What the Westside means to Costa Mesa’s economy
Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on what the Westside should be.
And many, if not most of them, think that it should be changed. Fewer
apartments. More upscale houses. Only high-tech companies. No
manufacturing. An artist colony. More pedestrian-friendly. Some have
even suggested that the Westside would be better with fewer Latinos
(who, oddly enough, tend to be more pedestrian-oriented). “Condemn
that property!” “Increase my home’s value!” Everyone wants to bury
the utility lines. But few want to “bury the hatchet.” Before
recreating the Westside in a new image, though, how many really
appreciate what it has to offer? How many really give the Westside
credit for contributing to the overall economic vitality of Costa
Mesa?
It would take an exhaustive study of each and every business on
the Westside in order to perfectly represent it as the micro-economy
that it is. But it is possible to get a good feel for it if you
consider the business makeup of the 92627 ZIP Code. In this southern
portion of Costa Mesa there are more than 1,600 businesses employing
almost 17,000 people, who earn nearly $500 million each year.
While the Westside is entirely within the 92627 area, it certainly
does not comprise the entire employment base. However, the Westside
redevelopment area is home to a great many manufacturing,
construction and wholesale trade businesses. So considering only
these three types of businesses, what would Costa Mesa lose if these
businesses were forced to relocate?
These three business categories alone employ more than 6,700
people at an estimated income of more than $200 million each year.
This is equivalent to nearly 10% of the annual income generated by
residents of the entire city. There would be a considerable rippling
effect if you were to remove just these three business categories
from the area. Since the employees, as well as the businesses
themselves, also require other businesses to provide necessary
products and services. How many restaurants, drug or clothing stores,
markets, doctors and dentists and other services would go out of
business without these businesses and their employees and their
families as customers? Some may argue that new homes in place of
industry will bring families and their incomes to replace what is
lost. Not quite true. An economy is built on creation of products and
services, which create jobs that support the families that purchase
the homes ... and the cycle of dependence continues.
Additionally, a well-balanced economy is not overly dependent upon
one industry. A diversified employment base should include retail,
service, manufacturing, health, education and professionals. One like
this weathers downturns better than one that is extremely dependent
upon a single industry. How many “company towns” thrived when the
business that was the primary employer moved or went bankrupt? Costa
Mesa’s economy has great balance. But, if you begin to tinker with
what makes it operate without regard for the interdependence of all
the working parts, you might find that it fails to support the
community as well as it has.
Granted, this brief article is not a precise representation of the
Westside -- an area that encompasses homes, schools, retail
businesses and professionals as well as the three business categories
examined. But it does serve to demonstrate that the Westside does
support many families that make a substantial financial contribution
to Costa Mesa. The Westside is not a piece of raw land to be carved
up without regard for what will be lost and without concern for those
who depend upon the jobs provided.
* ED FAWCETT is president of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
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