Willow Glen Resident
News
Spring cleaning downtown continues throughout year
By Emilie Crofton
April was the Willow Glen Business Association's Pride of Willow Glen month, but local businesses have turned spring cleaning into an ongoing project.
"Having the month of April as a kick-off was great," said Sophia Niu, association board member and Taiwan Restaurant general manager. "But this is a year-long deal."
The upcoming Founders Day celebration is another reason businesses should spruce up the downtown area, Niu said.
Marvin Bamburg, vice president of the Willow Glen Business Association and owner of MBA Architects, said he was pleased with the local businesses' reaction.
"We are definitely making strides," Bamburg said. "I'm very encouraged by the tenants' attitudes on Lincoln Avenue."
The cleanup program includes businesses on Lincoln Avenue that are bounded by Coe Avenue to the north and Minnesota Avenue to the South.
Since April, four new planter areas have been upgraded in front of Casa Casa, Le Boulanger and Details.
Norma Ruiz, executive director of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, said a number of different businesses and local citizen groups have adopted the planters and have taken responsibility for maintaining them. The planter project is a work in progress, and its goal is to make downtown Willow Glen as beautiful as possible, Bamburg said.
"Sometimes things get a little run-down and you're likely to accept it because you see it every day," Bamburg said. "We want this to be a strong and viable business district, and we have to look our best in order to do this."
Other recent changes as part of the downtown beautification include Fleurish and Hicklebee's adding awnings and businesses such as State Farm Insurance, Alchemy Hair Studio and Details getting exterior paint jobs.
Bamburg said there is still plenty of work, including sprucing up the Coe Avenue bridge and adding more street planters. He says he would also like to see uniform newspaper racks along the street to create a tidier look, but budgetary limitations mean these projects will be scheduled sometime in the future.
Niu added, "It looks great, and these are just examples of what's to come."
