El Cajon Improvements

El Cajon is adding a little sparkle to it's downtown. Veronica Carter and Bret Burkhart spoke with Gabby Manocchio with the Downtown El Cajon Association about the transformation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The city of Alcohoone is considering buying them all for
a big rehab plan.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
City officials say Parkway Plaza would be part of a
long term redevelopment project. City Manager Graham Mitchell says as owners,
it would be easier to entice developers. The property has
an estimated value of one hundred and fifty million dollars.
It sits on over eighty acres. The city's early proposal
for the renovation would redesign the mall into a mixed

(00:26):
use site for shopping, housing, social gathering, and transit access.
A more developed plan and timeline is expected from the
city by April. I'm pre Tennis Coco News.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Downtown Alcohoon is brucing up main Street to make it
more welcoming for locals and visitors.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Joining us on the Cogo News liveline, Gabby Monacchio from
the Downtown Alcohoone Association, Good morning.

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Good morning, Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Well this is exciting. What kinds of improvement to you
guys been making? I know this has been like a
work in progress. Now it's almost like you're kind of
putting a bow on it, putting the finishing touch, putting
some sparkle into it.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, exactly. Downtown Elcon's really building momentum right now. We're
seeing a lot more visible improvements, more activity. We have
a full calendar of occurring events that are going to
help bring the community together and just celebrate everything downtown
Alcohol has to offer. In the last few months, we've
expanded maintenance efforts, implemented new streetscape amenities, and improved our

(01:26):
weekly programming. So there's a lot happening that's making the
community feel more.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Inviting for people who may not realize the history of
Main Street. Give us a little snapshot of how far
it's come.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yeah. Absolutely. So the Downtown Elcone Business Partners we took
over in March of last year, I believe. So we
managed the Property Business Improvement District, which is driven by
the local property owners and businesses that are just committed
to shaping downtown. So we've really been working to make

(01:57):
both lasting improvements and events and everything like that. So
we've really been hard at work trying to improve the
quality of life in downtown and just support the businesses
and property owners who are there.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I imagined it's such a challenge because back in the day,
the main Street area is the downtown areas of a
city where everything happened there, and now you know, you've
got all of the big box retailers and the strip
malls and everything on the outskirts of town, so you've
kind of had to adapt a lot over the years.
Same thing for Alkohoene.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
Yeah, absolutely, And I think a lot of cities have
been struggling since COVID, but I think that's something that's
so special about downtown Alcohol is all the mom and
pops shops that are along Main Street. You have Rob's
brew Point, which is a local coffeehouse, Sulton Baclava, Main Street,
Delian Donuts. I really kind of show the true character
of downtown Alcohol and the people who live there.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
We're speaking with Gaby Monacchio from the Downtown Alcohol Association
on the spruce up of Main Street and you talk
about the new chairs, the tables, the planters going in
in the coming months. Are these improvements and promises of
improvements attracting new businesses for alcohol?

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (03:12):
Absolutely. Like you mentioned, we have new tables and chairs
sets that are going to go along Main Street and
in Prescott Promenade we'll have Alkohoone branded planters, dog waste stations,
and the goal is really just to create a place
where people can sit, gather and enjoy downtown and hopefully
get them to stay, get more involved in the community,

(03:34):
so that makes a lasting improvement and impacts the local
businesses and residents that live there, help them feel a
sense of community and feel pride where they live. So
it's absolutely attracting new businesses, new visitors, everything like that.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
All right, again, thank you so much for joining us.
Gabby Monacchio from the Downtown Alcohola Association, looking forward to
coming down and checking out all the sparkle that you
guys have added

Speaker 4 (03:59):
To it as absolutely thank you for having me