A massive project to transform historic Grand Avenue in Escondido into a new city hub is well underway, having already created wider sidewalks, new parking, a roundabout and other improvements along one block.
But while the project is intended to result in a vibrant street that will draw visitors from outside of Escondido, the ongoing second phase has ironically created almost a ghost town on a stretch of Grand Avenue, with cars unable to park or even drive in front of restaurants and sidewalks having little pedestrian traffic.
The end is in sight, however, with the project on schedule to end in spring. In the meantime, local merchants have found several creative ways of bringing visitors to the street, including a skating rink during the holidays.
The first phase of the $15 million Grand Avenue Vision Project was completed in 2022 and created wider sidewalks on Grand Avenue on the block from Maple Street to Broadway. String lighting and new light posts were installed on Grand Avenue on the two-block stretch from Maple to Kalmia Streets.
The first phase also included a roundabout at Kalmia Street and Grand Avenue. A four-block stretch from Escondido Boulevard to Juniper Street will have diagonal parking when completed.
Phase two began Sept. 30 with construction moving west of Broadway. Crews have widened sidewalks on either side of Grand Avenue on the two blocks from Broadway to Juniper Street, which will allow more outdoor dining areas without infringing on pedestrian pathways. A traffic circle/roundabout is under construction at Broadway and Grand Avenue and will be the largest of three on the street. The third is planned for Maple Street and Grand Avenue as part of a third phase not yet funded.
Discussions for the project were sparked after the city proposed parking meters for Grand Avenue, which resulted in a backlash from local merchants. Abandoning that idea, city planners received feedback from the Downtown Business Association of Escondido on alternative ideas, and the City Council adopted the project in February 2018.
The city’s website on the project bills it as an exciting initiative that “aims to transform Grand Avenue into a welcoming and pedestrian-friendly corridor and boost the economic vitality of our downtown area.”
Merchants are likely eagerly awaiting that transformation. Barricades along Grand Avenue prohibit pedestrians from crossing the street, few people are seen on sidewalks and motorists have to find parking on side streets. The city has provided an online map showing five parking lots on either side of Grand Avenue.
“It’s definitely disruptive to business operations,” said Escondido Economic Development Director Jennifer Schoeneck. “No one likes their street torn up or their parking taken up with construction. I’m thankful that the construction crew seems to be moving very quickly.”
Alongside that stretch of Grand Avenue, a bartender at a tavern said his business has been down 30% to 50% since October and was slumping during the first phase. Nearby, a restaurateur also said his business was hurting, and he wondered if the improvements were worth the disruption.
Many businesses were closed on a recent weekday afternoon, and several that were open had signs for sales of up to 60% off. A nail salon was open, but every chair was empty.
“We were busy before the road closed down, about two weeks ago,” Erin Williams, manager of Bubba’s Kitchen and Tap, which opened Dec. 17. “I’d say it has reduced us down to about 30 percent of what we had, so we lost about 70 percent.”
Williams said she’s encouraged that the crew outside their business does appear to be moving along quickly. In the meantime, she said the business is fortunate to have a rear entrance that leads to a parking lot behind the building, and there are plans to put up signage directing customers to Bubba’s.
Alex MacLachlan, president of the Downtown Business Association of Escondido, said the scope of phase two and the sight of bulldozers in the middle of the street caught people by surprise.
“Much like the feeling of urgency our association felt in mitigating the damage when state COVID-19 mandates on small businesses were being discussed in March of 2020, having our downtown cordoned off by orange cones and barriers with only a few feet of sidewalk open in front of business fronts looked just as serious, if not more, frankly,” he said in an email.
The association created a pop-up roller rink on the street in December, which MacLachlan said was a success in bringing in thousands of people.
“Unfortunately, the challenges of having the street, sidewalk and parking gone in front of so many other downtown business just couldn’t be mitigated enough to save the few businesses we lost during this process,” he wrote.
Since December, MacLachlan said the association has upped its marketing efforts with cookie and sticker strolls, and its annual Chocolate Festival on Feb. 15 brought up to 350 customers to 20 participating businesses.
“Many merchants have reported back to us that sales were brisk and much-needed during this construction period, where sales for some are down nearly 70% and others not nearly that much but still a challenging decrease,” he wrote.
The city recently invited artists to submit their qualifications to create artwork that will be installed on the Grand Avenue and Broadway roundabout in January, with optional companion pieces from the artist in other areas.
Artists interested in submitting their qualifications can find more details and application instructions at https://www.escondido.gov/1238/Grand-Avenue-Art-Project. The deadline is 5 p.m. Feb 28.
