COACHELLA – The city of Coachella was awarded a $3.9 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development that will be used for traffic and landscaping improvements in the downtown Pueblo Viejo neighborhood.

The funding through the state’s Infill Infrastructure Grant Program will be used for projects east of Cesar Chavez Street, including streetscape upgrades along Sixth Street, pedestrian and bicycle paths at the western end of Fifth Street, a new road to connect a transit hub to Cesar Chavez and Fourth Streets, and a new traffic signal at Sixth Street and Grapefruit Boulevard.

“This grant will help us enhance our community without burdening residents with additional taxes,” Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a prepared statement. “We will see safety improvements with the new traffic signal, keep people connected through a new transit hub, offer options to stay healthy with walking and biking paths, and provide much-needed shade for people visiting Etherea and other areas downtown. This is a real win for Coachella and I would like to thank Assemblymember Garcia for his assistance.”

“The impact of this project will reach across the Eastern Coachella Valley,” said California Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, (D) 56th District. “The new transit hub will offer improved access and comfort for those traveling to Coachella and beyond.”

The items funded through this grant will complement two significant projects within the downtown Pueblo Viejo area.

The Grapefruit Boulevard Urban Greening and Connectivity Project will add shading and drainage improvements along Grapefruit Boulevard between Leoco Lane and Ninth Street. The project is funded through a previously awarded $3.2 million state grant and construction is expected to begin this fall.

The Pueblo Viejo Villas and Transit Hub Project is a mixed-use development along Cesar Chavez Street between Fourth and Sixth streets. It includes 105 units of affordable housing, retail space and a SunLine transit hub. The $52 million project is a partnership of city of Coachella, SunLine and Chelsea Development. Construction is expected to begin later this summer.
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