Salinas’ Chinatown revitalization plan moves forward

“Bars, night clubs, dancing, good times.”

1960’s Chinatown is something Mayor Joe Gunter remembers fondly. But today, railroad tracks cut the neighborhood off from much of the community and its memorable past.

Homeless tents now fill the streets, and police sweeps come constantly. The city says it’s making progress, but it has a long way to go.

“We are not trying to destroy the homeless people,” Gunter said. “We are one of the few cities in Central California that spends any amount of money taking care of our homeless.”

“The need far exceeds the amount of housing that we are building,” City Planning Manager Anastacia Wyatt added.

On Tuesday night, the Salinas City Council voted unanimously to hire a planning and development firm to study the area and make recommendations, making it the third Chinatown revitalization plan for the city in nearly a decade.

This time, it’s prepared to spend more than $200,000.
“I think what’s wonderful is that you are bringing it up to where it’s something that they’ve been ready for several years,” council member Tony Barrera said.

But it starts with reducing crime, building more affordable housing and a new attitude towards the area that city leaders hope this step will bring.

“The history of Chinatown is not a good one. We concentrated poverty and turned our backs on it. What we are trying to do is revitalize it, reconnect it with downtown,” Community Development Director Megan Hunter said.

The company will spend about a year-and-a-half to study the area and draft a plan.