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Grace Brothers
Redevelopment Project Area |
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The Grace Brothers Redevelopment Project is located downtown, adjacent to Santa Rosa Creek, Highway 101, Railroad Street and Third Street, and is located generally south of the Railroad Square Historic District. This Project Area was adopted in 1985 and is comprised of approximately 10 acres.
In 1994, the Santa Rosa Center and Grace Brothers Redevelopment Project Areas were merged. This means that funds can be shared between the two redevelopment areas.
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The Redevelopment Project Area takes its name from the Grace Brothers Brewery which operated there for many years. The site had significant hazardous contamination. The Redevelopment Plan was adopted in 1985 to address the blighted conditions.
The Redevelopment Agency financed and executed a significant toxic remediation effort on the site in order to prepare it for re-use. Cleanup of the site included excavation of petroleum hydrocarbon, lead and gasoline contamination, and removal of underground storage tanks.
The City’s objective was to revitalize the Grace Brothers site and to fill a need in Santa Rosa for a conference center and hotel facility. The Agency issued a Request for Proposals in 1985 but due to a lag in the hospitality industry it wasn’t until 1995 that Innkeepers Associates proposed developing the site as Vineyard Creek, LLC. The facility was opened in 2002.
The Hyatt Vineyard Creek is now a 4-star hotel with 155 rooms, spa, conference center of 21,000 square feet, and a restaurant at the heart of the City. The facility hosts conferences, weddings and other special events, and attracts out-of-town visitors and locals. Visitors enjoy the beautiful building, landscaped gardens, art sculptures, and the Prince Memorial Greenway along Santa Rosa Creek, that hugs the site’s southern edge. | |
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| Underground storage tank removal |
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| Grace Brothers construction site |
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| Santa Rosa Creek before redevelopment |
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| Santa Rosa's Prince Memorial Greenway | |
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Before redevelopment, the creek had its own problems. It had been channelized with grouted-rock rip rap for flood control purposes. The habitat was severely degraded for fish and wildlife, and the creek was not accessible to the general public. Water pollution and illegal dumping in the creek area further degraded the habitat.
With financial assistance from the Redevelopment Agency, the City of Santa Rosa restored Santa Rosa Creek over several years during the early 2000's, and created the Prince Memorial Greenway.
The Greenway is an urban delight for people and restored riparian habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead as well as other wildlife. One can stroll along the terraced trails and small plazas, with intimate and inviting stone walls, curved stairs and ramps that lead to the water's edge; or admire artistic benches, murals and sculptures throughout. Egrets, herons, turtles, fish and other wildlife populate the Greenway.
At the entrance of the Greenway is the Prince Gateway Park (at Santa Rosa Avenue) with its mosaic fish sculpture. One can follow the Greenway path from Prince Gateway Park to the Hyatt Vineyard Creek and Historic Railroad Square or continue on trails beyond... | | |
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| The Redevelopment Agency in partnership with Innkeepers Associates transformed a contaminated site into a 4-star hotel with 155 rooms, spa, conference center of 21,000 square feet, and a restaurant at the heart of the City. |
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| By providing seed money to attract other funding sources, Redevelopment served as a key player in a community and multi-agency partnership that implemented a vision, creating an urban pedestrian treasure from an underutilized area along Santa Rosa Creek. The Prince Memorial Greenway is now a stunning gateway to Downtown Santa Rosa. |
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Frank Kasimov
Economic Development & Redevelopment Program Specialist
(707) 543-3465 | |
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