www.montereycountynow.com MAY 21-27, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 While the worn-out, yellow facade remains on the Republic Café in Salinas’ Chinatown neighborhood, an effort to clean and stabilize the property is nearing completion. “It’s exciting because progress is going fairly fast right now, and the City is committed to it,” says Larry Hirahara, a founding member of Asian Cultural Experience of Salinas (ACE). The Republic Café, a popular banquet hall and restaurant that closed in 1988, will be home to a museum and cultural center that ACE will manage. Grant Leonard, senior planner for the City of Salinas, says a contractor has cleaned up the building and performed structural stabilization, including adding a temporary roof and removing asbestos, lead and debris. Leonard expects this phase will be completed by June, then the project will move into the next two-phase stage of development. The first phase will include further stabilization, including a permanent roof. The second phase is a full remodel and restoration, getting it move-in ready for the ACE museum. Leonard estimates it could take up to a year to finish both phases, adding that the work is tied to funding availability. Work on historic buildings can be challenging due to a variety of reasons, Leonard says, including limited funding for restoration of such properties. Progress has been years in the making. In 2022, the Republic Café caught fire, causing additional delays. Work has advanced since then. In 2022, in an effort to advance the Chinatown Revitalization Plan, the City of Salinas purchased seven properties in the neighborhood, including the Republic Café. A year later, the city received $1.5 million in Regional Early Action Planning grant funding from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments to develop mixed-use affordable housing in the neighborhood. (Republic Café and other buildings were improved with this grant, plus capital improvement program funds from the City of Salinas.) “A lot of history is associated with the building,” Leonard says. “Through the Chinatown Revitalization Plan, the community really identified it as a cornerstone.” Hirahara hopes ACE will have access to the building by fall. The nonprofit intends to lease the space from the City. Other projects in the pipeline in Chinatown include a 55-unit mixeduse apartment complex with studios and one- and two-bedroom apartment units above commercial space on the first floor. The second housing project would be a 30-unit senior housing development, also with commercial space on the first floor. Both projects are now undergoing permitting. TEF Architecture and Interior Design, Inc., an agency based in San Francisco, provided conceptual plans and architectural renderings for both projects. The architectural concept includes Spanish influence with stucco finish and barrel clay roof tiles; Chinese influence is conveyed through the color red and string lanterns. From the Ashes Long-awaited work to make Republic Café into a cultural museum in Salinas’ Chinatown moves forward. By Celia Jiménez Restoration on the former Republic Café and other buildings on Soledad Street in Chinatown is moving along after the City of Salinas purchased seven properties in 2022 for a revitalization effort. NEWS “The community really identified it as a cornerstone.” CLEIA JIMÉNEZ The only CPA in this race! Vote on or before June 2 nd BURCU MOUSA, CPA Accountability. Integrity. Transparency. FOR AUDITOR-CONTROLLER MONTEREY COUNTY ELECT MOUSAFORAUDITOR.COM E-mail: burcu@mousaforauditor.com Phone: (831) 321-8606 PROUDLY ENDORSED BY County Employees Management Association (CEMA) Michael J. Miller Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector (Former) Jane Parker Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Garcia-Arrazola City of Seaside Council Member Rita Burks City of Seaside Council Member Ben Caldera City of Soledad Council Member To view the full and growing list of endorsements visit: www.mousaforauditor.com Trusted Experienced Leadership for Monterey County With 17 years of specialized experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, I am ready to ensure transparency and accountability on day one. Proven Qualifications Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Former Assistant Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former External Auditor (Specializing in Government & Nonprofits) B.S. in Business Administration (Professional Accounting), Magna Cum Laude – CSU, Chico Paid for by Burcu Mousa for Monterey County Auditor-Controller (FPPC#1486536) FOR MONTEREY COUNTY AUDITOR-CONTROLLER Accountability. Integrity. Transparency. The only CPA in this race! Vote on or before June 2nd The only CPA in this race! nd BURCU MOUSA, CPA Accountability. Integrity. Transparency. FOR AUDITOR-CONTROLLER MONTEREY COUNTY ELECT MOUSAFORAUDITOR.COM E-mail: burcu@mousaforauditor.com Phone: (831) 321-8606 County Employees Management Association (CEMA) Michael J. Miller Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector (Former) Jane Parker Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Garcia-Arrazola City of Seaside Council Member Rita Burks City of Seaside Council Member Ben Caldera City of Soledad Council Member To view the full and growing list of endorsements visit: www.mousaforauditor.com Trusted Experienced Leadership for Monterey County With 17 years of specialized experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, I am ready to ensure transparency and accountability on day one. Proven Qualifications Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Former Assistant Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former External Auditor (Specializing in Government & Nonprofits) MOUSAFORAUDITOR.COM E-mail: burcu@mousaforauditor.com Phone: (831) 321-8606 The only CPA in this race! Vote on or before June 2 nd BURCU MOUSA, CPA Accountability. Integrity. Transparency. FOR AUDITOR-CONTROLLER MONTEREY COUNTY ELECT MOUSAFORAUDITOR.COM E-mail: burcu@mousaforauditor.com Phone: (831) 321-8606 PROUDLY ENDORSED BY County Employees Management Association (CEMA) Michael J. Miller Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector (Former) Jane Parker Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Garcia-Arrazola City of Seaside Council Member Rita Burks City of Seaside Council Member Ben Caldera City of Soledad Council Member To view the full and growing list of endorsements visit: www.mousaforauditor.com Trusted Experienced Leadership for Monterey County With 17 years of specialized experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, I am ready to ensure transparency and accountability on day one. Proven Qualifications Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Former Assistant Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey PROUDLY ENDORSED BY County Employees Management Association (CEMA) Michael J. Miller Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector (Former) Jane Parker Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Garcia-Arrazola City of Seaside Council Member Rita Burks City of Seaside Council Member Ben Caldera City of Soledad Council Member Steve Vagnini Monterey County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder (former) To view the full and growing list of endorsements visit: www.mousaforauditor.com Trusted Experienced Leadership for Monterey County With 17 years of specialized experience in governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, I am ready to ensure transparency and accountability on day one. Proven Qualifications Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Former Assistant Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller, County of Monterey Former External Auditor (Specializing in Government & Nonprofits) B.S. in Business Administration (Professional Accounting), Magna Cum Laude – CSU, Chico Paid for by Burcu Mousa for Monterey County Auditor-Controller (FPPC#1486536) Monterey County Weekly County Employees Management Association (CEMA) Michael J. Miller Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb Monterey County Treasure-Tax Collector (Former) Steve Vagnini Monterey County Assesor/Clerk-Recorder (Former) Jane Parker Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Barber City of Monterey Council Member Alexis Garcia-Arrazola City of Seaside Council Member Rita Burks City of Seaside Council Member Monterey County Weekly County Employees Management Association (CEMA) ELECTED OFFICIALS Michael J. Miller, Monterey County Auditor-Controller (Former) Mary Zeeb, Monterey County Treasure-Tax Collector (Former) Steve Vagnini, Monterey County Assesor/Clerk-Recorder (Former) Jane Parker, Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Mary Adams, Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) Dave Potter, Monterey County Board of Supervisor (Former) & Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea (Former) Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Barber, City of Monterey Council Member Alexis Garcia-Arrazola, City of Seaside Councilmember Rita Burks, City of Seaside Councilmember Alex Miller, City of Seside Councilmember Rosalyn Green, Monterey Peninsula College Trustee Ben Caldera, City of Seaside Councilmember Brad Imamura, Marina Coast Water District Director
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