City Beat
A Downtown on the Move
S
ituated in the heart of town,
Gilroy’s Monterey Road and
Historic Downtown have a rich
history. The historic nature of our
downtown fosters a strong sense
of community and pride. Recently,
new business developments along
this historic corridor are bringing
new life, entertainment, services,
and dining to our downtown with
emphasis on preserving the history
of the area.
Gilroy’s Monterey Road and
Downtown are part of the historic
route of El Camino Real established
in the 1700’s running from Southern
to Northern California. Over the
years, as more people moved to the
Gilroy area, the downtown grew and
Monterey Road became a bustling
hub of activity with the original city
hall, fire company, and stage stop all
located in the heart of town. In the
early to mid-1900s the roadway was
incorporated into U.S. Route 101,
and with the rise of the automobile,
the dirt thoroughfare was paved,
spurring additional automobile
traffic and the development of new
businesses and shops.
Over time, as automobile traffic
and speeds increased along the
corridor, so did concerns about
safety. In response to these concerns,
in 1973, U.S. Route 101 was
realigned from Monterey Road
to its current location as a 6-lane
freeway located east of Monterey
Road. This realignment was chal-
lenging for downtown business
owners as visitors were routed away
from the downtown corridor to the
new alignment. In 1989, the Loma
Prieta earthquake compounded
the challenge with many of our
buildings designated as unreinforced
Fourth Street
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Fifth Street
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Sixth Street
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Seventh Street
Eighth Street
Ninth Street
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Tenth Street
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
june/july 2019
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