Antioch Mayor Harper offers good news, positive outlook, new downtown design concepts at annual State of the City lunch
Mayor Harper presented a design concept of townhomes on the old lumber company lot in downtown, during his annual State of the City presentation on Friday, May 27, 2016.
By Allen Payton
At the annual State of the City lunch, hosted by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and attended by about 200 business owners and community leaders on Friday, May 27, 2016 Antioch Mayor Wade Harper shared information about the progress the city has made over the past year as well as the challenges we face.
Chamber CEO Dr. Sean Wright introduced the mayor by stating “There are many exciting things happening in Antioch and at the Chamber, as well.”
Harper then thanked the city staff and his fellow council members.
“They do a wonderful job,” he stated. “They’ve had to do more with less through the years.”
He presented a slide show covering various aspects of the city’s efforts.
The first slide stated: “Antioch has recently grown to be the second largest city in Contra Costa County, with a population of approximately 112,968 according to recent state of California estimates.
A side view design concept of the townhomes on the old lumber company site in downtown.
Antioch is the ‘Gateway to the Delta’ and the economic as well as geographic center of East County.
Antioch is Business and Family Friendly. We encourage businesses and families to come grow with us!”
“The city’s finances have improved,” Harper stated. “Crime has decreased. We want to keep that up.”
He also shared some downsides.
“Homelessness has become a bigger problem,” he said. “City staff is working with cross-departmental task forces. This is a real problem we’re working on.”
“We are balancing our efforts with quality of life enhancements,” Harper added. “Reducing crime has always been our top priority…reducing blight, increasing economic development.”
He spoke of the weekly reports by City Manager Steve Duran as examples of being “the most transparent.”
Harper then stated the city will be “ending the fiscal year slightly over budget by about $800,000.”
He then spoke about the reduction in crime between the first quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of this year, that Police Chief Allan Cantando reported at a recent council meeting.
“Police services take up about 71% of the General Fund budget,” Harper stated.
Waldie Plaza event center design concept from the air.
Then he spoke about the use of Measure C funds.
“All of the funds…used for police services and code enforcement,” he said. “There’s no fudging on the numbers. We put the honest numbers out there.”
He spoke of the addition of one Code Enforcement Officer and Manager, and the hiring of the Blight Abatement Crew.
“It’s like the Bay Bridge,” stated Harper. “We have to keep at it.”
He spoke of “enhancing quality of life” with parks and the new “All Abilities Playground for children and families at the Prewett community park,” the new playground structure at Contra Loma Park, family campfire, Jr. Giants which includes 600 youth, Jr. Warriors with 200 youth, recreational pre-school affecting 500 children and the kids fishing derby.
Then Harper spoke about the recent improvements to Highway 4 including the interchange with Highway 160, and the new BART station that is to be ready by spring, 2018.
“Every time I drive by I get excited because I can see it getting built,” he shared. “I can see progress.”
Then he spoke about economic development advancements.
“This is the part I get excited about,” Harper said.
He then read highlights from the list of new businesses and space that has been leased up in town.
Waldie Plaza design concept from the ground.
Harper spoke of the WalMart expansion with the new grocery section, and the addition of Hurricane Grill & Wings, the new Taco Bell at 18th and A Streets, the remodeled Denny’s on Lone Tree, Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in the former Sizzler location, and Southern Café in downtown, in the former Bases Loaded location.
“I try to get my fix regularly with Southern Café,” he joked.
He also spoke of the “nice, new, huge health club, City Sports, on Lone Tree” as well as the anticipated new restaurant “Plates in Rivertown,” Panda Express with a drive-through on Auto Center Drive, and Kangazoom soon to open in the former Golf n Games on 4th Street.
Harper said the city has “fewer vacancies overall” then mentioned the addition of Limitless Kitchen & Bath leasing up 4,400 square feet of showroom and warehouse, Alegre Trucking leasing 9.5 acres on Wilbur, WalMart leased 39,000 square feet of warehouse space and a solar distributor leasing 99,000 square feet in Antioch.
He shared that “Rivertown currently has over 80 active businesses,” that “Somersville Town Center is under new management,” that “G St. Mercantile was voted the number one antique store” in Antioch, and that “Strategic Threat Management patrols downtown.”
Then the mayor showed some design concepts of a townhome project for the old lumber yard lot, as well as concepts for an expanded event center at Waldie Plaza, across from City Hall.
Harper then compared Antioch to a patient in the hospital.
“The patient is getting regular treatment and checkups,” he stated. “It is on the way to a very healthy recovery.”
“I give this council accolades and kudos for all the hard work,” Harper concluded. “The council is everywhere. The City of Antioch is in good hands.”
Wright followed Harper’s presentation with a motivational speech of his own.
“There are multiple reasons to live in Antioch,” he said. “Business is coming. We’re having 10 new members join the Chamber each month.”
“We’re Antioch and we have people who live this city,” Wright continued. “We are a vibrant, viable, wonderful community.”
“People are going to move here to play on the Delta,” he shared. “They’re going to move here in the next year in droves, because we have affordable housing, here. We’re a community on the rise.”
“Remember, Antioch is the place to be,” Wright concluded.
the attachments to this post:
Walide Plaza 2
Waldie Plaza 1
Townhomes at Beede site 2
Townhomes at Beede site 1
Were you and I at the same luncheon? It was the worst program I have seen in 12 years of going to these things. This is his 4th and worst. He acted like he had never seen the power point presentation before. Lost his place, stammered and stuttered. His facts were even out of date. He said we had 2 murders in the first quarter, yes true but by the date of the program we had had 7 and slightly more than 12 hours later we had the 8th. Lying by omission. This city is not in good shape. Only good thing was it was over fairly quickly. Too bad the food was not good and 20 people didn’t get food except for the left over bread and noodles. The salad had no dressing and was not enough either. I know the restaurant at the golf course can do better than this!
It was not Mr. Harpers best work and why did he make sure he was the ONLY speaker? Oh right, he is running for office.
Another murder this morning. Students can’t walk home from school without being mugged (at gunpoint). Freeway shootings. Crime has decreased? There was a home invasion a couple blocks away a few months back. I had a business in Antioch for 10 years, was burglarized 3 times and watched a business next to mine being burglarized while I was on the phone with 911. My home has been vandalized twice. I assume they were trying to break in. Now, they’re going to build a thousand new homes out Dallas Ranch, but we don’t seem to have enough police for what we have now. I need to borrow the mayor’s glasses because they apparently see our crime situation differently.