ABOUT
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
on THIRD
Our vision of Third Street is a vibrant, clean, and safe commercial district with a diverse mix of businesses and cultural facilities that meet the daily and entertainment needs of the neighborhood by offering unique quality products and opportunities to enjoy visual and performing arts.
HISTORY & MISSION.
In 2014, through the Invest In Neighborhoods initiative, the City partnered with LISC to build local leadership capacity to address economic development revitalization along the 3rd Street corridor. LISC met with community leaders consisting of business/property owners and longtime residents to identify priorities for the corridor. That group became known as EDoT (Economic Development on Third). Over the next year, through a community process, EDoT identified key issues impacting revitalization. In August of 2015 an economic development implementation plan was created that continues to guide the work of EDoT on how to utilize and leverage resources to address priorities for the corridor.
EDoT's mission and vision is focused on the economic development of the 3rd Street corridor. In June 2016 EDoT was granted 501(c)3 status to carry out this plan. EDoT hired an Executive Director (ED), Earl Shaddix, who was a founding member, and additional directors joined the board. EDoT has an active 12-member Board that reflects the ethnic composition of the neighborhood with 50% of the directors being African American; 90% small business owners and all but 1 director resides in 94124.
EDoT's primary responsibility is addressing business retention and attraction to 3rd Street which is achieved by establishing relationships with existing property owners and businesses. The revitalization of the corridor is carefully managed and intentionally employs anti-displacement strategies. EDoT has built relationships with all of the business and property owners along the 3rd Street corridor, focusing on identifying vacant properties and attracting neighborhood serving businesses.
Working with the leadership of EDoT, and in implementing a Façade & Tenant Improvement program for the last 4 years, EDoT has identified long time vacant properties to be rehabilitated and matched to businesses that want to locate in Bayview. This included reaching out to and prioritizing African American business and property owners that lack capital to invest in their properties but want to ensure that these assets remain with long time Bayview families who in some instances are multi-generational. In the last two years alone, over 12 new businesses have opened on the 3rd Street corridor with over half of those belonging to African American first-time entrepreneurs.