The El Camino Real construction project is currently in progress and will be for at least another year.
To help compensate for local businesses downtown, the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce introduced the Shop Downtown Construction Gift Card Program.
Starting this Monday, residents can spend $100 at participating stores in downtown Atascadero and redeem that for a $20 gift card at the chamber's office. Receipts need to total $100 before tax, delivery fees, and shipping costs.
“I remember last year we did something super similar and not only were we hyped about it, but the community was super happy about it as well," 805 Board Shop manager Lilly Clark said. "I remember lots of people coming in with their kid [saying] 'Can get the receipt, can I get the receipt?' They gave out all the gift cards, too, so it sounds like it did pretty well for not just us, but everybody in town.”
While the receipts from downtown businesses need to total $100, it does not need to be spent at one store. There is a limit of two $20 gift cards per household.
“We all love what they've done so far to this end of town," Dr. Brack Linscott Dental Manager Donna Morgan said. "So we're just patiently waiting for it to be done.
Crews are currently replacing 100-year-old sewer lines, upgrading electrical systems, laying new irrigation, and improving driveways along El Camino Real. Local businesses say they’re looking forward to the finished project in a year.
“We have a lot of senior patients and they don't really like parallel parking," Morgan said. "So the diagonal will make it easier for them to get in and out."
“We're really excited for it to be more of a pedestrian-friendly area, especially with how quickly people are flying by on the street," Clark said. "It'll definitely slow people down and it'll also provide a lot more parking downtown, which is a huge issue down here.”
For updates on the El Camino Real construction project, visit the City of Atascadero's website.
