TURLOCK
Downtown Turlock: Standing the test of time By ANGELINA MARTIN
K We had five intersections downtown to choose from, but we decided a gateway piece would be perfect. — Jeani Ferrari
nown for its shopping, restaurants and parades, Turlock’s downtown has become a destination for many in the 209 area code and beyond. After some polishing throughout the decades, the city’s Main Street has truly become the gem of the Valley. Once a quiet area of town that was home to mostly professional services, downtown Turlock has experienced plenty of change this millennium. Today, the downtown core houses some of the city’s hottest night spots in the area and visitors flock to its wide array of retail boutiques and restaurants during the day, whether its cuisine with an Asian flare at First & Main or a burger and brew at 10 East Kitchen & Tap House. The transformation from quiet and serious to the hustle and bustle of downtown Turlock that residents know and love today was thanks to the Downtown Revitalization Plan of the early 2000s — a $7.5 million investment into Main Street by the City of Turlock into which turned the rundown business district into the picturesque downtown area it is today, complete with old-fashioned lamp posts, park benches and planter boxes brimming with flowers. Turlock resident Jeani Ferrari served on the revitalization committee and made decisions on details like artwork, landscaping and even the layout of the street. A revitalization for Main Street was needed, she said, as strip malls like Monte Vista Crossings began to dominate Turlock retail, leaving little room for small, locally-owned businesses like those that make up the downtown core today. “The word on the street was that after 209 DOWNTOWNS
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a major shopping center is built, it takes about 10 years for downtowns to come back — if they do. We knew we were in for a lot of work, but Turlock’s downtown had a lot of things others didn’t have,” Ferrari said. “We had a Main Street and then the maze of what you call the rest of downtown and it was all very centralized. As far as buildings go, we had really good architecture and handsome structures that had been there for years.” With good bones to work with, the committee made decisions which would eventually make downtown Turlock extremely pedestrian-friendly (right down to the type of brick used for the sidewalk). Frequent stop signs and crosswalks coupled with trees which now provide plenty of shade make Main Street the perfect place for a stroll, all while inviting visitors to stop into shops as they walk. At the west end of Main Street is Calafia, the 14-foot fountain statue which welcomes the community into the historic area, all while celebrating the area’s connection to the soil and its agricultural vitality. “The community wanted something that expressed the ethnic, cultural and agricultural character of the town. I think people thought that Calafia captured the agriculture and the weather, and it expressed the commodities we have here,” Ferrari said. “We had five intersections downtown to choose from, but we decided a gateway piece would be perfect.” The revitalization saw the entire downtown street torn apart, along with sidewalks. Main Street Antiques co-owner Lori Smith, who has been with the shop over 25 years, said it was a tough time to
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5/24/2021 11:35:02 AM
