Imagine a new Telegraph Avenue, vibrant and welcoming at all hours, where students can enjoy Southside businesses 24/7.
Such a vision may become a reality in the not-so-distant future now that Berkeley City Council has given the green light to create a 24/7 commercial district in the Telegraph area south of the UC Berkeley campus. The council’s decision is a step in the right direction, but Telegraph has a long way to go before it is ready to support an all-night economy — turning the area into a 24/7 district is not going to happen overnight.
Local businesses need to see a clear demand to stay open all night if any of them are going to extend their hours permanently. This is evident when looking at Caffe Mediterraneum, which received a permit in 2011 to stay open 24/7 but has yet to do so, apparently due to lack of sufficient customer interest. Even with the council’s approval, Telegraph merchants probably won’t fully extend their hours until other changes transform the environment there.
Before many students can buy into the idea of an all-night avenue, city officials need to finally improve Telegraph’s street lighting. The dim glow cast over the area at night makes students feel unsafe — increased visibility would go a long way toward creating an environment in which students feel comfortable in the middle of the night. Officials seem to recognize this, as efforts to revamp Telegraph lighting have been in the works for a while. But it’s time for students to see results.
To that end, once storefronts actually begin to open their doors 24/7, local police will need to strengthen their presence throughout the night. Together with better lighting, this would hopefully address any student concerns about safety in the late hours.
Still, businesses will not see the demand they need to take advantage of the 24/7 district until the Telegraph area has a higher residential density. It is therefore even more important now for city officials to ensure the speedy development of the vacant lots at the intersection of Haste Street and Telegraph. New buildings on the two empty lots would literally bring more people to Telegraph, who would be some of the most likely patrons of 24-hour businesses.
The new city policy is a welcome improvement. But it is not the only answer. Together with other changes like better lighting, proactive safety measures and reconstruction of empty spaces, the 24/7 policy could very well restore the avenue to its former stature.