After more than 30 years in Davis, Inspire Martial Arts has successfully relocated its Downtown location to a new home at 4614 2nd Street, allowing the long-standing local business to continue serving the community. After learning that its lease would not be renewed, Inspire Martial Arts sought a home in Davis, aiming to complete its move before the summer camp season. Although the owner identified a promising location near the Target shopping center, the city’s zoning initially posed significant financial and time hurdles, with preliminary application deposits estimated at up to $24,627 with a potential processing time of up to six months.
Davis’ Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) identifies the City’s difficult-to-navigate zoning policies and practices as a significant deterrent to retaining existing businesses in Davis. In March, the City Council directed staff to identify ways to address the EDSP's cumbersome land-use controls. Consistent with the plan’s strategic objective of increasing business retention activities, city staff reexamined the applicable zoning regulations and identified a path forward that would reduce entitlement costs to less than $2,100 and streamline the process. On April 22nd, the Planning Commission ultimately approved a Conditional Use Permit, allowing Inspire Martial Arts to move into its new location.
The EDSP includes assisting at least five at-risk businesses annually as a performance metric. The successful relocation of Inspire Martial Arts represents one example of that ongoing effort.
Dan Gaskill, the Program Director at Inspire Martial Arts, shared that the transfer to the new location has gone smoothly. He said that the new location “is beautiful. It has a very open vibe and good lighting.” He went on to describe the space as “refreshing.” He added, “Inspire Martial Arts is dedicated to training martial arts skills, physical fitness, and mental discipline in a welcoming and respectful environment. We are proud to have been a staple of the Davis community for decades. Our instructors have a wealth of experience teaching students of all ages and are pros at bringing out the best in them. In addition to our martial arts and fitness programs, we serve the community with excellent day camps for kids that run throughout the summer and during other school breaks. Anyone who wants to try a week of our classes for free can start anytime by going to our website, inspiredojo.com.”
The successful relocation demonstrates how the City is working to retain local businesses by finding practical solutions and improving the customer experience for businesses navigating land-use regulations. Businesses facing relocation challenges or considering moving operations outside Davis are encouraged to contact Katie Yancey, Economic Development Director, at CMOWeb@cityofdavis.org.
