The recession has caused much grief to the bay area and Alameda is not immune to the weak economy. The west end of Alameda is on the brink of a real disaster if the city does not promote and support small business. More amenities are going out of business on Webster Street. Everett and Jones is gone and now The New Zealander is closed for the second time. And still there isn't a new proprietor for the newly renovated Fireside Lounge. If nothing is done quite soon, the west end will become a dead zone.
It is difficult to believe that while Alameda may have peaked on Park Street, Webster is waning, and now Oakland is the new and vibrant area of bars, restaurants and clubs. The reason why Oakland is booming is because City Hall has relaxed permits on dining and entertainment, which Alameda has not. The City of Alameda is stagnant and for some reason does not have the foresight to watch all of the activity around and promote similar permits.
The City of Alameda has a problem of allowing tax dollars to go off island due to strict restrictions. In the end, it hurts the city instead of emphasizing growth and keeping Alamedans in Alameda.
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I would have to agree that City Hall (planning and Building Depts.) are not very helpful when it comes to getting a business up and running.
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