Downtown Merced is in the midst of a cultural shift like few city centers have faced in decades. And it is forced to make this transition to an entertainment hub for a blossoming university and junior college during an economic slump that has brought small business to its knees.
At UC Merced and Merced College it’s essentially unanimous. They want more.
More life.
More clubs.
More restaurants.
They want what UC Davis already has — a downtown entertainment district in their backyard.
“When I came here I accepted that I would be driving a lot,” says Uday Bali, a graduate student and member of the first graduating class at UC Merced. “I said, ‘I’m going to be driving to Fresno, Modesto and San Francisco a lot.’ ”
In 2007 the City of Merced Redevelopment Agency Downtown Task Force released a strategy guide to set a path for downtown development. It is the framework for which many of the agency’s future decisions will be based. Its goal is to answer the question that Bali and thousands of other students are asking, ‘What is going to happen downtown?”
The strategy guide maps out target dates for everything from new lighting to creating mid-town residential neighborhoods.
Perhaps the one bullet point that will have the greatest reach to the university is the creation of a “significant city center anchor to complement the Mainplace Theater.”
Joshua Ewen, redevelopment technician for the redevelopment agency, says there are plans, but they are only in the conceptual stages.
The city has targeted 16th Avenue. and K Street as a potential location for an entertainment center.
“The idea is there,” Ewen says. “That area might work because it has an open area and a parking lot that the city already owns.
“It’s just conceptual, but we are looking at a bowling alley, entertainment-oriented development.”
Ewen says he could see the project being mix-use development with some residential apartments included. The strategy guide pinpoints the development of its second city center anchor by June of 2011.
The city is also pushing to create mid-town neighborhoods in and around the historic downtown. The guide sets a goal of 300 housing units by 2012. The City has been purchasing blighted and foreclosed properties between 19th and 21st streets as part of its plan.
“The mid-town housing project has been in the works for a while,” Ewen says. “What the strategy calls for, is for every 10 housing units, at least one should be downtown. I think we will be on track to do that. It’s a push toward more density in our downtown area.”
Talking about density, the UC is among the fastest growing universities in the state. Redevelopment director Frank Quintero says the economic impact of the campus has yet to really hit downtown. He says from the experts he’s spoken to, when the student population hits 7,000 there will be bump in economic activity.
The student population is just over 3,000 today.
Joy Cohan, director of the city of Davis downtown association, says the groundwork has to be laid for a relationship with the UC.
“You have to build connections with the UC, the way, to put it simply, most business owners can’t do,” says Cohan. “We give so much more strength to the individual business owner.”
Merced’s now-defunct downtown association would have filled that void. But that responsibility has been taken on by employees at the city and by the business owners themselves.
Some downtown business owners have gone the extra mile to build bridges to the university.
Forte Yogurt sends tweets, J&R Tacos has students playing live music on Thursday’s and Friday’s, Sam Cafe has student discounts and there are many more examples of business owners being proactive in reaching out to the students.
“The students really fall in love with the college and the downtown atmosphere,” says Cohan. “And its really in the best interest of the UC as well.

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