Colton Chamber Mixer Activates Downtown Paseo, Highlights Untapped Potential of $600K State-Funded Space
2 min read
Photo by Daphne Marquez: Community members gather around a booth to discuss topics surrounding what they do.
Colton Chamber of Commerce’s latest business mixer in Colton’s downtown Paseo offered a space for local businesses and community members to build relationships and partnerships.
Colton Recreation Coordinator, Razili Ramirez, said, “Getting these businesses out there, establishing who they are is the goal. There are tons of local businesses, businesses within Colton that are coming out, and we just want them to mix and mingle and meet each other and establish relationships in the business community.”
The Downtown Paseo was a project that had been in the works in recent years, with support from California State Senator Eloise Gomez-Reyes, Colton had garnered a $600,000 grant from the California Resources Agency in 2018, and the Paseo had its ribbon cutting on July 26, 2023.
However, since the ribbon cutting, the Paseo has had few events hosted there, Ramirez said “We’re doing small programming out of there and seeing how the community responds to it. So I think having some booths out tonight, and just having people come in and be able to ask questions, yeah, I think it’s been productive.”
Ramirez hopes to continue the success of the event, she continued, “I think I know the Chamber of Commerce, their collaboration with their event here today. And then there are other organizations, as well as the city themselves, that are planning on doing things here. So yes, this is just one of the first ones that we’ve done.”
Some of the people in attendance were Colton’s Rotary Club, Lions Club, Bloomington’s Chamber of Commerce, Caliber Collision, Inland Empire Community News, etc.
Coordinator for the Colton Chamber of Commerce, Christina Gaitan, said “To get to know one another and to know that we’re here for each other, and for the public to know also that the businesses are here in the city. We have been doing marketing and reaching out to the businesses to see if they’re available to come out the same day as the event.”
Events like the business mixer show the potential of the Downtown Paseo, although it is often gated off and underutilized, nights like this prove that the space can be used to host more gatherings, which could bring Colton’s community and businesses together.
