Tracy Press

When assessing how to best boost business in downtown Tracy, getting feedback from consumers might just be important.

The recent stories in the Tracy Press (Our Voice, "Revamp downtown?" and Local, "Building a foundation," Aug. 23) have identified how the downtown merchants are searching for change and improvement to their businesses and the downtown landscape. 

I notice the primary emphasis has been on identifying what the merchants want, but would it not be just as important, probably more so, to ask Tracy residents what they want? 

For example, how about asking potential customers what it would take to make them shop downtown more frequently? How would a customer define a shopping-friendly downtown area? What types of additional shopping and restaurants would residents like to see join the downtown area? Are residents really worried about security downtown? Why is it that residents do not shop and eat downtown?

Try thinking outside the box — or "triangle." 

How about a visit to downtown Livermore and Pleasanton for some obvious ideas? Ask some of the hundreds of visitors on many nights what it is that draws them to those two thriving downtown areas. What can Tracy copy that might work? 

Notice how Livermore forced traffic to slow down by creating single-lane traffic through its main street (First Street). How about considering doing the same to Tracy’s downtown 11th Street? Reduce traffic to one lane, and you succeed in slowing down all that commuter traffic. You now have a captive audience. 

The next step is to give all that traffic a reason to stop and shop. That’s where your consultant earns his keep. 

By the way, I would contend that many residents do not eat and shop downtown because most establishments are closed after about 5 p.m. Do the merchants realize Tracy is a commuter community? That means residents are not home or in Tracy during the downtown’s business hours. Have the merchants considered staying open into the evening hours when Tracy commuters come home from work? If that makes your work day too long, consider opening later to stay open later. 

I am really getting tired of driving all the way to Pleasanton and Livermore to shop and eat. I sure hope the latest Tracy consultant can be of some value. The opportunity is there for the taking.

• Charles Ramirez is a retired quality management consultant with a doctorate is in organization development. He’s lived in Tracy for three years.

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written by Observer , September 03, 2008

As a former Tracy customer, I was disappointed not to see organic shops in Tracy. Chemical free and toxic free household detergent, cleansers, and so on...

Organic clothing, beddings, and so on...

Organically meat fed, poultry, and so on...

Produce free of insectides, chemicals, and so on....

Organic treatments for lawns, plants, vegetables, and so on...

Another version of getting "Trader Joes" to Downtown..
Thanks!


-amy

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written by Tracy RealNews , September 03, 2008

I would love to have Trader Joes in Tracy, CA! Downtown, or anywhere else, for that matter. I talked to Trader Joes about it and they said the population in Tracy was too low. They want to see growth.

I also found out that San Jose is getting a Trader Joes, this month.

All we can do, at this point is go to their website, and hope!


http://www.traderjoes.com/location_requests_form.aspx


I've provided it above. Hopefully, if enough people go there we can get someone's attention.

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written by Tracy RealNews , September 03, 2008

http://www.traderjoes.com/location_requests_form.aspx

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written by what? , September 03, 2008

City hall is not interested in Tracy consumers. This is a revenue generation campaign from Ives and the Amigos!
The plan is to use merchants to lobby for increased taxes for the property owners.

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written by lovemytwinbabygirls , September 04, 2008

Let's see, for over 8 years now, I have warned and or begged the city council members to please keep the downtown stores open later that the lame 5:00. Who the heck in Tracy, who actually works, is able to come home from their long commute and shop downtown? Let's see, that would be no body. I think the retailers should stop complaining about no customers and change their store hours to accomodate their would-be customers.

I was recently in SoCal, where I grew up,and visited Downtown Brea and Downtown Disney. These two downtown areas have go what their customers need: Waterfalls, live music, a place for children to splash around in a mini waterfall, popular stores: Ann Taylor Loft, Old Navy, Starbucks, The Disney Store, must I go on?

Downtown Brea: http://www.breadowntown.com/bdt-index.htm is far better than Downtown Pleasanton.

Downtown Disney: http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...sney/index is just awesome with their chic restaurants and stores like Quicksilver and Sephora.

What I am sensing is the City of Tracy wants to keep OUTSIDERS out and stay small and oh so very boring. Yeah, this is a great way to bring revenue to a city. Is this one of the many reasons why Tracy gets sued all the time?

I do not want to live in the 1800s. I was not born in the 1800s and sure do not want to be forced to live in the 1800s.

Also, why is there nothing for toddlers to do in this city? I have to go to Lathrop, Stockton, Modesto or Lodi for my babies to have fun.

Shame on you City of Tracy. I think all the incumbents need to be replaced-fired- and get some new, young blood in those offices to spice up this city.

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written by mactrew5 , September 04, 2008

Brea has a great downtown for a city that only has 40,000 population. The reason I like Pleasanton's better is that the big name stores are by the mall and the quaint small businesses are in the downtown. Brea has more big name chains in their downtown. Not that it is bad I just prefer the downtowns to have more local small boutiques etc. and fewer big name chains.

They have done a great job and we could learn from both of those cities. Take the best from both worlds and develope our downtown! We definitely have the population to do it. There are other cities with less population that have more ammenities. Brea is a perfect example.

Yep, fire them all and get new blood with vision for our city!

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written by monster dad 3K , September 04, 2008

Downtown Disney: http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...sney/index is just awesome with their chic restaurants and stores like Quicksilver and Sephora.
Maybe if someone with billions of dollars steps up. We could use it as a side attraction to the awesome water park!

Also, why is there nothing for toddlers to do in this city? I have to go to Lathrop, Stockton, Modesto or Lodi for my babies to have fun.Nonsense. This town is full of parks tailored for toddlers, there is a sports club with year round recreation and the City Parks Department also has programs for little ones.
What do you mean by "have fun"? How much "fun" does a toddler need to have?

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written by what? , September 04, 2008

The point of the Mother is that downtown Tracy has nothing for any age group to do or see...It is DEAD or closed!

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written by fortheunderdog , September 04, 2008

what?,

See? There are others in this city that don't like what city hall is doing. Glad to see they're speaking up.

BTW....Pacific Coast mall in SoCal is the best mall I've seen in a long time. Just a stones throw south of Anaheim.

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written by Ziggy , September 04, 2008

OH BOY, GEEWHIZZ T.P. WHERE ARE THE HEADLINES FOR;
SARAH PALIN'S NOMINATION SPEECH ?
maybe in the sports section since it was a HomeRun? Or Maybe? It was a GRAND SLAM? OBAMA WHO? LMAOROTF!!!

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written by Tracy RealNews , September 05, 2008

It's not a bad idea, but when visiting Livermore - notice that the City doesn't have a mall. And the downtown is new. Pleasanton downtown wasn't always like it is now. When I lived there - they were just getting started with the downtown. Tracy will probably take time. I imagine it wont happen overnight. Especially with the DOW tanking at 350.

How about a visit to downtown Livermore and Pleasanton for some obvious ideas? Ask some of the hundreds of visitors on many nights what it is that draws them to those two thriving downtown areas. What can Tracy copy that might work?

What some folks want is a 'peaceful' downtown that will grow with the economy, when it recovers?

Cheers!