Lighting project in El Centro Downtown gives merchants hope

Construction work along El Centro’s Main Street has some merchants cheering and hoping for a better tomorrow in the downtown area.

Council Member Efrain Silva explained it’s part of a million dollar lighting project to help deter crime in the area.

“We’re hoping that it motivates business development downtown and additional traffic,” Silva said.

The fifty new lights will run between Fourth and Eight street.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve downtown and to bring life,” Silva said.

He added there’s concern for the bus station as well.

“Persons being intimidated, or graffiti, or vandalism,” Silva said.

The city plans to provide a security guard at that location.

“Just provide the additional layer of security, a presence there that is going to make our riders feel better, feel more secure. We anticipate that to be happening very, very fast,” Silva explained.

Some merchants we spoke to said they would like the entire downtown more family friendly.

“We would like a lot more to happen and hopefully this is just the beginning of getting our main street cleaned up,” Luevano said.

A new business association is forming to help bring about needed changes.

“we talked about it, and everyone kind of agrees that let’s get this going again,” Luevano explained.

Downtown bookkeeper Nancy Gaston said, “We’d like to see main street what it was once upon a time. I don’t think we’ll ever see it like that. But the businesses that are trying to thrive downtown would like to see many, many improvements. And i think the association will help that.”

Silva said the council was moved by the merchant’s concerns expressed at the last regular meeting.

“I feel for them. We know the problems that are going on downtown and the issues that were raised to us.”