High School Juniors Jumpstart Interest in Fremont Mall

Like most malls in America, Fremont’s had lost its luster. Fewer stores, dwindling foot traffic, and a lack of things for teenagers to do had led to an underutilized building, a lack of jobs, and lost revenue for Greater Fremont.

Until five juniors from Fremont High School set their sights on reinventing the space as part of their signature project for the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce’s (FACC) Youth Leadership Academy (YLA).

“The Fremont Mall can become a booming place once again with some changes and
hard work,” read their proposal.

The Greater Fremont Development Council (GFDC) collaborates with students, presenting information about the organization and programs to YLA classes. GFDC also works one-on-one with one of the participating teams.  

Creating the Change

When students apply to the YLA, they are asked to identify two challenges they see impacting the community. But it doesn’t stop there.

“Students work together in small teams to develop a solution to their identified challenge that will be presented at the mock city council meeting,” said Cailin Brashear, FACC’s Director of Business Services & Leadership Development.

Juniors Kassie Brabec, Megan Thomson, Ayden Bohaboj, Brooke Hevlin, and McKinzie Brandt spent nine months ironing out their proposal, gaining insight from area stakeholders as they fine-tuned their idea.

To tackle the problem, they took a multi-pronged approach that included:  

• Creating a “wish list” of tenants ranging from local boutiques to popular retailers, like Lululemon, Old Navy, and 7Brew Coffee.
• Encouraging eligible businesses to tap into the Greater Fremont Development Council’s Welstead Fund Startup Loan program to help cover the cost of real estate improvements, start-up costs, equipment, and working capital. 
• Establishing an extra 2% occupation tax for shoppers. 
• Creating a 2-year phase-out plan to bring growth back, end lease agreements, and void contracts by payout

“Mayor Joey Spellerberg spent time with the group monthly, serving as an advisor and helping them understand the context behind their ideas,” said Brashear.

Following the mock council meeting, each team took feedback from peers, made adjustments, and presented their proposal a second time. Their peers then scored each presentation, with the top three teams going on to present their proposals at a graduation banquet. There, an audience selected the Fremont Mall project as the winner, with Brabec, Thomson, Bohaboj, Helvin, and Brandt receiving a $1,000 scholarship shared between them. GFDC had worked one-on-one with the team, advising them throughout the entire process.

“This project was a tangible example of the goal of the Youth Leadership Academy; we’re teaching the next generation of community leaders how to create the changes they want to see in their community,” said Brashear. “It’s my hope that in 10 years we see these students back in Fremont getting involved and advocating for and creating the changes they’re passionate about. That’s the goal.”

A Place to Come Back To 

By getting students to reimagine Fremont as a place they want to come back to, it also becomes a place they’re proud to call home.

“Providing students with this opportunity not only helps us build a better understanding of what they want to see in the community, but it also gives us a space to connect these young leaders to opportunities to bring these ideas to life,” she said.

This fall, 7Brew Coffee, one of the top “wish list” tenants outlined in the winning proposal, will be opening a location a few miles from the Fremont Mall.

“It’s exciting that some of their suggestions are now projects that are underway in the community,” said Brashear. “I hope that as we get closer to a ribbon-cutting for the renovations underway at the Fremont Mall, we can find a way to have members of the project team involved!”

For more information about the Chamber’s Youth Leadership Academy, click here!