SOLEDAD, Calif. -- Soledad city leaders unveiled its marketing plan on Wednesday to designate the city as the gateway to the Pinnacles.
It's the city's fresh marketing plan to promote the city's newest national park just down the road.
The city paid $15,000 to partner up with a Bay Area marketing firm, Ford & Bonilla, to make the city known to visitors passing through on their way to the national park.
On Wednesday, it launched a Facebook page as part of its marketing plan to draw in visitors from the Bay Area, and beyond.
City leaders are also installing two new monument signs to draw in visitors with the slogan "Gateway to the Pinnacles." The signs cost $70,000.
They also plan to partner up with the South Monterey County Wine Industry in anticipation of a boost in tourism.
"We just feel that this is our opportunity to get some of those tourism dollars and some of those higher paying jobs we've never had the opportunity to get," said Fred Ledesma, mayor of Soledad.
The city also plans to apply for state grants to help out local businesses.
"It just made sense for us to say we want to capture this moment and be part of that history and proclaim Soledad as the gateway to the Pinnacles," said Adela Gonzalez, city manager of Soledad.
The city will also make impact fees more reasonable to attract new businesses that want to make Soledad their home and looking into improving the 146 bypass that goes through the city, so drivers don't have to go through so many streets and by schools.
