Grand Avenue is finally clear after more than a year of roadwork.
The West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project was designed to improve the image of downtown Grover Beach and encourage more people to visit. However, during the construction, many business owners said they lost customers.
Karen Grossini’s business, First Class Seconds, was impacted by the construction.
“It took a really, really long time,” Grossini said. “It really affected our business there for a while, but since it’s opened up, we have seen a little more improvement in our traffic.”
Calvin Cobb lives in Arroyo Grande and drives down West Grand daily. He said he believes the changes are a good thing.
“I think in the long run it’s going to help them,” Cobb said. “The city’s much more beautiful because of the project. [It's] just a sign of the times. You have to slow down to get things done.”
Kim Waring uses this portion of West Grand regularly. She said the work detoured larger vehicles but did not heavily affect driving time.
“It was very difficult driving a horse trailer to and from the beach,” Waring said. “We had to use alternate routes, but now that the project’s done, it’s been nice. It’s been easy now again.”
Grossini says overall, the improvements are a very positive addition to Grover Beach.
“It’s gonna definitely bring in a lot more business because there’s gonna be a lot more people!” she said.
Funding for the $6.9 million project came from the city's general fund, grants, gas tax revenue and more.
