DOWNEY - The city of Downey is in negotiations to purchase portions of several properties near the intersection of Firestone and Paramount boulevards.The purchases are necessary, city officials said, to complete a $5.7 million renovation project on Firestone that is expected to get underway later this year. Officials are attempting to purchase parts of land at 11205 Paramount Blvd. (the site of an auto paint and body shop); 8001 Firestone Blvd. (76 gas station); and 8008 Firestone Blvd. (CVS Pharmacy). Before the deals can be made, the planning commission needed to find that the purchases are consistent with Downey's General Plan. They did that Wednesday. The city is currently accepting bids for the Firestone project, which includes street repair, landscaping, signal synchronization and other work between Brookshire Avenue and Old River School Road. Between La Reina and Dolan avenues, crews will install ornamental street lighting, median landscaping with palm trees, benches, trash receptacles, bicycle racks, bus shelters, trees and decorative sidewalks. Formerly State Route 42, Firestone Boulevard was relinquished by the state to Downey in 1992 and has since never undergone pavement rehabilitation, said public works director John Oskoui.

********** Published: March 7, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 47