next level. He said Downtown Lodi is at level one and must find ways to attract national retailers to the anchor positions on School Street to move it to level two. He said there are three levels, and rated Walnut Creek as a level three.

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Freedman was the consultant the city hired in the early '90s to design School Street, and many of his plans have been realized.

In 1993, Downtown Lodi looked dramatically different. There were no winetasting rooms, few boutiques and no signs to direct visitors to destinations. After a multi-milliondollar facelift, School Street boasts a revived Downtown with specialty shops and brick pathways.

Freedman said it will not be an easy process, but getting to level one is the hardest and the city has already achieved that.

"People are used to things a certain way," he said. "They wake up every day and figure it's the way it's gonna be."

He said that it was critical that Lodi doesn't compromise its brand and image just to attract a store.

"Do it in the Lodi way," he said. "There is a wonderful feeling here that is not plastic. Be specific with property owners about what you want."

Freedman said focusing on specific areas is the best way for change to happen. He referred to it as taking a rifle approach instead of a shotgun approach. He said one example of a rifle approach would be targeting specific areas on School Street as Wi-Fi hot spots and working the plan, rather than just wanting to get Wi-Fi somewhere Downtown.

Specifically, Freedman wants to see the corner of School Street and Lodi Avenue, where the Pizza Hut is, developed with a daytime anchor, like a supermarket or a bookstore. The store's main entrance would be on School Street and it would feature patio seating and possibly small boutiques as well. The small space could be utilized effectively, Freedman said, by either building the structure taller or coordinating with surrounding businesses to create a new venue.

Freedman said the city has to serve as a facilitator, and businesses must take charge.

He added that developing more living spaces, such as duplexes, townhomes and lofts, is vital to the future of Lodi's Downtown.

Friday's meeting was the first time in more than a decade that community leaders, business owners and urban planners gathered together to discuss the future of Lodi's Downtown. While no specific action was taken, the general consensus among the group at the Downtown Summit was the area needs more informative and engaging signs for drivers and pedestrians, and it needs to poise itself to be a hub for commercial activity in the coming years.

The speakers of the day agreed Downtown Lodi has a good foundation to build from and is in a solid position to take the next step toward becoming a tourist destination.

"I am very proud of Downtown," said city manager Blair King. "This event is part of the puzzle piece. We want to find out how we can keep going forward and not fall back."

In 2008, the California Planning and Development Report named Lodi as having one of the three best small-city downtowns in the state. The success is something the city wants to build upon.

The event was sponsored by F&M Bank, Rosewood Bar and Grill and many others. King said it was not funded by taxpayer money.

The summit took place because the city wanted to meet with planners and community leaders to address everyone's ideas, city spokesman Jeff Hood said.

One of the most prominent ideas shared by the speakers was that Downtown needs to continue to market itself and brand itself uniquely.

The ideas discussed at Friday's summit will continue at Tuesday's City Council meeting, King said.

Q&A with Michael Freedman

Q: What is Downtown Lodi's most pressing need?

A: Lodi is a great place to hang out. The priority is to identify feasible sites for anchor uses. The nighttime anchor, the movie theater, is doing well, but the other end needs a daytime anchor. There is a potentially large space on Lodi Avenue and School Street.

Q: What can be done right now?

A: The most realistic thing to do is increase the number of people living five to 10 minutes away from School Street. Adding townhomes, attached homes and lofts within a quarter mile of School Street is critical.

Q: What other changes should Downtown Lodi make?

A: Downtown should be prepared for the rapid importance of trains and public commuter transit. They should work very hard to get transportation infrastructure to stop here. Studies show people will walk half-a -mile to a rail stop near their residence for a commute.

Q: What is Lodi doing right?

A: Lodi has a great place to walk around. This is a desirable place. It's flat. It's not like San Francisco. There is a good base and there is a wide range of unique stores. It just needs to be taken to the next level.

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