By Scott Jason ATWATER -- Some customers were thrown off by the aesthetic improvement when the city helped pay for a new storefront at Passadori's Inc. in the 1980s. "They said, 'Where am I?'" store treasurer Steven Passadori recounted. "It's 100 percent better looking, and it's structurally sound." In a renewed effort to spruce up downtown and the nearby area, Atwater's elected officials restarted the Redevelopment Advisory Committee, which is in charge of advising leaders on how to spend millions on projects to beautify the city, encourage new businesses and provide affordable housing for residents. The decision was hailed by local business leaders, who say major decisions need to be made about downtown's future as the city continues to grow. "We made the city what it is," Passadori said. "Some people seem to forget that. If there was no downtown, there'd be no uptown." The city's Redevelopment Agency, formed in 1976, finds ways to revitalize neglected areas of Atwater that are dilapidated and will hear reports from citizens advisory group. "It's to help create a better community," said Scott McBride, the city's director of economic development and special projects. "Everyone wants to see a downtown with a viable business district." The five-person advisory committee needs business owners and residents of the south city area to serve two-year terms and guide the city on potential projects. The Redevelopment Agency, which includes all of the City Council members, will decide how $1.2 million in saved property taxes and possibly $3.5 million in new bonds will be spent in the area south of Elm Avenue and north of Bell Drive, McBride said. Though no projects have been chosen, there are plenty of options, he said. One possibility is improving streets and sidewalks in the south area to encourage business and growth, he said. Another idea is adding signs and landscaping to major city entrances and Highway 99 exits, he said. "It's what you see and feel when you enter the city," McBride said. "It's all about trying to give it a sense of place and make it an attractive area." Besides helping stores with new facades in the 1980s, he said the agency added stamped concrete walkways along Broadway Avenue, and installed water and sewer lines that helped land major retail projects like the Applegate Ranch, where a Home Depot and Target will be built. "We're starting to see all the pieces come together," he said, adding that taxes gained from the redevelopment area support new projects. The city's decision to reactivate the advisory committee and focus more on redevelopment in mid-January excited the local business community, Atwater Chamber of Commerce President Robert Rodarte said. "There's so much development taking place," he said. "We want to highlight and attract the travelers down Highway 99." Downtown is mainly mom-and-pop shops and restaurants that close in the early evening, Rodarte said. "We need to investigate our future," Rodarte said. "Are we going to make this a lively area to come to? Or do we want to maintain a nostalgic, historical atmosphere?" Mayor Joan Faul said she's been impressed by Visalia's downtown revitalization and would like to see the city celebrate turn-of-the-century buildings. "We want to make our downtown attractive so people in the city of Atwater are proud of it," she said. Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at 385-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com. |