Oldtown Salinas
You know that long-promised urban renewal that was supposed to make Oldtown Salinas cool? It’s on. The transformation owes much to a one-man redevelopment agency, Bruce Taylor, who moved his company’s (Taylor Farms) headquarters downtown 10 years ago. The results of that investment are tangible and impressive: new restaurants, breweries and retail establishments have sprung up to make Salinas’ downtown lively and fun. In May 2021, a new landmark took hold: a 70-foot welcome arch was erected over Main Street. More is on the way. Alvarado Street Brewery is set to open in fall of 2022 on the ground floor of the old Rabobank tower, which will have 49 apartments above it. The burnt-out Dick Bruhn building, another Taylor project, features 19 apartments above street-level restaurants. The old Beverly’s Fabrics, a classic building, will soon house Heirloom Pizza Co. and a live music venue, and Taylor also bought the long-deserted Greyhound bus depot that he plans to convert into office space and workforce housing. The future is right now for Salinas.