More than 50 residents pitched ideas for the site, including restaurants, a resource center, educational facilities for youth, and a park.
MARYSVILLE, Calif. — The historic Hotel Marysville is gone, destroyed in a June 2024 fire and later demolished, the site has been sealed with a concrete-like material called gunite to contain hazardous materials, including asbestos. Now, the question of what should replace it is heating up.
City leaders and residents gathered Thursday night at the Marysville City Hall to discuss the future of the prominent downtown corner. The meeting was a key step toward securing an EPA grant to remove the toxic debris and make redevelopment possible.
Dan Flores, Marysville community development director, said, “We need to think big and what we witnessed tonight was a community coming together and they are thinking big and they are excited about the momentum in Marysville.”
More than 50 residents pitched ideas for the site, including restaurants, a resource center, educational facilities for youth, and a park.
Joe Muncy, a Yuba County resident, suggested, “get something that is unique and rare, so that people from Rocklin, Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, ‘hey, let’s go to the Bojangles or some other thing that doesn’t exist here.’ And in that way, bring some revenue into the town from out of the county.”
Others focused on preserving historic charm.
Marysville resident Jody Sodaro said, “Maybe the parking underneath and just the city just build up an old charming like Nevada City, Madonna Inn, kind of bring in the history back into it, a ballroom.”
The city says developers have expressed interest in the project, with hopes the site could eventually include housing, retail space, green space, and restaurants similar to New York City’s Restoration Hardware building.
Mayor Chris Branscum said, “We control the property. So we can be patient until the right thing come along.” He added, “It’s going to take a while for it to come back. But we are determined, and we’ve got the talent.”
In the meantime, city leaders hope to secure the EPA grant to clear the debris.
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