Marysville seeks EPA brownfields cleanup grant for former Hotel Marysville; council, county and residents weigh costs and redevelopment options

Marysville officials on Tuesday held a town hall to solicit public comment before submitting an EPA Brownfields cleanup grant application for the former Hotel Marysville site, where a 2024 fire left an on-site cap pile of debris and environmental concerns.

City staff described the current cleanup stage and the grant-driven path to redevelopment. “Approximately 4,700 cubic yards of fire damaged debris remains on-site,” city staff explained, adding that environmental studies have confirmed asbestos-containing materials and presumed lead-based paint and found petroleum impacts beneath the former basement tied to an old heating tank. The city said it completed a Phase 2 environmental assessment but that further study and remediation will require removal of the debris and leveling the site.

The grant application is intended to fund removal and transport of contaminated material to licensed disposal facilities and to support next steps in site marketing and reuse. Staff said they had completed final revisions to the application and planned to submit materials to EPA consultants for review "by end of day tomorrow," and that comments from tonight’s meeting would be added to the application packet.

Dan Flores, the city’s community development and economic development director, outlined how the city would seek redevelopment partners after cleanup. Flores said staff will run a request-for-proposals process, evaluate developers’ financial capacity, experience and project concepts, recommend a preferred developer to the council, and negotiate a development agreement to lock in scope, design standards, infrastructure responsibilities and any public benefits.

Flores reviewed a range of early concepts previously discussed—boutique hotel, mixed-use retail and housing, parking structures, public plaza or green space, and an arts or cultural center with rooftop amenities—and emphasized the goal of creating construction jobs and strengthening nearby businesses. "Once the cleanup is complete, then we're ready to move forward with what we call an RFP process," Flores said, adding that staff does not make the final selection: the council will take the recommendation.

Mayor Branson and other council members repeatedly stressed the city’s limited fiscal capacity and the importance of external funding. The mayor said the city’s general fund budget is roughly $14.5 million and that "most estimates for the cost to remediate are in the range of 3 to $4,000,000," a potential burden the council does not want to shoulder without grant support.

Rent Acast, a Yuba County District 2 supervisor who also said he serves on the Yuba Water Agency board, urged regional cooperation and offered county resources to support outreach and planning. "It’s a regional issue," Rent Acast said, noting traffic impacts and travel routes through Marysville and encouraging intergovernmental coordination.

Residents who spoke urged practical design features for downtown, especially more parking and flexible mixed-use space. John Doherty, who said he has lived in the area since the 1990s, told councilmembers he favored parking on lower levels with adaptable spaces above to allow restaurants, offices or art venues to evolve.

Councilmembers urged development that complements existing businesses and produces revenue for the city, and they asked staff to compile an RFP and market the site to prospective developers. Staff encouraged those who could not attend to use the QR code or the city website to view the draft analysis and submit comments; staff said the topic will likely be on the next council meeting agenda "the twentieth May" to allow additional public input before final submission.

No formal vote or binding decision was taken at the town hall. City staff described the meeting as "the beginning of the beginning" for cleanup, developer outreach and community engagement; the grant application and further public meetings will determine funding availability and the timeline for remediation and redevelopment.