By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | bwhitehead@scng.com | The Sun PUBLISHED: March 14, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. | UPDATED: March 14, 2022 at 10:01 a.m.
It may take a bit of imagination to see what an alley off Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino can become with some investment.
Fortunately, the city is long on creative minds.
San Bernardino has received more than $720,000 from the Clean California Local Grant Program to transform the city-owned backstreet into a destination on par with popular corridors in Southern California and elsewhere.
State Street in Redlands. Santee Alley in Los Angeles. Post Alley in Seattle.
David Friedman, who co-owns nearby Viva La Boba with his girlfriend Tansu Philip, sees a not-so-distant future where, with these state dollars, the 4th Street Alley in the heart of the Historic Arts District gets mentioned in the same breath.
“We want to create this core for people to visit in downtown,” he said. “Give people a good reason to hang out and spend money at local businesses, bring the family, listen to live music.
“I’ve said I want to bring back San Bernardino and we’re doing it.”
Two years ago, the 4th Street Alley between D and E streets in the shadow of the Rosa Parks Memorial Building had little curb appeal and even less warmth.
Not anymore.
A living wall garden depicting the iconic San Bernardino mountain range installed in 2020 by local sisters Adrienne Thomas, Vanessa Dean and Nedra Myricks – the founders of SistersWe – kicked off the reclamation of the desolate thoroughfare.
Before long, muralists started claiming open wall space.
A Black Lives Matter mural found a home in the corridor in June 2020, adding eye-catching pops of color to previously untouched concrete exteriors.
Smaller murals followed.
Duan Kellum, co-founder of Creative Grounds, which set up shop downtown 18 months ago, sees the alley as a blank canvas of sorts, a space to feature and celebrate local up-and-coming artists.
In time, Kellum said recently, vibrant artwork will touch the sky.
“We want to exploit the social media craze, where people can go and take pictures,” he added. “We want to pull people down the alley, create a magnetic pull to get individuals to come and explore and see what’s there. We often get the response that people didn’t know what was here. We’ve gotten so much positive feedback and love from the community for what we’re doing – this labor of love.
“We’re thankful to have a space to create our art and display it and share it with the community,” Kellum added, “and use the space as an extension of the community.”
Friedman recently applauded community advocates and businesses such as Arts Connection Executive Director Jennifer Kane, 4th Street Dispensary, SistersWe, Creative Grounds and Music Changing Lives, as well as Councilman Damon Alexander for his early support and each city official who had a hand in crafting the successful state grant application in record time.
The 4th Street Alley Beautification project is to include removing deteriorated ground asphalt and upgrading the existing irrigation system.
Two bike racks and six sets of outdoor bench and table sets will be added, as will outdoor lighting and dumpsters, enclosures and trash cans.
A 500-square-foot stage is expected to be built for live music and other uses, and to make sure passersby can’t miss it, a neon arched sign across the alley entrance will be fashioned.
It is unclear at the moment when work will begin.
But imaginations already are running wild.
“We have so many that support our vision,” Friedman said, “and I’m excited to really give this community a place they can call their own, some place that was built by locals.
“This is a huge step forward, and I know it’s only going to get better from here.”