Mayor's Corner: Economic development a priority for Norwalk

NORWALK - I am thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with residents via the Norwalk Patriot.

My goal, as well as that of the entire Norwalk City Council, is to ensure that our community thrives and residents are able to enjoy a high quality of life. We want residents to feel safe walking their neighborhoods and playing at our parks and to feel pride as they drive down our thoroughfares. The Mayor’s Column provides me the opportunity to provide updates on the progress being made towards our goal. I also look forward to having the opportunity to share a little bit more about myself and why I feel so passionate about serving our community.

Fundamental to a high quality of life is the economic development of our city, and in 2018, we took several actions to increase the number of businesses coming to Norwalk.

In February, we brought on board our new City Manager Jesus Gomez, who hit the ground running, hiring Community Development Director Mike Garcia a few months later.

They had a directive from City Council to make economic development a priority, and by October of 2018, we had adopted an Economic Development Opportunities Plan, which in essence, serves to solidify our commitment to generate substantial business development, revitalize business corridors and strengthen the economic vitality of the City.

We kicked off 2019 with Chick-fil-A’s grand opening! I have never experienced something quite like the First 100 Campout, but the enthusiasm among our residents was contagious and illustrated our new results-driven approach.

Following Chick-fil-A, we’ve had several other businesses open in Norwalk. From national chains, including LA Fitness and Panera Bread, to family run businesses and franchises, including La Michoacana, Don’s Teriyaki Grill, The Buffalo Spot, The Cove, Zen’s Tea House, and the Sushi Joint.

Celebrating their grand openings soon are Dulce Canella Churros and Grocery Outlet. On the horizon, we have Burger IM, Stinkin’ Crawfish and Tacos Gavilan going before the Planning Commission soon. The former Ralph’s site is in escrow and Red Mountain Retail Group is looking at how the redevelopment of this property can bring new business to the City.

Regardless of the size of business, they all have one thing in common. They are excited to be in Norwalk! One example is Fernando Lopez, a veteran and owner of Zen’s Tea House, who shared his excitement with me about opening his business, a welcoming place where individuals can unwind from the demands of busy lives or connect with friends over a cup of tea, in our great city.

The feedback from the business community and increasing activity says a lot about the plans we have put in place, as well as changes made internally to streamline processes to help businesses establish in Norwalk.

More importantly, potential business partners are taking a good hard look at Norwalk and recognizing we have a lot to offer, beyond our central location, freeway access, and connectivity to transit hubs; bottom line, we have a community that is hungry for quality services and goods! Our residents want to shop, eat and play in Norwalk!

This is not to say we won’t face setbacks. The recent announcement that Walmart would be closing its doors was unexpected, and certainly not something we wanted. This has a huge impact on our community on many levels.

Walmart is valued business partner; but they also provide the livelihood for almost 200 individuals, helping them provide shelter, food and clothing for their loved ones. They are also a trusted and affordable retail option for our residents; and we did not take the announcement lightly.

City staff immediately reached out to store management to offer our assistance, and worked with SELACO Workforce Development Board who can provide employment services. However, we also need to think to the future and have been in contact with our experts in economic development and public/private development projects to understand the value of the site as an opportunity in the marketplace.

I am excited and full of hope for what’s to come. I hope you are too. The feedback I’ve received from residents certainly highlights that we are making improvements and are working on fulfilling our promises to the community to bring enhanced dining and retail options to our city.

As always, I welcome residents to reach out to me and share their concerns and provide suggestions on the types of businesses they want to see in Norwalk.

After all, improving quality of life in our community is a shared responsibility; I look forward to working with you to ensure that Norwalk continues to thrive and grow, guaranteeing it’s a great place to live, work and play not just for us, but future generations!