Suisun council to OK redevelopment talks Main Street West Partners

January 15, 2006

Suisun council to OK redevelopment talks

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The developers tasked with reviving Main Street's economic fortunes could also be deciding what will be done with the vacant Crystal school site on Cordelia Road.

The Suisun City Council, sitting as the city's Redevelopment Agency, is expected to approve entering exclusive negotiations with Main Street West Partners over how the old school site will be redeveloped.

Crystal, Suisun City's oldest standing school, served as both an elementary school and a middle school before Fairfield Unified School District built a new Crystal Middle School on the other side of the slough.

The old Crystal has been vacant for two years and Suisun City wanted to push forward aggressively since the closure to redevelop the site, probably as a residential development.

The school district wants to use any money from the sale to pay for the new district offices it is building on Hilborn and Martin roads.

A deal was struck last summer which requires the city to sell the school site by the end of next summer. If the city didn't find a buyer, Suisun City would have to pay the school district at least $2.25 million, the appraised value of the site.

Main Street West is the master developer the city is still in negotiations with over plans to jumpstart the city's redevelopment efforts in the Old Town area.

Main Street West is in middle of crafting plans that will put more retail and commercial development on Main Street and put residential development on the vacant land near Civic Center Boulevard.

In other business, the city council will vote to put $50,000 in a commercial rehabilitation program aimed at offering matching fund grants to local businesses interested in improving their appearance.

The Suisun City Council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Suisun City Council chamber at 701 Civic Center Blvd.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.

Who: Suisun City Council

What: Approval to have city negotiate with Main Street West Partners to redevelop the vacant Crystal school site.

Where: 701 Civic Center Blvd.

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Info: 421-7300