Business leaders unveil new vision for downtown

Unusual coalition of wine, ranching and arts leaders offer plan for new plaza

LIVERMORE » A proposal to revitalize this wine country downtown with a new central plaza, small theater, science museum, artisan shops, galleries, and a boutique hotel was unveiled last week by a group of business, ranching, wine and arts leaders.

To make the plan sweeter with a larger village green and public open space, a Livermore livestock and rodeo group is offering to let more houses be built elsewhere in town so fewer units are needed in the 8.2-acre downtown planning area.

In exchange for this concession, the Livermore Stockmen Association wants the central plaza and park to be named “Stockman” in recognition of Livermore’s longtime ties with the cattle ranching industry.

The large plaza would give Livermore a central place for festivals, other public events or just places for visitors to relax such as squares in the wine-county towns of Sonoma, Windsor and Paso Robles, the group said.

“The ‘Unified’ concept captures the needs of the community and celebrates the rich and complex 220-year cultural heritage of Livermore as the community diversified from early California ranching to wine growing, national laboratories, technology start-ups, hospitality and the performing arts,” the ad hoc group wrote in a report. “It marks a unique collaboration.”

In addition to the Stockmen, the group includes the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group, and Livermore Shakespeare Festival.

The groups banded together to produce their conceptual vision for the downtown as the Livermore City Council prepares to meet Monday to discuss downtown priorities and the next steps for developing a downtown plan. A city advisory committee has held months of public meetings on the topic.

“Many of us agreed there wasn’t enough focus on the open space and cultural aspects because they were being overshadowed by the debate on where to locate the hotel,” said David Kent, a retired wine association executive who is acting as spokesman for the ad hoc group. “We’re saying, ‘Let’s figure out the open space first while the city continues to study the pros and cons of the hotel location.’ ”

Crucial to the proposal is the Stockman Park and Plaza, a large village green that would serve as the anchor of the downtown. Located around the plaza would be artisan shops, art galleries, shops, a science museum above a parking lot, and a 150-seat theater, smaller and less traditional than the existing 500-seat Bankhead Theatre.

A privately funded Livermore Science and Society Museum would offer exhibits on climate, sustainable agriculture, astronomy and space travel, according to the report.

An old downtown area with brick buildings called Blacksmith Square would be expanded with artisan shops and galleries, rather than torn down as some local residents have suggested, Kent said.

The Livermore Stockmen’s and Rodeo Association holds a wild card in downtown planning because it once owned vacant land near City Hall and solid the property on the condition that it was reserved for public uses such as a park, and not for housing.

But the Stockmen’s Association said it’s willing to allow housing on the property, enabling the city to raise money to pay off some $14.5 million in housing fees it dipped into to buy land in the downtown. This arrangement would make it financially feasible to provide more open space and less housing in the downtown, Kent said.

City officials said it is too early to assess the proposal, but they are pleased that the months of public meetings by a downtown advisory committee has stimulated many ideas.

“It’s great that we’re getting these ideas from the public,” said City Manager Mark Roberts. “I think this proposal certainly adds to the public discussion.”

Kent said the organizations in the committee have pledged to raise at least $1 million to help bring about the cultural elements in the proposal.

Contact Denis Cuff at 925-9438267.