BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The downtown area is looking at a few upgrades after the city approved over $1.4 million in funding to go towards facade improvements.
- The city has approved $1.4 million for facade improvements on underutilized downtown properties.
- Improvements will include new awnings, improved lighting, trees, and outdoor seating.
- Business owners are actively involved in the planning and implementation of these upgrades.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The downtown area is looking at a few upgrades after the city approved over $1.4 million in funding to go towards facade improvements. Now you might think that the City is behind these improvements, but while they have to approve the plans, most of the work is coming from the business owners themselves.
Miriam Alqaisi opened Radio Sandwich on 19th and L Street two years to the day. She said choosing this spot was important to her.
"I mean this building has been around since 1886," she said. "I'm excited to get some attention back on our block, you know, similar to what happened on 18th street. The development didn't happen until business owners came in."
The development she's talking about is the City's Facade Improvement Grants, as well as the Street Improvement Projects. Areas that will see improvement include Wall and 19th Streets, the formerly vacant Black Cat Theater on the corner of 19th and L, and the block of 19th Street between O and N streets.
Improvements are said to include new awnings, improved lighting, trees and outdoor seating, while also paying homage to some of the historic infrastructure of the downtown area. According to the reports, the hope is to improve aesthetics, safety, and increase foot traffic for the downtown businesses along this corridor.
"This area, well it was rough, it's always been rough," said Owner of Downtown Toys'N'Comics, Nick Availos. "It was downtown and we didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into but we liked the building."
Availos said in the 15 years they've been in business on the corner of L and 19th Street, they've seen a lot happen to the downtown area, and not always for the better.
"I think it was more beautiful back when I started here. We used to have a beautiful tree out here, a nice bench, and trash can that people can use to basically this out here. So now all we have is just this pile of dirt," he saidl
"It was so alive with just culture and people and more than anything the city really putting money into it, and not just them but the businesses," said Chuck Arias, former business partner at Downtown Toys'N'Comics. "And that's what's missing today is people taking pride in the front of their stores."
Now the businesses are taking matters into their own hands. With the city's approval, they're submitting their ideas of what they want to see happen on their block, as well as the areas including the former Toucan Building and Vest's Market.
"I'm hoping that with the streets that we can see some lighting at night, that would be great," Alqaisi said. "The city is granting the money but we're still doing the work as business and building owners so it's all thankfully kind of up to us what we want to see out of our buildings."
Availos said he and his family are involved in a lot of events and activities around town, including the annual Collector-Con and the second Saturday vendors fair they put on every month in front of their store, which is why having a safe and inviting corridor is so important to them.
"I'd rather invest the money on the outside, make it a little safer for our customers, put up some street lighting," he said.
Alqaisi said she hopes the plans they've developed will begin within the next few months and benefit the community they've built.
"Ao there's parts of this block that are going to change and we're going to lose, and that makes me very upset," she said. "But then there's a lot of beautiful things that are going to come with it and so it's, you know, it's definitely a trade off.
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