New program intended to spruce up downtown
EL CENTRO — A newly established program will assist downtown businesses in making façade improvements.
The city of El Centro established the Downtown El Centro Façade Improvement and Beautification program with the goal that these improvements will, in turn, beautify the downtown area.
The El Centro City Council unanimously approved the program on May 4, and official guidelines and applications were released Monday.
Applications can be printed out from the city of El Centro’s website, or picked up at the city’s Redevelopment Agency building on Main Street.
This program is solely for property owners and tenants of commercial buildings in the city’s downtown area, which is between Fourth and Eighth streets, with Broadway Avenue being the northern boundary and State Street being the southern.
Each participating property will be entitled up to $ 15,000 in incentive funds for the following improvements: new paint (base, trim and accent colors), new sign or sign removal, repairs to arcade, new awnings, new foam moldings to create architectural detail and visual interest, plaster repair ( damaged plaster/ stucco), new windows and/or doors, and architectural exterior lighting.
It was apparent that this program has drawn some interest from the downtown community, as eight people, who were tenants or property owners, provided feedback during the May 4 council meeting while the program was being presented.
While he’s in favor of the program, Lonnie Main expressed hope there will be some flexibility on the color of paint that businesses can use.
Main owns Gold and Diamond Exchange located at the intersection of Sixth and Main streets.
As part of the program, a downtown color palette was established, which means that businesses can use only four pre- selected colors: brown, sand, green and gray.
“I’m hoping that it’s more than that,” he said. “I started painting on my building, but the upper part which I can’t reach with a ladder, needs it. And I’m going to pay for the paint, if I can use your services and your contractor to apply it, along with a base coat.”
Jordan Darby, owner of Truth Nightclub, which is just across from Gold and Diamond Exchange, said he in favor of the program, but is concerned with the amount of vandalism that takes place downtown.
“We have so much homelessness down there, and then a lot of people that use, like, the methadone clinics and all that, they stay in that area,” Darby said. “And I’m in such a big building that, it’s so much money to keep up with graffiti and paintings and stuff like that.
“As soon as we paint one day, a few days later — again,” Darby continued.
“My only concern is that we do this beautification and it goes to waste because it’s being vandalized day after day after day.”
“We all share your concern,” Mayor Cheryl Viegas-Walker responded.