Kudos to Mayor Al Pinheiro for keeping his campaign promise to
make revitalizing downtown Gilroy a top priority.
Kudos to Mayor Al Pinheiro for keeping his campaign promise to make revitalizing downtown Gilroy a top priority. One way he’s been true to his word was by hosting two well-attended forums for downtown merchants and property owners recently.
“We are here for one major reason,” Pinheiro told forum attendees. “We need you to do the revitalization of our downtown. Without you, nothing will happen.”
Pinheiro’s exactly right.
Unlike two other South Valley cities with vibrant downtowns – Morgan Hill and Hollister – Gilroy does not have the benefit of a redevelopment agency to fund a rehab of its beleaguered downtown.
The city has done a lot to help – it has waived impact fees and some project reviews and eased parking requirements, for example. A streetscape beautification project, temporarily painful for merchants and motorists, promises to greatly improve downtown’s curb appeal. The remodeling of the transit center at the south end of downtown cleaned up a blighted eyesore.
But perhaps most important for the long-term vitality of downtown, the city has convened a downtown specific plan task force to create a vision and a road map for a revitalized city center.
But that’s not enough, has Pinheiro told business and property owners.
Instead of whining that no one is advertising downtown at the outlets, as one business owner did in advance of the meeting, merchants need to pool their resources and make such outreach efforts a reality.
Instead of complaining when the city enforces rules about furniture and signs cluttering sidewalks, merchants ought to appreciate that an attractive downtown will attract shoppers and willingly comply.
Instead of protesting that bringing neglected buildings up to seismic and other codes is too expensive, property owners ought to seize the opportunity to raise their property value by helping to improve downtown’s beauty and safety.
If we want a vital, vibrant downtown, everyone – city officials, merchants, property owners and residents – will have to do their part to make it happen.
