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Corona outlines multi‑year downtown revitalization including North Mall demolition and Sixth Street plan
Summary
Economic development staff briefed the City Council on nine catalyst projects for downtown, including phased Sixth Street improvements, North Mall redevelopment with imminent demolition for two buildings, City Park renovation and new South Mall tenants.
Corona City Hall — The city—s Economic Development director told the council on March 19 that work is underway on nine "catalyst" projects intended to reshape downtown, including phased improvements to Sixth Street, a multi‑phase redevelopment of the North Mall and near‑term demolition activity at two North Mall buildings.
Joel Belding, Economic Development Director, said the downtown strategy focuses on a connected Sixth Street corridor, public‑realm investments, property acquisitions and tenant recruitment. "The key takeaway...is everything the council directed us to do has either started or has a planned start date," Belding said.
Belding reported progress across several initiatives: streetscape enhancements on Sixth Street with added on‑street parking and traffic calming; a plan to convert parts of the historic civic center into arts and culinary space with an operations plan coming to council; and active work on the North Mall where the city now controls most suites and the parking lot. Belding said demolition contracts for phase one work at the southeast corner of the North Mall will be before council soon and that demolition activity would be visible once abatement is complete.
On the South Mall, Belding said parking lot reconstruction was underway with a completion target in May; two new restaurant tenants — a wine and jazz bar with live entertainment and Circle City Tavern — are committed to openings once the lot is complete. The city is pursuing facade improvements, enhanced public safety patrols and grant funding for City Park renovation, which Belding said is planned to begin construction in early 2026. Historic signage and iconic archways are planned as part of a downtown brand rollout next year.
Councilmembers asked for specifics on completed façade projects, the timing for alley lights and the schedule for demolition of the former police department building. Public works staff responded that roughly 140 alley lights are being installed pending utility relocations and that abatement at the former police headquarter site was underway with demolition planned to begin around March 31, after clearance.
Belding summarized expected timelines: most catalyst projects have phased starts through 2026–2028, with major North Mall construction as an outside target through 2029. He said staff are sequencing design work to qualify for grants and to present shovel‑ready projects to the market.
The council did not take formal votes on the update; members asked staff to return with operational and entitlement steps as individual projects come forward for approvals.
