Finally, we have an update on the Republic Cafe. Check out this article in the Monterey County Weekly, “With two property aquisitions, Salinas starts the engine to revitalize the Chinatown neighborhood.” By Daniel Dreyfuss.
* * *
The idea for creating a Chinatown Cultural Center & Museum is not new. This has been planned for well over a decade; CSUMB, ACE, the National Steinbeck Center, with support from City of Salinas, has held public forums and discussions, over the years. Prof. Emeritus Rina Benmayor, through CSUMB, applied for (on behalf of ACE) and was awarded an NEH grant awarded for initial planning and design; Fe Tom Architects (AZ) and architecture students from Cal Poly created visualizations (seen below), interspersed with photos of the building’s interior as it is now.
The 2007/2008 financial crisis halted our plans (and withdrew critical funds), but not our dreams. Then, in 2020, the Ahtye family, owners of the Republic Cafe & Lotus Inn buildings, agreed to sell the buildings to ACE as long as we retained the historical qualities of the (already historically designated) structures.
In 2023, after a fire threatened the building* — but left it intact — the City of Salinas began negotiations to purchase the building with the idea of helping ACE to renovate it in order to reach our goals.
Since central Chinatown has long been considered a “blighted” and at-risk neighborhood, we want to move as quickly as possible to renovate the building and make Chinatown a safe, revitalized community. We know there is a large and complex project ahead of us to renovate the buildings and create The Chinatown Cultural Center and Museum. We need the support of all our partners and the City of Salinas in this endeavor. Revitalization of Salinas Chinatown is a key aspect of this project. Infrastructure improvements are needed. The most recent fire has been but one of several in Chinatown, all situated very close to the Republic Cafe/Lotus Inn. Therefore, while things are looking up — we still feel some urgency.
While the idea for the Cultural Center & Museum has always been seen as a way to honor our ancestors’ legacies and preserve the history and cultures of the three AAPI communities (Chinese, Japanese, Filipino) of Chinatown, we also know that, as a cultural center, it can serve the diverse, growing community of Chinatown–people of all ages, ethnicities, and economic status. Please join us in making our dream happen.
*In October 2022, there was a fire situated in the Lotus Inn side of the Republic Cafe property. While the Lotus Inn suffered fire damage, the Republic Cafe side seems OK. The property can still be renovated for our Cultural Center project. Any donations towards that renovation would be much appreciated (see below)!
Contact us with your questions and ideas. We want to hear from you!
“Chinatown has unmatched potential for attracting new and desired investment due to its centralized location within the City and its adjacency to Downtown and the Intermodal Transportation Center. To capitalize on Chinatown’s strategic location, major infrastructure improvements must occur . . . The Plan recognizes historic Soledad Street as the center of Chinatown and includes goals and policies to reinforce the existing mixed-use zoning and preservation and reuse of some of the most important historic structures. It is recommended that the mixed-use zoning is coupled with an Arts Overlay District to facilitate diverse uses.” — Salinas Chinatown Revitalization Plan 2019. salinas_chinatown_plan_public_comment_draft.pdf (cityofsalinas.org)
You must be logged in to post a comment.