Envision Broadway Mural Project

Beautifies Businesses Along Chula Vista Thoroughfare

Efforts under way to improve quality of life for residents, visitors

El Patio restaurant on Broadway in Chula Vista is becoming the latest to install a mural on the side of its business as part of efforts by the Envision Broadway coalition to spruce up the corridor through art. The mural stretches along the building’s entire south-facing wall with a floral theme that can easily be seen by motorists and pedestrians travelling north along Broadway.

“It’ll beautify the street for people driving by,” El Patio restaurant owner Lili Warchol said.

“It’ll increase business, hopefully keep taggers away and bring pride to the community.”

Envision Broadway is looking for additional businesses interested in donating wall space, becoming a sponsor of a mural and helping the artists paint. Murals make communities beautiful, add color to neighborhoods and make streets more enticing. They are a treat for locals and tourists, attract businesses and boost the economy. Murals can also offer walking/ biking public art tours and create vibrant communities that people want to visit, live in, and care for.

As part of the Envision Broadway Mural Project, community members are empowered to prioritize their needs and plan improvements that are necessary to the revitalization of this aging corridor. By increasing the economic vitality of this critical thoroughfare, Envision Broadway aligns with the Live Well vision of cultivating and maintaining a multi-cultural business district that promotes healthy choices and the highest quality of life.

Mural painting events provide activities that keep youth away from Substance Use Disorders. South Bay Youth for Change (SBY4C) students and volunteers can help paint murals to include themes that highlight the value of living an alcohol- and drugfree lifestyle.

“I paint sometimes. I don’t have a lot of experience at it but I have been doing a lot of community service lately,” Yaretzi Lopez, a recent high school graduate, said. She learned about the mural painting event recently through Instagram. “It’s great, actually. It’s very therapeutic.”

Envision Broadway is a project of the Institute for Public Strategies, a nonprofit working together with partners to create a thriving, multicultural business district that serves as the gateway to the Bayfront. Resources and services are available to assist with screening, treatment, and recovery for individuals with a substance use disorder on the It’s Up to Us website. The Access & Crisis line is available year-round, 24/7 at (888) 724-7240.