Some design changes are coming to the historic Village of Arroyo Grande, and local history will tie into the project.
One set of brick buildings along Branch Street was built in 1897.
Visitors will soon see a lot more red brick modeled after the historic buildings around the village.
Sidewalks and crosswalks in the village will get a brand-new look this Fall.
“This is very much a part of our heritage,” said Jim Gregory with the South County Historical Society.
“Aesthetically, it’s gonna look much better, much cleaner, much more functional,” adds Arroyo Grande Assistant City Manager Bill Robeson.
The red-orange-colored tiles surrounding trees along Branch Street will be replaced with red brick that matches some of Arroyo Grande’s oldest buildings.
“We’ve got two banks of buildings. One from 1897 and one from the middle to late 1920s,” explained Gregory.
Crosswalks in the village will also be replaced with historic-looking brick which matches the 126-year-old storefronts.
“They include a meat market which has been a meat market since 1897,” said Gregory, who adds that another building used to be a grocery store owned by the Bennett family.
Frank Bennett was the first mayor of Arroyo Grande in 1911.
These buildings have seen a lot of history, including stories of immigration.
“The middle building is demonstrative of Arroyo Grande’s immigrant history. It was Aki Saruwatari’s radio shop during the 1930s. The Saruwataris may have been the first Japanese immigrants to the Arroyo Grande Valley,” said Gregory.
The storefronts were built by two entrepreneurs and one of them had quite a passion for music.
“The man who helped to build those brick buildings and his wife wound up having 12 children. So, what is today a lawyer’s office on Branch Street must have been the noisiest place in Arroyo Grande,” adds Gregory.
There are a lot of stories to tell about these buildings and their legacy will continue with the next round of improvements.
“We think it will attract people down to the village because it’s just gonna look like a much more inviting aesthetic there,” said Robeson.
“I wince a little when my hometown is sometimes described by outsiders as being quaint. I’m not sure I like that word, but it is attractive,” said Gregory.
The project is expected to begin this September and last through October.
The re-design is expected to cost $526,000.
It is being paid for by sales tax revenue and grant money.
