Pasadena BID Launches New Campaign
With a million-dollar budget in hand, the Pasadena [Calif.] Business Improvement District (BID) is gearing up to roll out a multifaceted campaign to appeal to locals and tourists alike, one element of which will be a food festival to tie in with college football’s Bowl Championship Series held at the Rose Bowl in January.
Other strategies include creating a new logo and brochure, a Web site and a bike and foot patrol program.
The move is a result of fatter coffers following last year’s city council vote to implement a property-based BID for five years, which will assess fees to property owners, said Maggie Campbell, the executive director of the newly created Old Pasadena Management District. Until now, the tenant-based BID operated on a smaller budget and lacked a management team to oversee the interests of 175 property owners and 200 stores—including Gap Inc., Armani Exchange, Pacific Sunwear, J. Crew and Crate & Barrel—that generate about $180 million in revenues annually.
“These types of [business improvement districts] are a proven approach to managing downtown communities,” said Campbell, the former director of the Dallas West End Historic District, whose office now includes three employees and one part-time contractor.
It doesn’t hurt, too, that the organization is getting its ducks in a row with the simultaneous opening of Paseo Colorado, a $130 million retail development located just outside of the 22-block BID, bordered by Walnut Street, Del Mar Boulevard, Arroyo Parkway and Pasadena Avenue. Campbell said the arrival of the center should ultimately prove to be a boon to both retail attractions.
“There will be some loss of market share in the honeymoon period,” Campbell said. “But, most people are going to see the added value of both shopping districts and how we can market them together.”
Campbell said the BID will distribute 100,000 new color brochures to visitor centers and major attractions stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara beginning Thanksgiving weekend. The next phase of development is the launch of the Web site, www.oldpasadena.org—the first for the district—scheduled to occur before the Christmas holidays. Elements of the interactive site will include links to store Web sites and a function that will map out an itinerary to mesh with the user’s highlighted interests and store hours.
Key also to the operation of the district is the deployment of 10 radio-equipped guides who will provide security for the area, Campbell said. They will monitor activity via bike and foot patrol, provide directions to lost visitors and maintain a visible profile in their khaki shorts, orange polo shirts and caps.
To capitalize on the National Championship Series, the BID will host the Pasadena Food Bowl on Jan. 2, the day between the Rose Parade and the game.
Patrons can use tickets to purchase sample dishes from up to 40 local restaurants, including Il Fornaio, Twin Palms and Cafeacute; Santorini. Among the entertainment lineup are celebrity chef demonstrations, ice carvings, sidewalk chalk festivals and cosmetic and fashion makeovers given by Saks Fifth Avenue. Merchandise offered for purchase will be mostly limited to college souvenirs, Campbell said, in order to keep the registers ringing at the surrounding stores.
“We won’t sell booth space to artists, because we want to support the retail tenants,” she said.
So far, Campbell said, a number of area hotels are reporting solid bookings—with six-night minimums—for the week of the aforementioned events.
Most retailers in the area applaud the measures initiated by the BID, saying it’s important to keep Old Pasadena desirable to lure the right shoppers and mix of tenants.
“We want to take this destination to the next step,” said Cheryl Fordham, general manager of Pasadena’s Saks Fifth Avenue. “I’m really excited about the things we’re doing...and Maggie’s contributions to pulling this together are really significant.”
Elisa Bruley, who owns the Elisa B. boutique in the area, would like to see even more done to improve the area.
“We’re in the new millennium and we’re considering a Web site for the first time,” Bruley said. “We’ve lagged behind and there’s so much potential here. I think anything we can do to be proactive and attract the right clients here will help us stay competitive.
