The Morgan Hill Downtown Association (MHDA) hasn’t necessarily
revitalized downtown since forming in 2002.
Morgan Hill
The Morgan Hill Downtown Association (MHDA) hasn’t necessarily revitalized downtown since forming in 2002.
Fortunately, the association now has a breath of fresh air in the form of Jorge A. Briones II, a 43-year-old event coordinator that brings a wealth of experience to his new position – event coordinator for the MHDA.
Briones began his career at the San Jose Downtown Association in 1998, where he was the event sponsorship director until 2001. After that experience, he was hired by the professional ice hockey team, San Jose Sharks to oversee all their sponsorship activity. In 2005, he was hired by the San Francisco-based concert promotion company Bill Graham Presents as sponsorship director.
He operates his own event production company, Events by J.
Briones, who has lived in Morgan Hill the past six years with his wife and two dogs, feels “downtown has so much potential, tremendous potential” and says downtown is “the most overlooked area of town.”
So, what is Briones plan for revitalizing downtown?
“My role is to develop and implement new events (because) the downtown association wants to see as many events as possible that will bring people downtown which then helps attract people to businesses.”
The association is tax-exempt, non-profit corporation led by Executive Director Theresa Kiernan, who answers to a board of directors that represents key stakeholders of downtown Morgan Hill, including local businesses, residents, city government and other interested parties. It receives funding from the City of Morgan Hill’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and dues from members.
The Redevelopment agency has allocated $75,000 for general operations and $20,000 for the hiring of Briones. This money comes from the $330 million funding plan, which the City Council approved last November.
Once people are downtown, Briones feels they will become aware of the various businesses: “They will see there are music stores, clothes stores … there are more than three restaurants.”
He describes his goal as having several successful events “probably around four to five in 2008” and increasing the foot traffic downtown to help the downtown association create a stronger affiliation with businesses around it.
Of course, the first big event for Briones will be the 11th annual Safe Trick or Treat from 5-7 pm. on Halloween. The MHDA is expecting around 3,000 school age children to attend.
Briones has a genuine love of Morgan Hill and its community: “The people that live in Morgan Hill have a true sense of family and community that doesn’t exist in San Jose or the greater Bay Area. It’s just 10 miles south [and people here] genuinely care about each other, and they know each other by name.”
It is because of this dedication to the community that Briones feels the people of Morgan Hill should “have a central focal point that they can be proud of.”
The main challenge Briones sees with his new job is “coming up with events that the majority of the community will support. The events need to mix with the downtown stakeholders and the community at large.”
MHDA Executive Director Theresa Kiernan is looking forward to taking some of the work of her hands: “There has been a need to get more promotion in the downtown area for years. There is so much [day-to-day] work that it is hard for just one person to handle along with all the other responsibilities the Downtown Association requires.”
She continued: “Jorge will free me up to me more involved in the overall vision of downtown.”
As far as predictions for when residents will see a change in downtown, Kiernan mentioned the Third Street Promenade, will be more pedestrian-friendly and appealing to new developers (some of whom are already in the planning stages). The promenade is slated to open in the spring of 2008.
Morgan Hill Councilman Greg Sellers feels Briones will help make the MHDA more “stable financially” and reiterated what Theresa Kiernan said, “it will free up the MHDA Executive Director to do other things important to development: Designing projects, economic support, attracting new business, etc.”
Of Briones, Sellers said, “He seems great, I look forward to working with him. It is very exciting.”
Sellers, who has almost two decades of work trying to get support for the revitalization of downtown, says the next 18 months “will be the most important for Morgan Hill’s downtown in a generation.”
Briones will be available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Friday (hours subject to change) at the MHDA office.
