It’s business as usual in downtown Novato, as merchants are unhappy and the city is doing its best to feed the fire.
Over the objections of more than a few downtown business owners who questioned the effectiveness, ethics and a shortage of transparency in the operation of the Novato Downtown Business Association, the city council voted unanimously to levy an assessment on about 400 local merchants on behalf of the Business Improvement District for 2014. The assessment will raise about $50,000 to promote the downtown area. The district also receives $20,000 from the annual Nostalgia Days event and $4,000 from the holiday season tree lighting event. Businesses pony up from $79 to $525 per year, depending on number of employees, location and other factors.
In fairness, Novato has never been a place with a quiet downtown. And there’s no set of business folks who are as consistently cranky as small retailers. And who can really blame them? The mom-and-pop operations work impossible hours, often on holidays, and have pretty specific ideas on how to best operate and market their shop. Top it off with the fact that they put up with the public for a living, and you can see why they sometimes need to force a smile.
So you can imagine what it feels like to have the local government tell you that you’re required to pay somebody to market the downtown as a destination.
Critics of the NDBA say it’s sitting on a surplus of $60,000 and that an assessment for 2014 is unnecessary. They also point to a constricted flow of information coming from the all-volunteer NDBA board, as the annual report and budget was tardy this year. Some have even called for the city to step in and audit the nonprofit organization.
Carlos Castillo, owner of the Loveable Rogue bookstore, has been outspoken in his criticism of the NDBA. He cited an informal survey of downtown businesses regarding their support of the NDBA, in which 154 people out of 162 surveyed said they were against the assessment.
In the interest of full disclosure, Castillo and I used to work for the same media company and I’ve purchased books from his store. On the other hand, I’m not above pointing out that he’s a Raiders fan. Still, he always worked hard at getting his facts straight when he wrote for a living.
On the other hand, insiders at the NDBA defended their work at a public meeting, saying they put in long hours to market Novato and that if the merchants have a problem with how things are getting done, they need to work with the organization.
The city has vowed to conduct workshops, work with businesses and listen to their concerns. In the meantime, downtown merchants better start writing some checks.
Real estate players shift
Frank Howard Allen, a dominant player in Marin residential real estate for 103 years, was bought out by Coldwell Banker, which scooped up 13 offices for an undisclosed sum.
The new offices include San Rafael, a pair in Novato, two in Mill Valley as well as Tiburon, Larkspur, San Anselmo and Greenbrae. Coldwell Banker has a total of 70 offices in the Bay Area. According to the company, it did $17.7 billion in sales last year.
The offices now operate under the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage brand, which is owned by NRT LLC. The acquisition means that many of the 280 staffers who worked for Frank Howard Allen now draw checks from Coldwell Banker.
Not all of the Frank Howard Allen staff made the transition to Coldwell Banker, however. Mill Valley-based Decker Bullock Soetheby’s International Realty enlisted some of the agents who didn’t want to make the move to Coldwell Banker. According to Decker Bullock, the firm signed up at least 10 former Frank Howard Allen realtors. Additionally, members of First Marin Realty have fashioned an agreement with Decker Bullock.
Copperfield’s comes to Marin
Readers in Marin are celebrating over the addition of Copperfield’s Books to downtown San Rafael. Located at 850 Fourth Street, the Sebastopol-based chain added its most southern location, giving Book Passage, Diesel and Barnes and Noble more competition for the hearts, minds and dollars of readers who prefer to buy their books from retailers not named Amazon.
The store includes Taylor Maid Organic Coffee Bar, so those in search of the written word can maintain a suitable amount of caffeine in their bloodstream. The new store will, of course, host author readings as well as special events.
Your Marin moment
Autodesk, the 3D software engineering stalwart that was founded in Marin in 1982, now has more office space in San Francisco than Marin. The company has subleased a little more than 45,000 square feet to the Pasha Group, a logistics and transportation services company that formerly called Corte Madera home.
An international company, with locations in Oregon, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Autodesk has been a classic example of a company that’s employed a roll up strategy to grow, with at least 37 acquisitions of companies or products since 1993.
The company, which has taken pride in its Marin roots, points out that while it has more space in San Francisco, the staff count is slightly higher in Marin. The truth of it is that the San Francisco locations help Autodesk in recruiting talent.
