The Project is “Revitalizing Downtown Bakersfield: Live, Work, Play” and represents the continued implementation of the Making Downtown Vision Plan. The Project includes planning activities to help the continued redevelopment of Bakersfield’s downtown and historic neighborhoods to the east and south commonly known as Old Town Kern, Oleander, Sunset, and Lakeview.

The City of Bakersfield, in partnership with other government agencies and community-based organizations, seek proposals from experienced community development consultant firms or individual consultants to initiate planning activities related to affordable housing, workforce development, and alternative transportation in downtown Bakersfield. These planning activities include an Affordable Housing Site Analysis; Workforce Development Demographic and Labor Market Study; and an Alternative Transportation, Housing, and Workforce Development Prioritization Plan. Ultimately, these planning activities provide the framework and strategy for neighborhood transformation with a prioritized list of “shovel ready” projects aligning with Transformative Climates Communities’ strategies and objectives that reduce GHG emissions and achieve public health, environmental, and economic benefits.

The downtown area serves as the City’s main employment center and hub for government offices, hospitals, and entertainment venues. The most prominent land uses are commercial and industrial with a range of retail, office, hospitals, government services, and public facilities. Downtown was also a former redevelopment area where projects included the transformation of an irrigation canal into a linear park; redevelopment of the City’s central park; and investment in affordable housing and infrastructure have been a part of downtown redevelopment efforts. Through the Downtown Vision Plan process, Bakersfield residents, business owners, officials, and other community organizations and stakeholders developed a 30-year plan to make downtown more walkable, multi-model, sustainable, and livable with proposed infrastructure upgrades and an implementation strategy that stimulates economic growth and development. The Project purpose is intended to build on these efforts and initiate implementation of the Vision Plan.

The Project is funded through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program by a planning grant. The planning grant funds various activities in disadvantaged communities that may be eligible for future TCC Implementation grants. The City’s Project focuses on TCC priorities that directly benefit vulnerable communities and are defined within existing plans and further development in the planning area. The focus of TCC is place-based which requires a holistic understanding of community needs and direct involvement from community members.

Get full details at https://bakersfieldcity.us/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?t=44125.8&BlobID=33307.