Despite tough economic times, Davis businesses and residents are revitalizing parts of the city. Wednesday marks the celebration of the refurbished Davis Manor Shopping Center and East Eighth Street Corridor, between L Street and Pole Line Road.
Representatives from the city of Davis, the Davis Manor Neighborhood Council and Davis Manor Shopping Center invite the community to celebrate the completion of the Davis Manor Shopping Center enhancements and East Eighth Street Corridor improvements. Everyone can attend the lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at the Davis Manor Shopping Center at 1620-1800 East Eighth St.
Speakers include Davis Mayor Ruth Asmundson, Davis Enterprise columnist Bob Dunning, founders of Right and Relevant, a thrift store in the Davis Manor Shopping Center, and jesika maria ross, co-founder of the Davis Manor Neighborhood Council, who requested her name be all lower case.
“The lighting ceremony is celebrating the success of the city, businesses and neighborhood partnership to revitalize the shopping center,” ross said.
Notable improvements include Davis’ first energy efficient LED street lights, a new Unitrans bus stop, parking lot reconfiguration, traffic rerouting through new driveways on Chestnut Lane, improved pedestrian and bicycle access and landscaping.
The LED street lights coincide with the city’s goals and the Davis Manor Shopping Center owner’s efforts to implement green and sustainable changes when refurbishing the center.
The new landscaping is currently drought tolerant. Planned green additions include solar panels and herb gardens where the center’s restaurants can grow their own food, ross said.
“Davis Manor Neighborhood residents have played a starring role in making improvements on the East Eighth Street Corridor,” ross said. “Residents have been working with the city for the past 10 years to preserve and enhance the shopping center.”
The city of Davis received a $650,000 grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) in 2006 to renovate the East Eighth Street Corridor.
The SACOG strived to create a vibrant and dynamic hub for the neighborhood, ross said.
According to Stacy Winton, community partnership coordinator for the city of Davis, most of the improvements applied to the Davis Manor Shopping Center, where the goal is to reconnect tenants with neighbors.
Shahida Shabbir, manager and owner of the International Food Market located in the Davis Manor Shopping Center, said the changes will benefit business.
The new lighting will provide a safe environment for customers, especially in the winter, Shabbir said.
The Davis Manor Shopping Center is the former location of a grocery store and several other businesses. However, when city zoning changed in 1999, the grocery store left the neighborhood. The majority of the surrounding businesses subsequently left the neighborhood as well. There were many vacancies, and safety conditions of the center deteriorated, according to ross.
In 1999, residents living by the Davis Manor Shopping Center formed the Davis Manor Neighborhood Council, which addressed the shopping center. Today, the Davis Manor Neighborhood Council still works as a community improvement organization.
THERESA MONGELLUZZO can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
