Salinas City Council approves heritage park name change for itransit center.

With hope of increasing visibility and tourism, Salinas City Council on June 2 voted to approve adding a heritage park designation to the Salinas Intermodal Transit Center, a transportation hub that is within walking distance from downtown.

The plan is to keep both names, ITC and Salinas City Heritage Park, on the signs. 

Denise Estrada from the First Mayor's House told council that the name change would exponentially increase its marketability and make it eligible for state and federal grants.

“We are not here asking tonight for money, we're asking for a name that will allow us…to apply for additional funding as one of your historic parks,” Estrada said. 

Estrada also added they have invested $30,000 in wayfinding signs for the California Welcome Center and have raised $10,000 for banner signs that would be displayed on the historic buildings.

Public comment was divided on the name change; some people were in favor while others noted they didn’t participate in the process because it wasn’t publicly promoted. 

Councilmember Andrew Sandoval said he was disappointed the Transportation Agency for Monterey County didn’t share its thoughts on the matter and noted Monterey-Salinas Transit sent a letter expressing concerns about maintaining the goals of the intermodal station.

Monterey-Salinas Transit isn't opposed to the name change, says Carl Sedoryk, MST's general manager.

"It is critical to ensure that sufficient space and opportunity are maintained to allow for the future development of a transit center at or adjacent to the site," Sedoryk wrote in a letter sent to Salinas City Council. 

The ITC is a hub where Amtrak trains and Monterey-Salinas Transit bus station operate on Market Street. It also houses the California Welcome Center, a space focused on the agriculture industry’s evolution in Monterey County. The Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Museum is next door.

The intermodal station is also part of the future Commuter Rail Extension project, which would expand services from Salinas to Silicon Valley.

The name change idea was presented to the Salinas Historic Resources Board last year and proponents say adding the heritage park designation to the transit center would increase visibility, attract tourism and boost economic activity in the area.

In the end, the council approved the name change but requested keeping both names on it after Councilmember Tony Barrera shared concerns it could confuse people who already identify the transit center as the ITC.

“We really want to promote both and advocate for the coming railroad improvements,” Estrada added, responding to Barrera's concerns.

The change is in name only, City Attorney Chris Callihan noted. Despite being called a heritage park, he said, “It would not elevate the area to being a city park."

Additionally, Sandoval asked for more financial transparency from the Welcome Center. The city leases the building for $1 per month to the Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bureau.

This article has been updated to include MST's position on ITC's name change.