It may have been a little chilly and a little rainy, but the businesses were warm and welcoming, as a special Grand Re-Opening Celebration was hosted downtown on Friday night, Feb. 24 for the North Third Avenue corridor.
Though opened back up to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic early in February, the official celebration and ribbon cutting was staged on Friday evening. Helping coordinate the event was Amy Velasco, who welcomed attendees and agreed that everyone is happy to have the project completed.
The renovation featured some unexpected delays, forcing businesses to adapt, keeping the roadway closed to vehicle traffic for much longer than the original estimate.
But those attending were in a celebratory mood, with Pastor Henry Raven taking the microphone to offer a prayer before the ribbon cutting. Among those on hand, several Oakdale City Council members, Planning Commission members, city staffers and plenty of residents eager to see the new state-of-the-art streetscape, designed especially with the pedestrian in mind.
“It has been the lifeblood of this city for a while here so we’re really, really thrilled,” Velasco said in noting the excitement of all the businesses once again being easily accessible. “Thank you for being here to support our businesses; we’re here to celebrate, we’re here to shop, we’re here to win some prizes.”
Many of the businesses had special deals and those shopping on Friday night could enter into drawings for prizes.
Velasco went on to say that the turnout, despite the weather, buoyed her spirits.
“I always say that Oakdale is the little town with the big heart and it really, really is and this is testament to that so thank you all so much for being here,” Velasco said.
“Big shout out to Amy for putting this all together, she has been moving and shaking all week,” Mayor Cherilyn Bairos said when taking the microphone prior to the ribbon cutting.
The crowd gathered behind the ribbon for the ceremonial snip, and then were able to disperse to those businesses that stayed open late, welcoming in patrons.
“It’s like a dream come true, you know, it has been a long time coming, we’re just really, really proud,” the mayor added of seeing the project come to fruition, also offering thanks to business owners who bore the brunt of the delays. “They were understanding, I mean, we took their front yard and tore it all apart but … we gave them a new front yard and this is going to last for generations to come.”
“The merchants have been patient, they have been loyal, they are really excited for the street to be open,” Velasco added.
Love Oakdale coordinator Lisa Kjeldgaard was also on hand and taking in the good vibe of the evening.
“I’m just so relieved for the businesses, I’ve been down here every week since the end of July,” she said, when a weekly $100 giveaway was enacted to entice people to shop in the stores. “It lasted a lot longer than I thought when I said I’d give away $100 a week until the construction was complete; with our donations tonight, we gave away over $3,000 during our ‘Shop Third Avenue and Win’.”
Money came through donations to the Love Oakdale project, which Kjeldgaard sees as a year-long endeavor, not just a one-day effort in the spring.
City Manager Bryan Whitemyer was also among those breathing a sigh of relief once the ribbon cutting was concluded.
“It feels great; the community, the downtown businesses, they’ve been through a lot, they’ve been patient with us and we’ve tried to work with them to make the best out of some difficult circumstances,” Whitemyer said. “Hopefully, the community is happy with what has been the end result and we’re excited to be officially open and we just want to see our businesses on Third thrive as well as our businesses throughout the city.”
