Webster District Strategic Plan
Alameda Development Services Department
Alameda, California April 2004 to May 2005
Located in the City of Alameda, Webster Street is an older neighborhood shopping district whose economic
vitality has been challenged over the years by such issues as dynamic retail market competition and the
departure of a significant support base with the closure of the Alameda Naval Air Station. Currently the street’s
economic performance suffers from an inconsistent physical character and a business mix that is out of step with
large segments of the local population. The strategic planning process involved a series of community workshops
and regular meetings with a city-appointed task force. The planning process also included: the creation of a
property and business database; analysis of the current business mix; identification of key opportunity sites
through extensive interviews with property owners and developers; demographic and buying power analyses; and
matching up opportunity sites with developers and retailers that will meet market demand and local policy
objectives. Ultimately, the Strategic Plan recommended development projects and strategies that the city should
undertake to restore the street to a full-service, vital neighborhood shopping district.