Monterey pursuing a designation for the Main Street Program to ensure the town remains eligible for future grant funding to revitalize its downtown district.
Mayor Alex Garcia said the town is currently utilizing a $240,000 downtown improvement grant to install new streetlights and provide renovation incentives for downtown property owners. Garcia said the pursuit of the Main Street designation is a strategic move to maintain access to these financial resources to spur long-term development.
“The biggest motivation for us, obviously, is we want our downtown to be better,” Garcia said. “Currently we are in a downtown improvement grant. And for that to continue and for us to keep getting those grants, we’d have to be part of the Main Street (Program).”
Garcia said the remaining half of the grant money is allocated to property owners through a 25 percent match program. Garcia said owners can spend up to $30,000 on approved projects and receive a 75 percent reimbursement after the work is completed.
“It gives the whole town a boost,” Garcia said. “It gives not only them but the whole town and, you know, they they get to renovate or add to just make their building and their property nicer, which in turn makes it nicer for the town, which in turn, you know, brings more people to the town which brings more revenue.”
Garcia said his ultimate vision of Monterey’s downtown includes a full business district as well as a brewery to stimulate more traffic to the area.
“It’s a well-known fact that I would love to have a brewery downtown,” Garcia said. “But again, that’s just my opinion. Anything that’s going to attract the people that’s going to produce more tax dollars. Anything that produces more tax dollars, helps the city and then it alleviates the burden off the residents.”
Garcia said seven applications for property improvements have already been approved, and those owners are expected to begin work soon. Garcia said he believes a bustling downtown with occupied buildings is within reach for the town over the next five years.
“There’s a couple of buildings that are abandoned right now,” Garcia said. “There’s a couple of buildings that aren’t doing much. I mean, I’d like for all those buildings to be full and business to be thriving.”
Garcia said the town has also implemented a free electric vehicle charging station at the depot, funded by tourism dollars, to encourage visitors to spend more time downtown.
“In the next couple years, I think you’re going to see a big change down there,” Garcia said. “Not only with the downtown improvement grant, (but) there are some new businesses coming to downtown.”
