ESCONDIDO — Downtown Grand Avenue remains open for business as construction begins on the second phase of the thoroughfare’s beautification and improvement project.
While portions of the road will be closed until spring as crews work on sections between Broadway and Juniper Street, the sidewalk will remain open to allow access to downtown businesses.
City staff updated the City Council on Oct. 2, just days after construction officially started on Sept. 30.
At the meeting, staff and council members acknowledged there would be some impact on businesses along Grand Avenue during construction. However, the city’s goal is to remind everyone that their favorite shops and restaurants are still open and will continue to operate throughout the holiday and winter months as the work continues.
The city plans to assist businesses by adding more signs indicating shops are open and providing wayfinding information to help visitors find parking.
“The signs are currently in design and may take at least two more weeks before they’re ready,” said Jennifer Schoeneck, the city’s economic development director. “Once complete, a banner will hang over Grand Avenue, and streetlight poles will also indicate that downtown is open for business.”
Some council members were disappointed that the banners and signs were not ready at the start of construction and urged for temporary signage in the meantime.
“We’re doing everything we can with the budget to help promote businesses and drive visitors there,” Schoeneck said, adding that the city will continue to promote downtown through social media and other platforms.
Schoeneck also noted the city will use the large electronic sign near North County Mall to promote downtown during construction.
Several large events, including the Escondido Grand Avenue Festival on Oct. 20 and Trick-or-Treat on Grand on Halloween, are expected to help draw traffic to downtown businesses despite the construction.
The Grand Avenue Vision Project was initiated nearly 10 years ago after downtown businesses requested improvements to the area. In 2018, the council approved the plan, and by 2022, the first construction phase was completed between Maple Street and Broadway.
The second phase, which began Sept. 30 after the end of the 2024 Cruisin’ Grand season, will be completed in three subphases. The first subphase, between Juniper and Kalmia streets, is expected to finish by Nov. 8. The next subphase, between Kalmia and Broadway, will run from Nov. 12 to Jan. 3, followed by the final subphase from Broadway to Maple Street, which will conclude by Feb. 28.
During the second phase, decorative lights will be extended from Kalmia to Juniper, both sides of the sidewalk will be widened between Broadway and Juniper, a stop sign will be added between Maple and Broadway, and two traffic circles will be installed at the Broadway and Kalmia intersection.
The final phase of the project will include decorative finishes, final paving and additional signage along Grand Avenue. However, city officials warned that weather and material availability could impact the construction timeline.
“Businesses will be kept updated on any changes,” said Associate Engineer Marissa Padilla.
Despite efforts to mitigate disruptions, some business owners are frustrated. Leah Peixoto, owner of Laurel Glen Boutique at 158 E. Grand Avenue, expressed concern that the construction will hurt her business during the crucial holiday shopping season.
“The city has taken away my right to enjoy a good business season this holiday season,” Peixoto told the City Council. She added that her customers would be deterred by the lack of nearby parking, especially with earlier sunsets during winter.
“This may appear to be a trivial issue – but this is not a trivial issue for me,” Peixoto said. “There will be a loss of business due to all of the rerouting of traffic, extreme noise, dirt, dust, and utter chaos.”
Peixoto also said she did not receive timely notice of the project and requested that construction between Kalmia and Broadway be delayed until after January to avoid impacting her holiday sales.
City Manager Sean McGlynn explained that the current timeline was the most affordable for the city and that federal funds for the project must be used within a specific period.
“Unfortunately, there’s never a good time to do these types of construction projects, and it’s going to impact someone no matter what time of year,” McGlynn said. “We’ll do whatever we can to help reduce these impacts on the businesses.”
The third and final phase of the project will improve Grand Avenue between Maple and Escondido Boulevard at an undetermined future date. McGlynn said the staff is actively pursuing additional funds to complete the project’s third phase.
