TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents and agreements, and any amendments, to receive and expend grant funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for an amount up to $301,400 for the period of July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017, to implement the ‘Outdoor Office’ in Harvey Milk Park and Equality Plaza;
Increase appropriations in the General Fund (GF) in the City Manager Department (CM) by $40,000, offset by revenue received from the Downtown RDA project area’s 75 percent share of the proceeds from the sale of former RDA property for a transfer to the General Grants Fund (SR 120); and
Increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the City Manager Department by $341,400. (District 1)
DISCUSSION
On April 12, 2016, the Knight Foundation named the City of Long Beach (City) a winner of the Knight Cities Challenge grant. Only 26 designated “Knight Cities” are eligible to apply for the challenge grants. The grant provides $301,400 to create the nation’s first outdoor office space in a public park. On April 29, 2016 a memorandum to the Mayor and City Council (Attachment A) summarized the grant opportunity and the development of the winning proposal.
The Outdoor Office Concept
Access to affordable office space, networking, and business support services can be costly barriers for new entrepreneurs in the city. As part of its investigation into the challenges that entrepreneurs face in starting or growing their business, the City’s Innovation Team (i-team) identified City-owned parks and facilities as potential places for entrepreneurs to connect, learn more about support services, and as locations for programming that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit. In collaboration with multiple community partners, the Outdoor Office concept was co-created and submitted to the Knight Cities Challenge for consideration.
The Outdoor Office concept seeks to promote creativity, economic inte...
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