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Salinas board reviews Chinatown predevelopment plans, preservation steps for Republic Cafe and Soledad Street sites
Summary
City planning staff reported progress on Chinatown projects that would replicate burned facades at 38 and 45 Soledad, stabilize the Republic Cafe building and seek an affordable-housing developer; board members pressed for stronger cultural design cues and noted tests, stabilization and funding milestones.
City planning staff updated the Salinas Historic Resources Board on January agenda items for Chinatown redevelopment, including plans to replicate original facades at 38 and 45 Soledad Street, stabilize the Republic Cafe (3739 Soledad) and prepare the sites for a future affordable-housing developer.
"Our architects have moved forward with a design package," Grant Leonard, the city's planning manager, said, adding that the team is seeking planning-level approval while continuing to refine materials, colors and ornamental details. For 38 Soledad, staff said recovered facade elements are being stored and the proposal would recreate the previous facade while accommodating up to 5 stories of residential or mixed uses behind it.
The presentation said planning review has advanced to the point of finalizing design packages for permits and that the city has completed lead and asbestos testing for one building and updated security fencing. Leonard said the city plans to release a request for proposals for an affordable-housing developer later in the year to handle financing and construction of the projects.
Board members pressed designers and staff for stronger Chinatown identity in the work. "This could be anywhere — it doesn't feel like Chinatown in any way," a board member said, urging more Asian-inspired motifs and a different color palette. "The architectural rhythm has been destroyed," another member said, calling for playful details and color to reflect the district's character.
Board member Louise expressed concern about scale and massing next to the Republic Cafe, saying the proposed structure was "kind of overbearing" and warned it could erode the district's historic flavor. Other members recalled community feedback from earlier outreach asking for more culturally reflective design elements and said they expect additional design review before building permits are issued.
Staff described the Republic Cafe work as primarily restoration of the facade and interior remodeling to preserve the restaurant use on the ground floor and rehabilitate upper-floor housing. "We're repairing the exterior and then remodeling the inside," Leonard said, and noted the city owns some of the properties, which can speed work compared with fully new-construction parcels that require developer partnerships and financing.
Next steps identified by staff include continuing cleanup and stabilization with a disaster-recovery contractor, finalizing design elements with the architects, and returning to the City Council with an update by the end of the month or in February. The board asked staff to ensure subsequent design submittals incorporate Chinatown-specific motifs, consider color palettes that relate better to adjoining buildings and include community outreach in the next outreach phase.
The presentation and board questions emphasized that planning-level approval is not the final design approval: several members noted the architects will return for design review, and the board requested that future submittals demonstrate how proposed details and colors reflect the district's cultural identity. The city will continue testing, security and stabilization work while planning and funding decisions proceed.
