Coronado’s long-awaited downtown beautification project is moving forward — but not nearly fast enough for a City Council that has been waiting years to see results on Orange Avenue.
At the April 21 City Council meeting, staff presented an update on the project and requested authorization for an amended task order of $458,363 for continued design work since initial design was approved in 2024.
The council approved it unanimously, but the vote was preceded by pointed frustration from the dais over the pace of city capital projects.
“We’re approving an additional $458,000 to do something I would have thought we’d already done,” Councilmember Carrie Downey said. “What have we been designing for two years?”
The project has been evolving for decades, but accelerated in 2021, when Discover Coronado first presented a downtown beautification plan to the council, which was later refined into short- and long-term goals.
In 2024, council weighed project options ranging from a roughly $4 million partial upgrade to a nearly $9 million corridor-wide overhaul. The council ultimately opted for a phased approach — starting with street furnishings across Orange Avenue while addressing infrastructure needs on key blocks — while keeping a close eye on overall costs.
Phase 1 will include standardized benches, trash and recycling cans, bike racks, and tree grates. Phase 2 comprises heavier works such as sidewalk improvements, lighting, and irrigation.
The first phase is still in design, with construction now targeted for the first quarter of 2027. To get there, the city must undergo review by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), an encroachment permit, and a maintenance agreement. The myriad agencies involved in Orange Avenue updates is often cited as a reason for delays.
Phase 2, which includes the more intensive rehabilitation of the 800 block, is targeting construction around January 2028 at the earliest.
That timeline did not sit well.
“I campaigned on this 12 years ago,” Downey said. “I’m still in shock that we’re not even going to get phase one done until 2027. It’s just inexcusable.”
Mayor Duncan echoed the frustration and pushed back on the tendency to blame outside agencies.
“We need to be very careful not to use the outside agencies as an excuse,” he said. “When we’re persistent with them, we do get results.”
Instead, he said he did not want to keep relitigating design details, and instead asked to empower staff to make these decisions themselves. Earlier in the meeting, Carr updated the council on design features, bench and receptacle design, and paint colors.
“I don’t want to talk about trash cans,” he said. “I don’t want to to talk about the color of green. We have staff. We have professionals. Just get it done.”
He also suggested that the council itself may be part of the problem.
“I firmly believe we need to be careful how much we pull staff on new issues,” Duncan said, referencing in particular the number of staff reports requested and Policy No. 2 and No. 9 requests submitted, which request for matters to be agendized for future discussion. He warned that pursuing too many matters concurrently could yield multitudes of half-researched projects, with few completed.
Councilmember Kelly Purvis acknowledged that city staff has been stretched thin recently between ongoing capital improvement projects and several staff vacancies. She also noted that whatever is installed will be on Orange Avenue for years, and getting the choices right is important, pointing to two-year-old trash receptacles at RH Dana Place that haven’t held up well as a cautionary tale.
Councilmember Mark Fleming, too, was frustrated with the pace of the project, but projected optimism at the future.
“I do believe that moving forward, the city is better staffed at this point in time,” he said, pointing additionally at some construction management contracts the city recently executed. “I think all of that brought together will, as we continue to move forward, speed up our ability to execute on projects.”
City Manager Friend acknowledged the frustration and echoed Fleming’s remarks about the city’s increased capacity. Friend also noted that outside agencies like Caltrans — which must review, permit, and sign off on much of the Orange Avenue work — remain a wildcard.
“We’re always going to have delays and challenges with outside agencies such as Caltrans,” she said.
The public had similar complaints. Resident Mila Albertson, who lives on the 800 block of J Avenue, said she was “appalled” at the pace.
“I’m concerned this won’t get off the ground until January 2029 or 2030,” she said.
The council ultimately approved the amended task order and directed staff to proceed at full speed with existing design decisions — no more coming back to the dais over trash can graphics or bench medallions. Councilmember Amy Steward was not present due to a personal emergency.
“I don’t want to be back here, two years from now, whether I’m still on council or not,” Downey said. “I’ll come back and be the Ghost of Christmas Past if we don’t get this damn thing done.”
