Downtown is becoming more illuminated in hopes of attracting
more patrons
Gilroy – Downtown is getting bathed in light as officials look to recast its image as an inviting place to dine and shop – and the effort has not gone unnoticed.
For years, the historic Monterey Street commercial district has been sparsely populated and dimly lit. Alleys surrounding the street have been a magnet for homeless people and vandals, and at night, much of the main drag and its side streets lay in darkness, save for light from a handful of streetlamps and a few night-spots such as Garlic City Billiards and Rio Nilo Night Club.
“When I was younger, downtown really wasn’t a place to walk or hang out,” said Robert Chapa, a native Gilroyan. “My parents never let me come down here.”
Chapa returned to the city in May after 15 years, just in time for a major overhaul of Monterey Street that included expansive new sidewalks and towering street lamps. On Thursday afternoon, he and his wife Joanah were strolling through the area with their dog.
“It’s actually a pretty dramatic change,” Chapaa said. “Everything being new now – I think it brings a different crowd. At night you feel safer because there are lights all up and down the street.”
City leaders and merchants are hoping to sow that impression throughout the city as they look to wrest the downtown from the dark ages. They say the area suffers an image problem no longer based in reality.
Monterey Street will soon be showered in light by 30 antique lamps standing as high as the rooftops. Only half of the lights function at the moment – PG&E has not finished work on the system – but there is no longer any portion of sidewalk in darkness. Before major construction wrapped up last month, the same stretch of road had just six lamp-posts that each stood about 10 feet high, leaving large swaths of walkway unlit.
In addition to improvements on Monterey Street, officials have installed new lights in parking lots off Eigleberry Street and have increased the wattage on existing lights in the lots. They plan to install more lights on side streets and in alleys.
Safety has proven a thorny issue in efforts to revive the downtown. Business owners complain that premium parking spots on the newly re-opened road have been monopolized by dozens of workers, who are reluctant to use off-street parking because of safety concerns.
Mayor Al Pinheiro said fears are overblown, pointing out this week that only 334 of 8,000-plus police calls in the last year originated in downtown. Such figures are little consolation for dozens of female workers in downtown, many of whom have complained about the prospect of walking through alleys or side streets to reach their cars at night.
The complaints emerged in recent weeks as the city discussed long-term plans to install meters or time restrictions in the downtown area. Though plans to crack down on parking are at least three or four years off, Pinheiro and other city officials are taking steps now to make off-street parking more attractive for workers.
In addition to increased lighting, Pinheiro said he is working with police to beef up patrols and to institute a “downtown ambassadors” program, in which pairs of volunteers would keep an eye out for suspicious behavior and escort workers to their vehicles.
“We need to make it extra safe” to “change people’s attitudes and opinions about downtown,” said Steve Ashford, owner of a downtown antique store.
But not everyone needs convincing.
“Downtown is like anyplace else – you have to be careful,” said Michelle Paradiso, a 35-year resident thrilled with the area’s new look. “A lot more lights will bring more people. Now they just need a couple of really nice restaurants.”
