|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Despite a challenging year for Pleasanton’s economy, marked by the departure of major retailers like JCPenney and the closure of prominent downtown businesses such as Starbucks, city officials anticipate a promising outlook for the local economy in 2026 thanks to several key economic development initiatives.
These include streamlining the permitting process for both retail and commercial businesses and implementing strategies to attract and retain new companies and employers.
“Pleasanton has extraordinary potential, and the work we’re doing today is laying the groundwork for the next generation of economic opportunity,” Mayor Jack Balch said in a Dec. 9 press release. “By streamlining processes and making it easier for businesses to grow, invest, and innovate here, we’re strengthening our local economy, expanding choices for residents, and building a vibrant future for Pleasanton.”
During its Dec. 2 meeting, the City Council received an update from staff on all of the work that the city did during 2025 to advance and implement the city’s 2024-28 Economic Development Strategic Plan. The plan is part of the city’s larger “ONE Pleasanton”, five-year strategic plan that serves as a framework to improve several aspects of the city, including its economy.
Part of the December update to the council included information on how the city has modernized its approach to economic development in several aspects.
One example of this was in early 2025 when the City Council approved the creation of the Community and Economic Development Department so that permitting, planning and economic development could all live under one umbrella.
Melinda Denis, who now serves as the deputy director for the new department, told the council during last month’s meeting that the new structure has helped streamline different processes, improve coordination across city departments and better help both residents and businesses.
“The departmental reorganization and staffing changes made as part of the two-year budget and workplan adopted in June this year brings more visibility and resources to economic development, which helps advance the City Council’s economic development programs and initiatives,” Denis said.
She said some of the goals for 2026 is to hire an economic development manager — recruitment is underway — and to continue partnerships with regional organizations and businesses to find ways to improve the city’s economy.
Denis also spent some time going over many of the other highlights that the city did last year to recruit and retain businesses, a particularly important update to many council members who pointed out the vacant storefronts along Main Street and the never-ending changes to Stoneridge Mall — including, of note, the announcement that JCPenney will be closing up shop next month.
According to Denis, the city has enhanced its branding and marketing through new digital and print brochures, is working on a “microsite” where businesses can quickly find anything they need to open up shop in the city and is developing a better outreach strategy to draw in new businesses.
She said the city is also working on reaching out to prospective brokers and tenants by partnering with local organizations such as the Pleasanton Downtown Association, Hacienda Business Park, the Chamber of Commerce and many others. She said her plan is to connect with all of the shopping centers in Pleasanton to see how the city can attract new businesses for them.
One prominent topic that came up during that December meeting was the city’s permitting process and how, during the same meeting — prior to the economic development update item — the council approved several updates to Pleasanton’s zoning procedures to streamline the development review process.
These changes — along with a reduction of the city’s appeal period from more than 15 days to just 10 days — were made to modernize the design review process for smaller residential and commercial projects, which effectively cuts the design review process by at least half, according to the city.
“These changes reflect the city’s broader effort to remove uncertainty, eliminate unnecessary delays, and make the permitting experience more accessible for homeowners, small businesses, and commercial property owners,” communication manager Heather Tiernan wrote in the Dec. 9 press release.
Now, in 2026, the city will be looking at possibly doing something similar for retail and commercial businesses and reducing the permitting process timeline. Last year the city updated the municipal zoning code to make it easier for innovation-based businesses to relocate and grow in Pleasanton.
Denis also added that a key initiative to make the permitting process easier for new businesses will be the development of the “Pleasanton Playbook,” which she described as a user-friendly guide that will clearly and concisely explain the city’s development review process in order to provide them with a roadmap to quickly open their stores and shops in the city.
“Over the past two years, we’ve modernized our economic development structure, streamlined key processes, and built a clear roadmap that is already delivering results,” City Manager Gerry Beaudin said in the Dec. 9 press release. “These changes reflect our commitment to making Pleasanton easier to navigate, quicker to respond, and better aligned with the needs of our business community. This work is not theoretical — we are putting solutions in place that will make a real and measurable difference for residents, employers, and investors.”
Looking ahead, the city also aims to advance efforts around tourism and hospitality ahead of the year’s major sporting events that are coming to the Bay Area, which include the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup, along with improving other key areas in its Economic Development Strategic Plan that will make retailers and other businesses consider Pleasanton for their stores’ next location and to help those stores succeed.
“I’m excited to see us embark on this and start moving in this direction to really help economic vitality in our community because not only does it support our businesses, which will help them do better, but their success is our success,” Councilmember Craig Eicher said at the Dec. 9 council meeting.
Pleasanton police vehicle, other car involved in injury collision at intersection near downtownJanuary 17, 2026 8:21 pm
Dublin fencing school owners accused of bilking immigrant workers from Ukraine, PolandJanuary 14, 2026 1:59 pm
Great article–glad to see some actual activity in trying to drive economic development!!