Suisun City to consider Old Town development

From Daily Republic
By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - Proposals to fill in some of Main Street's vacant lots by putting up three retail buildings on land near Main and Solano streets is going to both the Suisun City Council and Planning Commission Tuesday.

The buildings are the first tangible result of Suisun City's renewed efforts to rejuvenate Suisun City's Old Town economy by attracting more sales tax-producing businesses.

It comes a week after the City Council, sitting as the Redevelopment Agency, approved selling the local developer 13 agency-owned parcels in Old Town totaling 8.4 acres for $3.7 million.

Main Street West has up to two years to put retail and commercial development along Main Street as well as build homes and possibly a hotel on vacant land near Civic Center Boulevard.

The developer is apparently hitting the ground running, with promises of seeing buildings go up by the end of summer and City Hall is doing everything it can to speed the process along.

The City Council and Planning Commission will hold joint public hearings on the site plans and architectural designs for the first sites which flank Solano Street on Main Street's east side.

Main Street West proposes to build a two-story building on the southeast corner that will have 17,500 square feet for businesses and retail stores on the first floor and 16,500 square feet of offices on the second floor.

This building will be U-shaped around a public courtyard in the center developed by the Redevelopment Agency that will feature an outdoor fireplace.

The proposed two-story building on the southwest corner will have 5,400 square feet on the ground floor for businesses and retail while the second floor will be for six offices or apartments.

Main Street West work crews were already on site this week taking core samples of the soil and are expected to move ahead with preparing the site for construction as soon as the council approves the plans.

The Suisun City Council and the Suisun City Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Suisun City Council chamber at 701 Civic Center Blvd.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.