The Santa Clarita City Council meeting Tuesday is expected to include discussion of several big investments from the city for Newhall, which has seen consistent growth for years that local interests say has been threatened by a devastating Aug. 24 fire.
There are three efforts on the city’s agenda for Tuesday’s Santa Clarita City Council meeting that could all offer benefits to that corner of the city, through different avenues: the purchase of a former hardware store-turned-radio station/boutique/financial advisor; the creation of a long-sought parking structure in Old Town Newhall; and the pursuit of a grant to bring $8.5 million in funding for Newhall Park.
Newhall purchase
The City Council’s first item of business is one there’s been no shortage of speculation on: the future of the former location of Newhall Hardware and then KHTS radio.
City officials have indicated an interest in turning it into another community theater, which expected to be one of the topics mentioned during Tuesday’s discussion.
The nearly 80-year-old building there was proposed and approved to be a part of The Hartwell, a mixed-use condo-and-retail stores development a la Newhall Crossings, which is the same type of development on the north side of Main Street, which was done by the same proposed developer, Serrano Development Group.
Then plans abruptly changed, and without public explanation.
Serrano listed the entire entitled project up for sale earlier this year at a cost of $7.5 million.
That prompted longtime radio station owners, Carl and Jeri Seratti-Goldman, who’d negotiated the sale of the addresses from 24318 to 24322 Main St. to Serrano for the project, to report publicly that they had never been paid for the property, which resulted in an ongoing lawsuit between the Goldmans and Serrano.
The Goldmans said they moved their business in anticipation of a sale that never happened, which also put the property back on the market.
The city, having lost The Main theater in the Aug. 24 Main Fire, is now looking to purchase the three addresses owned by the Goldmans. That price is listed as $1.9 million.
The city acknowledges in its report that the property is listed for sale at $2.35 million, but it is currently appraised at $1.7 million.
The city offers an explanation in the agenda report.
“While the proposed purchase price exceeds the appraised market value, the city’s interest in acquiring the property considers factors beyond its existing commercial value. These include its location within the Arts and Entertainment District, the limited availability of suitable properties in the immediate vicinity and the opportunity to secure a site for potential future public use following the loss of The Main,” according to the agenda.
Newhall parking structure
On the south side of Main Street, parking has been a long-lamented issue, exacerbated by the recent fire, as well as the fact that there are a lot of businesses in an area that already doesn’t allow for a lot of parking.
City officials have pointed out for years that a second parking structure has always been a part of the specific plan for a walkable Main Street. Now the time has come for the City Council to discuss proposals.
City staff is recommending the City Council review and approve a $24 million proposal to build a six-level parking structure at the corner of 6th Street and Main Street, which is part of the city’s “plan to revitalize the area by encouraging development.” The total price is estimated at closer to $26 million, which includes about $2.18 million for administrative costs.
The proposed Main Street Parking Structure project includes the demolition of the existing parking lot, sidewalk and adjacent street parking at the southern end of Main Street, according to the city’s agenda for Tuesday.
City staffers say the project will increase public parking capacity and improve parking access for the entire district in support of the specific plan. Additionally, the structure will include a single retail space totaling approximately 2,300 square feet
McCarthy Building Companies beat out Swinerton, which constructed the parking structure on the north side, and four other companies to garner the winning bid. Both structures are expected to provide 400 spaces on either end of Main Street.
Newhall Park
Newhall Park, which was originally built in 1950, was one of the city’s original parks upon its incorporation in 1987.
The 14.3-acre lot at Dalbey Drive and Newhall Avenue features two basketball courts, a softball field, a playground, soccer fields, picnic areas with a barbecue, public restrooms and a public pool; but these facilities, which also support local SCV Boys & Girls Club activities, are about to get a major upgrade, according to Tuesday’s agenda.
A recirculating splash pad, two new basketball courts, a full-size multipurpose field, an inclusive playground with shade structures, a new futsal court, a nature play area, new shaded picnic pavilions with picnic tables and barbecues, new field lighting, pool improvements, a new perimeter walking path and additional parking with EV chargers and new restrooms, are all on the city’s wish list.
The city is hopeful it will be able to support these upgrades with help from the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program, or SPP, which is run by the State Department of Parks and Recreation through the Office of Grants and Local Services. The program offers competitive grant funding to “create new parks, expand park recreational spaces or renovate existing parks in critically underserved communities across,” according to the agenda.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is another potential source the city is looking at, in terms of potential monetary support for the project. The city, if awarded, is eligible to receive up to $6 million through the LWCF program with a 50% local funding match requirement.
