State of the City: Mayor Garbarino Remembers the Past, But Prepares for the Future

South San Francisco, CA  May 27, 2015   Submitted by Leslie Arroyo City of South San Francisco

Mayor States the Economy in South San Francisco is Strong and Secure

In his State of the City address, which was hosted by the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce at the Convention Center this afternoon, Mayor Garbarino reflected on what was happening 100-years ago today, but he also shared the vision for what’s to come. One hundred years ago, South San Francisco was the home of a growing steel industry with titans that embodied the cutting edge, innovative technology of their day. While the industry has changed throughout the years, Garbarino is quick to point out that the determination and perseverance to make South San Francisco a thriving city, still hasn’t changed.

“Today our creativity and innovation is as strong as ever. While the industry is different, the engine that has driven this city’s success for over 100 years has not changed – our entrepreneurship, risk taking and industrious spirit set us apart from many other neighboring communities,” says Mayor Richard Garbarino.

To more than 100 attendees, Garbarino shared the new and exciting things that have happened with the City over the past year, as well as highlighted what is yet to come. Among the topics he discussed was the City’s thriving biotech community, which continues to grow. Currently, South San Francisco is home to the largest biotech cluster in the world, with over 150 biotech companies and 11-million square feet of biotech space. In addition, the City has another five million square feet of new R&D space approved, much of it already under construction.

He also talked about development projects and the fact that more than a quarter-billion dollars has been invested in South San Francisco in the past 12 months.

Highlights of his speech include:

*         The new 55-million dollar Caltrain station, which is funded and will go into construction next year

*         More than 14 new restaurants have recently opened in the downtown

*         Developers will be building much needed housing, including over 500 units in the downtown and more than 300 units outside the downtown

*         15-percent of the city’s streets have been resurfaced and more bike lanes will be opening in the future

In his remarks, Mayor Garbarino assured the residents that the City will attain meaningful and sustainable progress while proudly remaining the “Industrial City.” Below are excerpts of his address, as prepared for delivery:

“Make no mistake and hear me clearly – South San Francisco proudly remains ‘The Industrial City.’ We, like our predecessors, challenge the status quo and are able to build something meaningful.”
***

“The people of South San Francisco stand proudly on the shoulders of the industrial giants of our past, while lifting the next generation up, allowing us – in this new, much stronger economy – to reach even greater heights.”
***

“Public safety remains a top priority in South San Francisco and I am pleased to report we are a very safe city. One challenge we do face, however, is our outdated and undersized police headquarters…it’s time to consider building a 21st century, state-of-the-art police operation center providing better facilities for police officers and greater assurance for reliable 911 emergency response.”

***

“All the good news I have just shared with you, would not be possible without this collaborative and committed council including Vice-Mayor Mark Addiego, Council Members Pradeep Gupta, Karyl Matsumoto and Liza Normandy… this is your winning team.”

***

“Some may think about progress as a deviation from the norm. But there’s a new century of progress happening right here in South San Francisco. We have a great story to tell – a story of resilience, reinvention and revitalization.”
###