Riverside is pegging its hopes for downtown revitalization to the arts, historic preservation and even an infusion of University of California students. The City Council is scheduled to vote on a new Downtown Specific Plan this month. But the City Council has already endorsed the plan, and city officials are already taking steps to implement some projects in the plan. Private developers are proposing a variety of mixed-use, housing and office projects in and next to downtown, indicating there is momentum behind downtown development for the first time in years. Unlike many Southern California cities, Riverside does not need to create a brand-new downtown, Mayor Ron Loveridge said. The city already has what he calls a "19th century downtown" on which it can build. "We're not back to what Santa Monica or Pasadena look like, but we hope to get there soon," Loveridge said. As it has for several cities, Pasadena provides a model for Riverside. During the planning process, city officials visited downtown Brea and Old Town Pasadena, and found Riverside has far more in common with Pasadena's organic central district than with Brea's downtown, which was essentially one development project (see CP&DR Places, January 1998.) The Riverside plan covers 640 acres near the junction of Highways 91 and 60 at the north end of town. The plan identifies 11 different neighborhoods and land use districts in downtown and attempts to maintain their identities while also encouraging redevelopment and infill projects. City officials also hope to tie the downtown to the nearby Marketplace district, development of which has never taken off despite years of efforts by the city. The city is updating the 11-year-old specific plan for the Marketplace, which is separted from downtown by the Highway 91 freeway. Historic assets The Mission Inn is the "crown jewel" of downtown, and a four-block stretch of Mission Inn Avenue contains no fewer than seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mission Inn was built between 1876 and 1931, and even the National Trust for Historic Places says it defies description. The 238-room hotel, which covers a full city block, has a number of facilities built in variety of styles. It also has a huge art collection and conference facilities for up to 300 people. Besides commercial structures like the Mission Inn, the downtown also has a number of fancy older homes and classic bungaloes. "Riverside has a long, rich history, and the affluence of our first 50, 60, 80 years of existence are reflected in many of the older buildings we have," said Ken Guiterrez, deputy planning director. "That's why historic preservation became a big part of the plan." While the historic aspects of downtown Riverside are obvious, the arts community is not so evident — at least not to the general public. But as planners investigated the area for the specific plan project, they found a surprisingly large number of visual artists, dance studios and musicians based in downtown. Some of the artists are of the "underground" variety, while others are more maitstream. What planners learned, Guiterrez said, was that downtown Riverside actually serves as something of an arts incubator. To follow up, Mayor Loveridge has formed a committee to consider drafting a citywide arts component and the city is eying the designation of an arts and cultural district. "Traffic congestion limits [art patrons'] choices," Loveridge said. "Where you used to travel to LA, now you do it reluctantly. So you need arts alternatives locally." The city is providing nearly $1 million for a seismic retrofit of the Fox Theatre, which could become a live performance venue. Also, the University of California, Riverside, is considering building an arts campus of sorts in the downtown, which is several miles away from the main campus. Janice Penner, a consultant to the Riverside Downtown Partnership, said her group is helping with the proposed establishment of the arts and cultural district. People said are beginning to accept the plan and her organization is encouraged by the city's steps toward downtown revitalization. "We're getting a lot of buzz right now," Penner said. Housing proposals hit The city recognizes that one of the ways to support the arts and cultural affairs is by bringing more residents to an urban environment. However, the construction of additional housing was by far the most controversial aspect of the specific plan process. "The downtown is surrounded on three sides by historic residential neighborhoods that have been subject to real estate speculation, Guiterrez said. Much of that speculation has been in the form of very plain apartment buildings, some of which have not been well maintained and managed. So when city officials started talking about "increased densities" and "multi-family housing" they met with hostility from residents and historic preservation advocates worried about neighborhood integrity. As a result, the downtown plan focuses most housing development on the downtown core, which planners believe is ripe for some mixed-use development. A study found that the downtown core could accommodate up to 2,000 new housing units in densities of 60 units or more per acre. In the surrounding residential neighborhoods, the plan encourages development of owner-occupied housing and, in certain places, live-work units. The city is working on an infill development model for downtown and elsewhere, Deputy City Manager Michael Beck said. The city has looked closely at what Sacramento has done with apartments, condominiums and dense single-family housing development on infill sites. Penner and some other would like to have seen the plan endorse denser residential development in places other than the downtown core. "That's a missed opportunity" she said. But she also understands the history behind the housing issue and why longtime residents are hesitant. The whole downtown specific plan area is within a city redevelopment project area, although exactly how the specific plan and redevelopment projects will mesh is unclear City officials are feeling confident these days because developers who are interested in downtown are finding their way to City Hall for the first time in years. Among the projects proposed are a 300,000-square-foot retail/office/residential project near the Mission Inn, an infill housing development, and some mid-rise office buildings. The city believes it can generate interest in a transit-oriented housing development near a rail station in the Marketplace district. Plus, Guiterrez said, UC continues to look for locations for new student housing, and city officials are pointing UC officials toward sites in the Marketplace district. Staff members are prioritizing steps to implement the specific plan. Among the first projects will be creating better gateways to downtown, Beck said. Currently, motorists on either Highway 60 or Highway 91 could drive right by downtown without even knowing it is there. Planners also see better linkage between downtown and the Marketplace district as vital to both areas. The city is working on an improved pedestrian connection because the freeway separates the two districts. Officials plan to spruce up the underpass with a mural, lighting and other inviting touches so people staying and working in downtown can walk to new restaurants in the Marketplace district. Contacts: Ken Guiterrez, Riverside planning department, (909) 826-5658. Ron Loveridge, mayor, (909) 826-5551. Janice Penner , Riverside Downtown Partnership, (909) 781-7339.