Salinas staff outline plans for Chinatown predevelopment: 88 affordable units, Republic Cafe restoration and museum

Grant Leonard, Salinas planning manager, told the Planning Commission on May 6 that the city has advanced predevelopment work for multiple properties on Soledad Street in Chinatown — including 34–40, 37–39 and 45 Soledad — with an objective of producing mixed‑use affordable housing, ground‑floor commercial space and a museum honoring local Asian cultural history.

The presentation summarized work funded in large part by a $1,500,000 predevelopment grant awarded in 2024 and said the city hired TEF Design to prepare entitlement and building‑permit packages. "We were successful in securing a $1,500,000 grant to complete predevelopment work for those sites," Leonard said. He described outreach and design steps meant to honor the neighborhood's historic character while creating viable commercial space and housing at different income levels.

Why it matters: the city said the project is intended to catalyze private investment in a part of Salinas long identified as disadvantaged. Staff described a program of roughly 88 affordable units across the sites, a mix of studios through three‑bedroom units, limited on‑site parking and roughly 6,000 square feet of first‑floor commercial space at one site and about 2,000 square feet at another. One mixed‑use building in the renderings showed about 55 units; a separate senior building rendering showed about 30 units, and staff framed the total as an 88‑unit package.

Restoration of the Republic Cafe (37 Soledad) was a central element. Leonard said 37 is listed on the National Register and 39 is eligible; staff propose a two‑phase approach: an initial stabilization and facade preservation phase (including deconstructing and storing historic elements) followed by an interior remodel to return the building to active commercial, office and museum use. "Phase 2 is a complete remodel interior and bring it up to code so that it is ready for reuse as both office, commercial, and a museum space for the Asian cultural experience of Salinas," Leonard said.

Commissioners pressed staff on two policy risks. Commissioner Roque asked whether the project is properly complying with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) standards for historical resources and warned litigation risk if review is insufficient: "There's a whole section in CEQA that makes you address historical resources ... that's a lawsuit waiting to happen," he said. Leonard replied the design follows Secretary of the Interior standards and that the consultant hired has experience with historic properties.

Funding and procurement: staff said the $1.5 million predevelopment grant largely covered entitlement work (Leonard estimated it paid roughly 90–95% of predevelopment costs). Additional funding would be assembled from the city's Chinatown Capital Improvement Program, community development block grants and HOME funds, the local housing trust, the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), potential federal earmarks and tax‑credit financing for construction. Leonard said the city plans to issue requests for proposals for a developer this summer and to procure a contractor for the stabilization work at 37–39 Soledad.

Homelessness and neighborhood impacts: commissioners asked how displacement of people currently living in Chinatown would be handled. Staff said the Chinatown work is coordinated with separate homelessness efforts — the city's shelter (the Share Center), permanent supportive housing at Fairview (opening this month), attempts to retain a Homekey site, an application for a motel renovation to serve as a low‑barrier navigation center, and rental‑assistance programs — and acknowledged continued capacity challenges.

Stakeholders and local hiring: staff said ACES (a local stakeholder organization) has been closely involved and that a purchase condition required renovations within 10 years and a partnership on the envisioned cultural center. In public comment, Daniel Alvarez, speaking for carpenters in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, urged the city to "use a responsible contractor so that way a lot of people living here can also work here." Leonard confirmed the neighborhood engagement and said the commercial spaces are being designed to improve tenancy prospects.

Next steps and process: staff reported entitlement packages and some building permits are submitted; with predevelopment nearly complete the city will solicit developer proposals and seek construction financing. The Planning Commission was told the public‑hearing item (PUD2025‑003 / CUP2025‑025) related to the 88‑unit request was continued to the May 20 meeting for further consideration.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the meeting minutes from April 15, 2026 (motion by Commissioner Purnell; second by Commissioner Mora). The roll call included several yes votes and one abstention (Commissioner Rock); the chair declared the motion passed.

What remains unresolved: precise total project cost, the final financing package, whether CEQA review will prompt additional environmental documentation and how interim displacement will be managed in practice. The commission did not take a final land‑use vote on the 88‑unit package on May 6; that hearing is continued to May 20.