VISTA CITY COUNCIL LAUNCHES ECONOMIC STRATEGY

More biotech jobs, entertainment that attracts people to the city and encouraging entrepreneurial ventures are among the priorities outlined in the Vista Economic Development Strategy accepted unanimously by the Vista City Council last week.

The city already has seen significant infrastructure improvements in recent years, including the $30 million Paseo Santa Fe project that was completed in December after six years of construction and is aimed at helping to revitalize downtown.

The strategy adopted Tuesday doesn’t identify such specific projects but rather is a broad blueprint for improving Vista’s economy and the quality of life for residents.

Roger Dale of the Natelson Dale Group, the consultant contracted to develop the strategy, presented council members with the plan, which

he said would have a shelf life of five years.

Dale said preparation for the strategy included four community workshops, with two taking input from the public and two from businesses.

From those workshops, eight industries were identified as targets for the city to focus on to create jobs and improve the local economy.

Those included biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, information technology such as software development, aerospace/defense and electronic commerce.

Rounding out the list was education and knowledge creation, food and beverage processing such as breweries, which Dale noted already was successful in Vista, and arts and entertainment to strengthen downtown as a destination and a place of community gatherings.

Dale said that as these business sectors begin to grow in the county, they could run out of space in other cities and find a home in Vista.

Among 12 major strategies identified in the plan, Dale said the city should focus on business retention, expansion and attraction of highpriority industries; collaborate with regional partners to help entrepreneurs; and enhance the city’s economic development marketing programs.

Strategies for creating an environment for economic progress include expanding relations with the city’s education and workforce development partners and elevating the city’s reputation for being business and development friendly with a branded program such as “Vista Works,” Dale said.

In another strategy, a commercial center with high vacancy rates can be repurposed for other uses such as industrial, office, residential and mixed use.

The plan also calls for the city to evaluate its zoning and land-use policies to ensure they can accommodate anticipated development and to identify other commercial

areas that need long-term reinvestment or repositioning.

The strategy also noted that connections to downtown can be improved by, as an example, finding more ways to connect with the Sprinter station and creating nearby work places.

Councilwoman Corinna Contreras commented that the transit center does seem disconnected from downtown, and it could be a bigger asset to the city as the area becomes an arts and entertainment destination.

Councilwoman Katie Melendez said she felt the strategy captured the spirit of Vista and how they wanted it to grow, and Councilman Joe Green said he appreciated the workforce development aspect of the plan because he did not find such opportunities when he was growing up in the city.

“I really feel like developing the talent we have here in Vista is going to bring our city to another level,” he said.