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Riverside Roundup – 03/20/2009

Familiar name eyeing Gottschalks 2009Riverside Plaza In January, Fresno-based Gottschalks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, raising questions on what might come of the chain’s 58 department stores spread over six states. Seven of those stores are located at malls within Inland Southern California, including Riverside Plaza. Less than two weeks before a March 30…

Wither “local” media?

What if, one day, there was no Riverside Press-Enterprise? No San Bernardino County Sun? Or no Inland Valley Daily Bulletin? For longtime residents, this scenario may be difficult to imagine. But in today’s dire economic climate, particularly within the newspaper industry, such an outcome is indeed possible. And in a region without a major locally-based…

Second phase of pedestrian mall makeover begins

Work began recently on the final phase of the Main Street Pedestrian Mall renovation in downtown Riverside, continuing the first complete refurbishment of the outdoor mall since its 1966* opening. 2009Phase twoUniversity block 2009Phase twoMission Inn block The first phase, which wrapped up in the fall, revamped the two blocks (one | two) located between…

Riverside Roundup – 02/08/2009

Interchange project put to bed 200960/91/215 interchange After nearly 5 years of construction — and 20-year wait for local commuters — Caltrans says it has finally closed the books on the 60/91/215 interchange/freeway project in downtown Riverside. The final tally for the rebuild comes in at $437 million, approximately 40 percent over initial estimates and…

County looking to acquire downtown buildings

As part of its plans for acquiring necessary land for future buildings, Riverside County is negotiating to purchase two buildings in downtown Riverside. The purchases of the buildings, which opened months apart in 1961, would consolidate county ownership of the block bounded by Main, Orange, Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. 2009OverviewMS Virtual Earth 2009First American Title…

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Riding the rails at Hunter Hobby Park

Last Sunday, we had the chance to “ride the rails” at Hunter Hobby Park, one of Riverside’s most unique attractions. 2008Hunter Hobby Park 20087 1/2 gauge steam trains 2008Kids particularly enjoy the trains Located in northeast Riverside, the 40-acre park began life in the late 1950s as an adjunct “backyard” of sorts to local engineer…

Historic designation given to Central Fire Station

Last month, California’s State Historical Resources Commission added Riverside’s downtown Central Fire Station to the state’s Register of Historic Resources. Currently entering its sixth decade of operation, the building has come under threat recently as the city prepares to build a new fire station on the block directly behind the current location. And though the…

2008 ‘Festival of Lights’

2008Festival of Lights 2008Mission Inn In case you missed it, the 16th annual Festival of Lights began this past weekend in downtown Riverside. With 3.5 million lights and hundreds of animated figures, the crown jewel of the nightly festival is the historic Mission Inn hotel. As usual, Friday night’s “lighting ceremony” incorporated extra festivities, including…