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| Santa Rosa Center Redevelopment Project Area |
The Santa Rosa Center Redevelopment Project was adopted in 1961, making it the City’s first redevelopment area.
Located in the City’s core, Santa Rosa Center represents over 40 years of redevelopment history, fulfilling a long term vision for Santa Rosa as the commercial, cultural, governmental and service center for the region. | |
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During the 1960s, the downtown area of Santa Rosa was badly deteriorating. Streets and buildings were substandard, many buildings were vacant and boarded up, and lower-income senior citizens occupied older, unsafe, single-room occupancy hotels. Property values in the area were depressed due to the age of the structures, incompatible land uses and inadequate infrastructure. The 1969 earthquake caused additional severe damage to a majority of older buildings, furthering the need for rehabilitation and new construction in the downtown core area.
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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| Concert in Courthouse Square |
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| The Agency preserves historic properties like the former main SR post office, now the So. Co. Museum |
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| Santa Rosa's Prince Memorial Greenway | |
From the mid-1960s to the present, due to the Santa Rosa Center redevelopment program:
· More than 70 buildings have been constructed or substantially rehabilitated
· Over 5,000 permanent jobs and 3,000 construction related jobs were created in downtown Santa Rosa
· Numerous public improvements have been made, including Courthouse Square, Sonoma Avenue Park, the Fourth Street semi-pedestrian mall, the Comstock pedestrian mall, various parking garages and parking lots, and infrastructure including sewers, storm drains, streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters
· More than 1300 affordable housing units citywide have been constructed or rehabilitated with the assistance of redevelopment low and moderate income housing funds from Santa Rosa Center, including three emergency shelters in different parts of the City
· Private investments were attracted to locate in the downtown redevelopment area, including banks, professional corporations, retail businesses and services, and regional retailers
· Funding has been contributed to the Downtown Linkages Program to create pedestrian improvements to connect the east and west sides of downtown along 4th and 3rd Streets, and for construction of the Prince Memorial Greenway and Prince Gateway Park, a bicycle/pedestrian path along Santa Rosa Creek
· In 2001, the Santa Rosa Center Redevelopment Project received the California Redevelopment Association Award of Excellence for Community Revitalization | |
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| Downtown Santa Rosa's Roots Americana Series |
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| Artist's Rendition of Museum on the Square | |
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The Redevelopment Agency has partnered with the Hugh Futrell Corporation to convert the long-vacant AT&T Building into the vibrant Museum on the Square, which will serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of Santa Rosa's Downtown.
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Named one of the best in California, our thriving Downtown boasts three distinct shopping districts, three historic residential neighborhoods, arts and culture, events, great restaurants, famous chefs, and a comfortable inviting atmosphere.
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Frank Kasimov
Economic Development & Redevelopment Program Specialist
(707) 543-3465 | |
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