This past Friday, I got to have lunch in the Fremont Downtown area on Capitol Avenue. In this editorial from October 25, 2016, Bill Marshak was writing about the downtown area in planning. It’s nice to see how eight years later, downtown is thriving. It’s especially nice to be able to see Fremont’s beautiful hills while enjoying dining, shopping, or a downtown event near housing and public transportation. The best of both worlds! However, Bill also reminded readers that there are many districts in Fremont, and we should care about all of them.
The Johnny Nash 1972 hit, I Can See Clearly Now, is a good fit for the second opening of Capitol Avenue connecting Paseo Padre Parkway and Fremont Boulevard. I am not sure how long it took Nash to pen his song, but it was easily less time than for visible signs of an actual downtown for Fremont to emerge. Fremont’s version of the first stanza might look like this (apologies to Nash and the original version):
I can see clearly now, the pain is gone,
Decades of talk and inaction have disappeared
Gone are mountains of rhetoric that made me whine
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
There is still a long way to go and, if opening of a street is a big deal, what will happen when real commerce follows. Let’s hope city officials are in good health since the accolades and congratulations are bound to hit explosive highs. With a good bit of history and years behind the construction of a downtown, many who have dreamed of it may not be around to enjoy the fruits of this labor. Maybe that is why Fremont had two grand openings of the same street.
In the meantime, with the hoopla surrounding the construction of a thoroughfare for the civic center, BART extension and construction around it, attention should also be focused on Fremont’s historic districts. Each of these areas has something to offer that is unique and worth preserving. Just because the State of California shut down redevelopment agencies, there is no reason to write off real redevelopment. While it was in place, funds were often used for salaries and projects that ended on a dusty shelf. It might take less money to actually make something happen.
The present can offer an opportunity for the City to focus on real redevelopment to eliminate blight and support commerce with less verbiage and more action. Instead of trying to choke these areas with residential growth to “prune” them, the same energy shown for a street should be given to promotion and economic development of Centerville, Irvington, Niles and Mission San Jose. Unfortunately, Warm Springs’ history is now largely found in books. But, it’s not too late for the other districts.
The view of unspoiled hillsides from Capitol Avenue is special and along with the promise of a vibrant downtown, should come the realization that a vibrant city is not just a particular part, rather a celebration of all its districts. Large cities such as Fremont are a summation of many areas with their own singular amenities. If the powers that be are so excited about a street connection, it might be time to expand their horizons to include public transportation connections such as shuttles to all districts. Then, we could all join the chorus.
