How to Keep Clayton's Business Community Growing
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Clayton is one of the best places to live and work in the St. Louis area, but we should also be one of the best places to start and grow a business.
Our City delivers superior, concierge-like services to our residential community, and I believe we need to deliver services and solutions to our business community in the same way.
We need stronger economic development efforts to support our existing businesses, attract new ones and keep our city growing. As your Mayor, I will lead the effort to improve Clayton’s economic development through the following:
- Create a Business Development Concierge. Clayton delivers superior services, concierge-like services, to its residential community. We need to deliver services and solutions to our business community in the same way. We need to work as partners with our business community to cultivate growth and success.
- Create another signature special event. Special events, like the St. Louis Art Fair, foster a greater sense of community, support our retail businesses and restaurants, and attract people from other areas to experience everything Clayton has to offer.
- Create wayfinding signage and a Clayton Mobile App in order to promote Clayton retailers and restaurants, make it easier for people to locate parking and find their way around the city.
- Re-start monthly meetings of the Economic Development Advisory Council. Let’s involve members of our community who can provide their expertise to make a difference.
- Facilitate a Women’s Entrepreneur Initiative. Female-owned companies are growing at a rapid rate and our City should help foster more local entrepreneurs.
- Encourage development of residential options in the Downtown area. In addition to increasing our residential population, development of higher density residential properties in the Downtown will create a more vibrant community, inspire more retail options and support our existing business community.
- Assess the opportunity to attract a cultural venue to Clayton. Clayton is known as a destination for dining in the region, but we lack other entertainment and cultural venues.
Proactive economic development, partnered with sound budget practices, will both increase our revenues and improve our quality of life.
Find out more about my ideas, and share yours, at www.bergerforclaytonmayor.com.
You can also share your thoughts with me via email (AlexBergerIIIforMayor@gmail.com), Facebook (Alex Berger III for Mayor of Clayton) or Twitter (@ab3formayor).
Thank you for your support and I ask you for your vote on April 2.
Oh No
5:13 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
How long until Jennifer's Pharmacy moves ?
Alex Berger III
11:01 am on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
I don't ever want to see a business leave Clayton, and as Clayton's Mayor, I would want and encourage any business owner to contact me personally about any issues affecting his or her company.
More SameoleSameole
11:07 am on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Hmmm.....suggest that Mr. Berger calls Mr. Kim Tucci of Pasta House who moved to North Central after being told that the City was working to narrow the street so restaurants could use more of the sidewalk (resulting in a Central West End-style promenade.) Guess what ? The City failed to deliver on its promise to narrow the street and it could be argued that Aldermanic flip-flop caused Tucci to lose a cool $500,000 after rehabbing and shuttering his location.
What answer would you give to Mr. Tucci ?
Alex Berger III
10:48 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
As a good friend of Kim Tucci, I was saddened that his business didn't succeed as we'd hoped. If you'd like to talk with me about economic development issues, please attend the upcoming candidate forum or send me an email at AlexBergerIIIforMayor@gmail.com. Let's meet for a cup of coffee and a conversation.
Steve
3:38 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The mayor candidate with the best plan to redevelop the former Schnucks at Hanley/Clayton gets my vote. This prime property has sat vacant for almost 10 years and looks blighted.
Bring back the Schnucks, or better yet, rebrand it as their Culinaria concept and add a restaurant like the Des Peres Schnucks. With Davis Place, the Moorlands, Hampton Park and Lake Forest next door, it would be a success.
JACK MAHOFF
2:01 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
So what happened to narrowing Central Avenue ? A great idea that has sat idle while we have watched business after business close on the street....Kilkenny's, Portabella, ...and have watched a building sit idle for three years that held Sansai, Il Vicino, etc.... WHERE IS THE ACTION ? WHERE ARE THE ALDERMEN FOR THE STREET & NEIGHBORHOOD ? WHERE ARE THE BOLLARDS THAT WERE PROMISED TO THE MERCHANTS ?
Alex Berger III
4:28 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
Supporting our existing businesses and attracting new ones to Clayton is one of my top goals. There are a lot of great ideas in the Downtown Master Plan, but keep in mind that great ideas also come with zoning, costs and other issues that sometimes slow things down. As an Alderman, I'm part of a work group that is now identifying specific action items from the Downtown Master Plan for Meramec and Central.
Clayton Tax
12:26 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
I would like to know where the money goes from the "Community Improvement" taxes that are levied on the Central Business District. Where does this money go ? Isn't it supposed to be used to market and maintain the Central Business District ?
Answer this riddle and you have my vote !
Alex Berger III
4:31 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
Approximately 50-65% of the tax goes to pay for personnel who work on activities associated with the Central Business District.
I believe the Economic Development Advisory Council should be re-started to create a priority list of actions, including the expenditure of non-personnel costs. To do so would require engaging the business community and providing deliverables that exceed their expectations.
So, do I get your vote on April 2 to be the next Mayor of Clayton?
ANYBODYBUT BERGER
6:30 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
I am hearing the same old babble regarding the Central Business District. Who are these City Personnel that get paid out of the Central Business District tax fund ? Who overseees the spending of these funds ?
SOMEONE is asleep at the wheel as these funds are being used for expenses outside of the fund's original purpose. The fund has been tapped by the City Manager to supplement other accounts -- which is flat out bullshit.
The City is upside down by nearly $4 million dollars yet not one Alderman nor City Employee has activelly proposed an idea to rejuvenate Central, Meramec or Brentwood Avenues. Nothing. Nada. Businesses continue to close, only to be replaced by another misguided sole that over-estimates the drawing power of Clayton.
So the short answer is NO - You do not yet have my vote.