Glendale : Downtown Goes Upscale

The city’s downtown has officially been renamed Uptown as part of a new public relations campaign.

The Brand Boulevard area on the south of the Ventura Freeway (134) to Colorado Street has been renamed to distinguish it from downtown Los Angeles and Old Town Pasadena, Mayor Larry Zarian said.

“Now people can say, ‘Meet me Uptown in Glendale,’ ” he said. The Uptown area features 140 stores and 60 restaurants.

The city is beginning a five-year revitalization effort to make the area more competitive with surrounding cities in hopes of attracting new businesses, Zarian said. The move is crucial for Glendale, which gets its largest source of revenues from sales tax. Last year, the city has earned $20 million in sales tax, $4 million more than property tax revenues.

The city plans to upgrade the area with more street lighting, better tree trimming and by removing barriers that might obscure stores.

The effort will cost more than $1 million. The city has hired the Hawkins Advertising & Public Relations firm for $250,000 to head a yearlong advertising campaign for Uptown. The firm will target the campaign through television, newspapers, brochures, direct mail and special events, said Janet Hawkins, president of the Newport Beach firm.

Bright banners featuring Uptown attractions were to be hoisted on the street lamps on Brand Boulevard on Wednesday. The banner themes will change throughout the year but will remain on the lamps indefinitely, City Manager David H. Ramsay said.