Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Downtown revitalization expert Dave Kilbourne addresses a group of local business leaders May 16 at the Toll House.

Kilbourne says downtown needs to beautify, market

By Clarence Cromwell

Los Gatos should project a romantic image of itself to attract shoppers, redevelopment consultant Dave Kilbourne told about 40 downtown business owners at the Toll House Hotel May 16.

"Every town's got something they can promote," Kilbourne said.

The consultant also said the town needs a consistent marketing plan to project its image; it needs beautification downtown, and it will need--eventually--a funding mechanism to pay for the marketing and the improvements.

The Los Gatos Downtown Association invited Kilbourne to explain how other towns have used marketing to improve their business climates.

Kilbourne began by saying that Los Gatos would benefit from beautification projects like the town's streetscape plan, or even from a quick paintbrush-and-broom campaign.

About 20 minutes of the presentation consisted of a slide show about other communities' improvements: gateway arches, signs and banners, decorative awnings, statuary and landscaping.

Kilbourne advised business owners to distill what's good about Los Gatos into a short focus statement that might be used as a marketing slogan.

He helped Saratoga merchants brainstorm the slogan "Savor Saratoga," a reference to the plentiful upscale restaurants there.

Kilbourne is currently helping Saratoga form a business improvement district--a mechanism to assess businesses for civic improvements and marketing. While his focus was on methods of promoting Los Gatos, Kilbourne concluded by saying, "You've got to identify a funding mechanism."

Although no funding mechanism was proposed, a longtime opponent of business assessments attended the meeting. Michael Silva, a Los Gatos hairdresser, said the town's streetscape plan and funding from a proposed parking district will improve the downtown enough.

"What's the big hurry?" he asked. "What's the problem?"

Los Gatos Downtown Association Executive Director Barbra Drizin-Toren disagreed.

"It's time to do something or we're going to fall behind," Drizin-Toren said.

Some business owners fear competition from regional shopping centers, such as Valley Fair and the Pruneyard, which currently is being renovated.

Metro Newspapers, the parent company of the Los Gatos Weekly Times, paid Kilbourne's speaking fee. Metro Newspapers President and Executive Editor Dan Pulcrano introduced Kilbourne.

Kilbourne worked with the downtown association in 1989, when it formed a business improvement district to help the downtown recover from the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake earthquake. The district later dissolved, partly because it was under fire from a small, but vocal minority, including Silva.

Kilbourne is considered a leading authority on redevelopment and revitalization of downtown areas.

At a meeting in February, Kilbourne told Saratoga business owners that a business improvement district can draw more shoppers to an area and increase sales tax dollars for a city as well.