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By Marnie Foody
Vacant storefronts, aging buildings, and broken street infrastructure shouldn’t define downtown Menlo Park. We live in an innovative, world-class community — and our Santa Cruz Avenue commercial core ought to reflect that same vitality, quality and pride. It’s time for a downtown that lives up to the community it serves.
A prevalent argument among local housing advocates and municipal officials is that residential development is the singular catalyst for revitalizing our downtown. However, Santa Cruz Avenue has long been adjacent to established residential neighborhoods without seeing this effect. While mixed-use downtown housing — specifically situated above ground-floor retail — makes sense, high-rise apartment blocks won’t magically create vibrant streets or thriving retail.
True revitalization requires targeted action: local leadership, streetscape beautification, modern retail policies, vibrant community events and convenient parking access. Eighteen months ago, a group of dedicated residents formed the Downtown Menlo Fund to turn a vision into reality. To build a thriving downtown, we must focus on five pillars:
Proactive leadership
For years, the city has underfunded Santa Cruz Avenue, causing its demise. To change course, we need a City Council that prioritizes downtown investment, collaborates with property owners and businesses, and adopts business-friendly building policies. By leveraging tools like vacancy taxes, business improvement districts, and public-private partnerships with groups to help fund capital projects, the city can drive real progress.
Access to parking
Convenient and accessible parking is essential for thriving local retail. Downtown Menlo is already severely lacking in parking spaces, discouraging new businesses from opening. To protect our downtown, we must preserve every existing space and proactively expand our parking supply. With over 200 small businesses operating on paper-thin margins, major disruptions, like prolonged construction without dedicated parking mitigations, could trigger widespread closures that would take years to recover from. Protecting accessible, convenient parking for shoppers and diners must be a top priority of our leadership.
Streetscape beautification
Our downtown streetscape is severely underfunded and deteriorating. Dead planters, broken irrigation, outdated street furniture, and non-functioning streetlights project a town in decline. Worse, the high cost of maintaining obsolete equipment has driven the city to make shortsighted cuts — like canceling decorative lighting contracts and leaving our streets in the dark. Please join the Downtown Menlo Fund in pressing for immediate maintenance and modern upgrades to restore a safe and welcoming downtown.
Downtown beautification should start with a top-tier design for the new 600-block plaza — establishing a high benchmark for all future projects. The city’s financial shortfalls shouldn’t hold us back; community-funded initiatives, such as commemorative brick and street bench programs, can bridge the gap. The Downtown Menlo Fund stands ready to partner with both the city and residents to make this project a reality.
Modernize allowable uses
For years, rigid zoning restricted the types of businesses allowed on Santa Cruz Avenue. Fortunately, recent policy shifts led by local property owner Windy Hill Ventures and supported by the Downtown Menlo Fund finally allow high-demand experiential uses like day spas and fitness studios. This has already brought forward new businesses who are now negotiating leases, including a yoga studio and a family activity center. Expanding allowed uses brings foot traffic — the lifeblood of retail.
Engaging community events
To thrive, local businesses need regular foot traffic and community support. That is why the Downtown Menlo Fund initiated “Fourth Fridays,” a music festival series staged along Santa Cruz Avenue. Community gatherings create connections and directly support local commerce. This month’s Fourth Friday is on Oct. 23. Visit DowntownMenlo.com for event details and local listings.
Menlo Park deserves a downtown with architectural integrity, modern streetscapes and thriving local businesses. By working together — residents, business owners and city leaders — we can build a downtown that generates revenue, enhances our daily lives and serves as a source of community pride. Join us at MenloFund.org to turn our vision into a reality.
Marnie Foody is the chair of the Downtown Menlo Fund, created in 2025 to support local businesses and downtown Menlo Park.
