Celia Jiménez here, thinking about how Salinas’ Chinatown will look in the future.
Over the past few years, I’ve followed the behind-the-scenes work to revitalize Chinatown. The vision includes a museum, affordable housing and a concept that blends Spanish and Chinese influences.
In 2022, the Salinas City Council approved the purchase of several buildings in Chinatown, including the former Republic Café and Lotus Inn, two historic buildings on Soledad Street. A year later, the city received a grant to develop mixed-use affordable housing in the area, and earlier this year, a contractor cleaned and stabilized the buildings.
On Oct. 5, Salinas Senior Planner Grant Leonard gave a small update about Chinatown’s revitalization during the Historic Resources Board’s meeting. Leonard told the board the City is advancing with the designs and would soon prepare a request to bring in developers to build affordable housing at three properties: 34, 40 and 45 Soledad St.
The City is working with the Asian Cultural Experience of Salinas, the organization whose dream is to turn the Republic Café into a museum by renting the property from the City for $1 per year. They have organized tours with architects and interior designers to bring the museum idea to fruition.
“We're actively pursuing funding and particularly federal grants for the next phase of the rehabilitation of the Republic Café and the Lotus Inn,” Leonard said.
Leonard’s update was brief, but it showed the plan is still in motion. Every step along the process is another step closer to the future envisioned for Chinatown.