For Economic Development Committee August 28, 2024
TO: Honorable Economic Development Committee Members
FROM: Colby Cataldi, Director of Community Development
Title
Pacific Electric Rail Museum Project
Body
BACKGROUND
On November 15, 2022, City Council acting as the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Rialto, adopted Resolution No. 7999 approving Amendment #5 to the Long-Range Property Management Plan for the Disposition of Real Estate Assets Owned by the Successor Agency.
On May 10, 2022, the City Council authorized Staff to submit an application to the California Transportation Commission for an Active Transportation Program (“ATP”) grant in the amount of $7.5 million to complete the extension of the Pacific Electric Trail from Cactus Avenue to Pepper Avenue. The City was awarded the ATP grant, allowing for the City to complete the extension of the Pacific Electric Trail. The Property is adjacent to a portion of the former Pacific Electric railway right-of-way being considered for the extension of the Pacific Electric Trail. The Property served as the Rialto Station of the Riverside-Rialto interurban train service operated by the Pacific Electric Railway from 1914 to 1940. The station building was designed by Thornton Fitzhugh, the architect who also designed the railroad's main terminal known as the Pacific Electric Building located at 610 S. Main Street in downtown Los Angeles.
However, in lieu of selling the Property for use as a privately owned commercial restaurant, it is possible in the alternative to modify the LRPMP designation from “liquidate for the benefit of taxing entities” to “retention by the City for governmental use” as an historical site, museum, and/or other uses that acknowledge the Property’s historical significance in the City and are compatible with the City’s Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Expansion project. The intent would be to pursue state and federal grant funds to restore the Property to its original historical significance, and to remodel the interior to convert it to a museum use and as a recreational facility compatible with and to be used by the public enjoying the future extension of the Pacific Electric Trail.
On March 6, 2023, the County Oversight Board approved Adopt a Resolution approving Amendment No. 5 to the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Rialto’s Long-Range Property Management Plan redesignating property (APN 0130-161-27-0000) from Sale of Property to Governmental Use. The Successor Agency is to convey the parcel to the City of Rialto, at no cost, for use as a historical site, museum, and/or other uses that acknowledge the Property’s historical significance in the City and are compatible with the City’s Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Expansion project. The conveyance of the property is exempt from the Surplus Land Act pursuant to Section 103(b)(3)(D) of the Surplus Land Act Guidelines, dated April 2021, as surplus land a local agency is transferring to another local agency for the transferee agency’s use.
The parcel is located at 119 N. Riverside Avenue, Rialto, California. The parcel is 20,240 square feet in size and is improved with a building of 4,390 square feet. Since 2000, the building was occupied by Cuca’s Mexican Restaurant and was vacated on January 31, 2023. In April 2022, the City Council adopted the Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Expansion Feasibility Study evaluating the feasibility of extending the existing 20-mile pedestrian and Class I bicycle path located on the right-of-way previously used by the Pacific Electric Railway from its current terminus at Cactus Avenue to the eastern boundary of the City at Pepper Avenue. The Property is adjacent to a portion of the right-of-way being considered for the extension. The City has recently received a grant to fund the Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Expansion. Accordingly, the City would like to use the Property for Governmental Use as a historical site, museum, and/or other uses that acknowledge the Property’s historical significance in the City and are compatible with the City’s Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Expansion project.
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss and provide staff feedback as necessary.