On March 13 and 14, a panel of ULI SF members convened in St. Helena with the task of helping the City discover its distinctive brand identity and focus on placemaking to revitalize the downtown core. In addition to new revenue sources starting in FY 2024-2025 to maintain its fiscal health, the City needs a unified road map for downtown revitalization and placemaking to enhance the experience of residents and visitors alike. St. Helena believes that it has many assets that are underutilized and the recommendations from the Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) will help the City achieve several of the City Council goals, including enhancing the quality of life for local residents and fiscal sustainability.

As with all Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs), ULI SF looked to our seasoned membership base to lend their expertise to the City of St. Helena. The panel of seven real estate, land use, and economics experts comprised of:

• Jane Lin, (chair) Urban Field Studio
• Nell Selander, (vice chair) City of South San Francisco
• John Bela, Bela Urbanism + Design
• Noah Friedman, Vibemap
• Jim Heid, CRAFT DnA
• Paul Peninger, BAE
• Edith Ramirez, City of Morgan Hill
• Mariana Ricker, (writer) SWA Group

Panelists began with a series of phone calls with city staff and a review of the briefing book prepared by staff that provides historical, demographic and economic data. The two days St. Helena consisted of reviewing materials, conducting stakeholder interviews and field tours, ideation, and deliberations. This culminated on March 14 with a presentation to the City with recommendations addressing the TAP questions. In June, St. Helena will receive a detailed final report.

When reflecting on the two-day TAP, St Helena Mayor Paul Dohring says, “The timing of this collaborative work effort could not be more opportune. Our City Council is focusing intently on creating an economically thriving downtown, distinctively set apart from other wine country destinations.  We understand how important it is for both our residents and visitors to bring energy and vibrancy to our historic downtown and to highlight its unique character.  In my view, re-imagining our downtown presents numerous opportunities to both strengthen our fiscal sustainability and improve the well-being and quality of life of residents.”

Thank you to our panel, St. Helena city staff, and our TAPs committee for all their hard work and dedication! We look forward to sharing a final report, which will be available on the ULI SF and City of St Helena websites. You can learn more about TAPs here, and you can access a full press release on the City of St. Helena website.