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By Seraphina Eberhardt, Program Director, Institute for Public Strategies East County
Photo: members of the Revitalize Broadway Board celebrate the one-year anniversary of its founding. Photo by Revitalize Broadway
August 12, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- When a group of Lemon Grove residents and business owners came together last year to reimagine the city’s aging Broadway corridor, they could not have imagined how much progress would be made in such a short time. One year later, their vision has blossomed into a vibrant community movement known as Revitalize Broadway Lemon Grove. And the momentum continues to grow.
This grassroots coalition has not only helped beautify one of East County’s most neglected thoroughfares but has also made significant strides in reducing alcohol-related harm and addressing public safety through the lens of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The results are inspiring.
Beautification with a Purpose
The coalition’s early work included reviewing findings from two community listening sessions, crafting a mission statement, electing co-chairs, and forming working groups. They created a structure rooted in equity and inclusivity. But it was the hands-on activities that truly brought the mission to life. The first public event, Breakfast on Broadway in October 2024, aimed to create a positive, welcoming presence in an area long marked by broken windows, graffiti, and overconcentration of alcohol outlets.
Photo, right: Lemon Grove residents celebrate the holidays by caroling on Broadway. Photo by Revitalize Broadway.
By the time the coalition participated the Lemon Grove Community Bonfire in December, it had held a logo contest, launched social media, and started engaging with city events. Caroling on Broadway brought warmth to the corridor, while the Bites on Broadway dinner in February was such a hit that the group voted to host it quarterly. Pups on the Patio at Zest Wine and Bistro brought families and their dogs into the heart of the community.
These activities might seem simple, but they reflect deeper strategies. Every clean-up, every positive community gathering, is rooted in CPTED principles. They activated public spaces, increased natural surveillance, and built a sense of ownership among residents. And every flower planted or sidewalk cleaned has helped push back against the harmful impacts of unchecked alcohol density and environmental neglect.
Photo, left: residents of Lemon Grove gather to walk their pups along Broadway. Photo by Revitalize Broadway.
The Hidden Costs of Overconcentration
The Broadway corridor has been grappling with some of the highest alcohol retailer overconcentration rates in all of East County, an astounding 800% over state guidelines. During IPS-led listening sessions, residents shared that the area’s excess of liquor stores, smoke shops, and unregulated massage parlors had created an environment marked by loitering, public intoxication, and crime. High-density alcohol retail zones have long been linked to increased rates of violence, theft, drug use, and DUIs. Revitalize Broadway’s work isn’t just about adding art and flowers. It’s about removing the conditions that enable harm.
Their recognition in April 2025 by the County of San Diego’s Binge and Underage Drinking Initiative speaks volumes, as the coalition was honored “In recognition of your hard work and advocacy to reduce alcohol-related harms.” The acknowledgement affirms what coalition members have known all along. When you clean up a space, activate it, and make it visible and safe, the people come while the problems start to go.
Promenade Park: A Cornerstone of Change
The coalition secured a $15,000 grant from Keep California Beautiful for the Promenade Park Beautification Project. Located along the trolley line in the heart of Broadway, Promenade Park had long been a hotspot for illegal dumping, substance use, and transient activity. The coalition’s plan includes a native pollinator garden, mural-ready surfaces, new trash and cigarette receptacles, dog waste stations, educational signage, and graffiti removal.
Photo, right: Revitalize Broadway members gather at Promenade Park’s Beautification Project kick-off. Photo by Revitalize Broadway.
As Co-Chair Chelsea Gastelum put it, “To be able to combine trash abatement and pollinator conservation to create a beautiful space in the heart of our community is exciting.” The project transforms a space once synonymous with neglect into one that invites wellness, family gatherings, and environmental learning. In line with CPTED strategies, better lighting, clearer sightlines, and active community use help reduce the opportunity for crime. A safer, greener park isn’t just good for aesthetics. It changes behavior.
A Coalition with Vision and Voice
From a Clean California designation in March 2025 to their expanding online presence, Revitalize Broadway Lemon Grove has continued to build. The coalition launched a website and engages with the public regularly via Instagram and Facebook, documenting their progress and inviting participation. Lemon Town Films is putting the finishing touches on a video featuring Lemon Grove.
In meetings with Mayor Alysson Snow and City Manager Lydia Romero, the coalition solidified its role as a bridge between community concerns and municipal action. That bridge is vital. Community members want more than clean streets. They want a Broadway that reflects the diversity, creativity, and pride of Lemon Grove. The original listening sessions that sparked this work revealed residents’ dreams for their city that include bookstores, art studios, family-friendly restaurants, cultural events, and safer, cleaner streets. A Broadway corridor filled with life and not liquor stores. The coalition is answering that call.
Looking Ahead
One year in, the Revitalize Broadway Lemon Grove coalition has demonstrated that neighborhood transformation isn’t just possible. It’s already happening. Their success lies in combining community engagement with proven crime prevention strategies. They’ve shown how public art and public safety go hand in hand, and how tackling alcohol-related harm requires more than education. It requires redesigning the spaces where harm occurs. The second year promises even more. Because when residents take ownership of their streets, when businesses invest in their storefronts, and when city leaders listen, transformation isn’t a dream, it’s a plan in motion.
IPS works alongside communities to build power, challenge systems of inequity, protect health, and improve quality of life. IPS has a vision for safe, secure, vibrant and healthy communities where everyone can thrive. To learn more about IPS East County, follow us on our social media platforms: IPS East County Facebook, IPS East County X , and East County Youth Coalition Instagram. Our website is at IPSEast.org. Resources and services are available to assist with screening, treatment, and recovery for individuals with a substance use disorder via the Access & Crisis line, which is open year-round, 24/7 at (888) 724-7240 or dial 988.
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