City places economic hopes on designers

Genevieve Bookwalter - Sentinel staff writer
Article Launched: 12/18/2008 01:35:35 AM PST

More than 1,000 design professionals live in and around Santa Cruz. Their average income is almost $83,000, many of them work alone, and they cater to clients over the hill and around the world. These are the people that city leaders hope to tap to build a new economy for Santa Cruz.

Enter the Design + Innovation Center, a new nonprofit funded partially by the city's Economic Development and Redevelopment Agency to bring these designers together and, ideally, inspire new businesses that will help boost the city's flailing budget.

"It's all about creating jobs, it's all about developing the economy," said Matt Guerrieri, the center's interim executive director.

And Guerrieri said results from a recent survey, conducted by the center, provided details about the city's designers that left him optimistic that his center could complete its charge, even in the middle of a recession.

As the city's traditional industries leave and Santa Cruz residents shun many big box and chain stores, city leaders are turning to designers -- Web, video game, architectural and other -- to inspire an economic revival.

All say the city needs a turnaround as soon as possible, as they have been forced to slash $7 million from the budget this year with cuts including law enforcement, social services and the Harvey West Pool, among many others.

Design, said Santa Cruz Economic Development Coordinator Peter Koht, is a
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"significant industrial center that exists here." Tapping it immediately in an attempt to boost city coffers makes sense, he said. The city's contribution to the center includes $92,000 from a federal grant, and $15,000 from the city's Economic Development Marketing Fund.

The Design + Innovation Center survey of more than 250 designers found:

• More than half work in graphic or Web design.

• More than 75 percent wanted more networking and other events with fellow designers.

• About 75 percent wanted help and advice with business development.

• Most wanted access to more clients than what they have found in Santa Cruz.

• The average salary was $82,800.

As a result, Guerrieri said, he is putting together workshops and events where designers can meet and develop ideas together. He sees the center working in step with NextSpace, the downtown co-working business founded by City Councilman Ryan Coonerty and former Economic Development Director Jeremy Neuner; and the live-work project planned at 2120 Delaware Ave. Ideally, he said, entrepreneurs that meet at his events can start out renting cubicles in NextSpace -- where the center also is housed -- and once they grow, move to Delaware Avenue.

Steve Weisser, executive producer at Compass Rose Media in downtown Santa Cruz, said he is optimistic the center would succeed.

"We're so isolated here, just to find out that these resources are out there and there are other people like you out there is really, really helpful. I had no idea," Weisser said. "I look forward to it expanding and becoming more useful to everybody."

Contact G. Bookwalter at 706-3286 or gbookwalter@santacruzsentinel.com.