Small Projects in Watsonville's Downtown Add Up to Big Things

Redevelopment is a key tool that local governments in areas with aging infrastructure, old buildings and blight use to encourage investment.  What is blight?  Broadly speaking, blight is a condition that exists on one property or in one area that lowers the economic value of those properties or areas around it.  A great example is a building that  has fallen into disrepair.  The properties around that building will suffer economically simply because people will perceive that the area around that building are also on the brink of falling into a state of disrepair - even when there is no reason for those neighboring properties to decline.  So, the question becomes, how do redevelopment agencies such as the one in Watsonville fix those problems?  One way, is through small projects such as the several that have been completed in Downtown over the past two years.

Watsonville's Historic Downtown is filled with many iconic, beautiful buildings and some fine examples of Victorian Architecture -- including a remarkable number of buildings designed by famous architect, William Weeks.  Much of Downtown Watsonville was built near the turn of the last century and much of the ground floor space is not what most retailers want.  Many property owners have reinvested in their properties and made the needed upgrades to their buildings to modernize their ground floor space - but not all of them have!  This, coupled with a very slow retail economy has left much of the downtown empty and there is little incentive for property owners to invest in the upgrades needed to attract retailers.  To combat this problem and to encourage private investment, the Watsonville Redevelopment Agency is actively engaging in several small projects to improve these conditions and that will add up over time.

Pocket Parks as Placeholders

The Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 severely damaged a number of Watsonville's downtown structures; some of them were torn down.  These lots created when buildings were removed had become overgrown messes that created a perception that the Downtown was in a state of disrepair.  To fix this problem, the Watsonville RDA worked with property owners to create two pocket parks.   If you have been downtown lately, you will notice that we have two new pocket parks.  The Watsonville RDA, in partnership with the private owners of these properties, developed these parks on parcels that had become eyesores in our community.  The parks, which had been attractive nuisances, are now viable, comfortable public spaces – that can easily be developed when the market demands more downtown spaces.  The first of these to be completed was the park between the former Gottschalk's building and Ace Hardware on Main Street; at the top right of this post arepictures showing the dramatic improvement this park made to the downtown.

As you can see, this inexpensive project - which is a public-private partnership - resulted in a clear improvement to the condition of the Downtown.  This formerly weed infested mess is now an inviting pocket park with that also provides a pedestrian connection between Main Street and  CVS Drugstore.

We have also built some parking lots on properties that can be developed in the future, but currently are not being used.  The most prominent of these is the lot adjacent to the Jalisco's Restaurant (Main and 5th Street).  This parking helps local merchants attract customers and at the same time cleans up a formerly blighted area. Again, these parking lots are set up as a public-private partnership with the Watsonville RDA providing a part of what was needed to make these formerly problematic areas usable on a temporary basis.

Facade Improvement Grants

Watsonville's Downtown also has a number of buildings that have not had an external facelift for decades.  Some of these buildings have faded paint and awnings, damaged storefronts and conditions that are not what most people would consider ideal.  In order to fix this, the Watsonville RDA - with help from the Community Development Block Grant Program - created a program designed to improve the condition of facades downtown (the part of the building that faces the street).  Over the past 2 years, several of these projects have been completed - and these changes are very notable.  More of these projects are underway.  At the top right of this post are some before and after photos of these buildings.  As you can see, these small projects made a huge difference in the way our Historic Downtown looks!

Wrapping it Up

Watsonville's Downtown still has a way to go.  Staff recognizes all the challenges that this area faces: from functionally obsolete ground floor retail space to a lack of an anchor store Downtown, and we are actively pursuing the changes needed to make this area economically viable.  These small projects: parks, parking lots and improvements to the facade of buildings downtown add up and in two short years have made a significant improvement in the way our beautiful Historic Downtown looks.  If you have questions about any of Watsonville's efforts to revitalize downtown, our economic development efforts, the Watsonville RDA or growing your own business in Watsonville, please contact me at (831) 768-3080 or contact us through the contact us page on GrowInWatsonville.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!  Next up: Our Downtown Streetscape Improvement Plan and the ongoing implementation of that plan.

We also have tons of information-- including information on how you can participate in the Facade Improvement Program--  on our Economic Development website which can be found at www.GrowInWatsonville.com.