City Programs Offer New North Park Health Club a ‘Lift’
UrbanBody Gym Utilizes City’s Small Business Programs to Open 8,000 Square-Foot Facility

SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego’s Office of Small Business has been instrumental in assisting in the summer opening of UrbanBody, a brand new, state-of-art fitness center in North Park. By utilizing business assistance and advocacy programs offered by the City of San Diego, UrbanBody owners have found navigating the process of starting up their health club less intimidating.  UrbanBody is one of many examples of small businesses using the City’s Business Assistance programs to streamline permitting, zoning and regulatory issues, among others.

The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services program has been critical in keeping their project moving expeditiously through the start-up process.  The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services program is designed to communicate concerns and assist small businesses with challenging zoning, permit and regulatory matters.  Small businesses constitute approximately 92% of all businesses in San Diego, and many face complex zoning and regulatory issues that could arise during the start-up or expansion process.

The Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services Manager works for the City, but serves as an advocate for small business owners, ensuring they have a spokesperson representing their interests when dealing with government agencies and regulations.  The program is an integral part of the City’s Office of Small Business, one of only a few of its kind throughout the country.

“The City has been incredible in its support for our business,” said Robin Kole, owner of UrbanBody.  “The one-on-one interaction with City staff and guidance through each step of the permitting and planning process has alleviated a lot of our concerns.  With the City’s continued support, we’re confident we’ll open our doors and enjoy a successful business in North Park.” 

The Economic Development Division’s Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Team began working closely with Kole and her husband, Frank in the early stages of UrbanBody’s site selection.  A preliminary review meeting was coordinated with representatives from each area of the Development Services Department to review plans and documents before they were submitted to the City in order to streamline the permitting process.  Once the permitting process began, representatives served as advocates for the Kole’s, ensuring issues were resolved quickly.

The Office of Small Business devoted a great deal of time in overseeing the UrbanBody project.  The 8,000 square foot facility is designed to be a true ‘neighborhood gym’ in North Park, offering state-of-the-art weight training areas and cardio machines, yoga, cycling and boxing classes as well a pro-shop and a juice bar.  The facility is expecting to open in September.

“UrbanBody is an excellent example of the kind of ‘hands-on’ assistance the City provides to small business owners to help them through the various stages of starting a business,” said Lynette Jones, Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services Manager with the City of San Diego.  “It’s very gratifying to be able to help people realize their dream of creating and implementing their own business.”

For more information on Business Advocacy & Ombuds Services, or other Business Assistance programs, visit the City’s Web site at www.sandiego.gov and type “business development” in the search field or contact the Community and Economic Development Department at (619) 533-4233.

# # #

With an emphasis on the City’s urban core neighborhoods and low- and moderate-income residents, the Community and Economic Development Department strives to improve the quality of life and ensure a healthy economy in San Diegothrough job development, business development, neighborhood revitalization, public improvements, redevelopment, social services, and revenue enhancement.