Samantha Fields

If you're looking for new office space for your company right now, maybe in New York or San Francisco, you're probably going to have a lot of competition.

And vacancy rates are low.

I'm Samantha Fields for Marketplace.

It's mid-morning at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Surfers are catching waves, buskers are busking, and Brian DeLese is walking off breakfast with a few friends.

Surf City USA is Huntington Beach's official trademarked brand.

And that is exactly what's for sale at its official store on the pier here.

Surf City t-shirts, sweatshirts.

Postcards, mugs, koozies, glasses.

This is Sally Westcott.

She and Tina Varee are the private side of this public-private partnership.

The store gets cheap rent for its coveted pier location, and the city gets 5% royalties on all sales of the store's city-branded merch.

They serve mostly tourists, but also some locals and former locals.

Westcott and Varee say they felt a little under fire when a consultant hired by Huntington Beach questioned why the city wasn't doing more with its brand.

He recommended the city establish a creative media department, a film commission, and a merchandising program that would lock down the city's intellectual property.

The main goal?

More revenue for the city, says Mayor Casey McKeon.

Or building a lot more housing to increase the tax base, which McKeon does not want.

He envisions digital vending machines around town where you could order city hats, t-shirts and other swag.

He also wants to sell that swag directly to local stores or create licensing agreements with retailers.