Raincross Square

Mission Inn by J Rupert

Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

Got a great photo of downtown Riverside or the city in general? Add it to the Raincross Square photo pool. Or view what others have uploaded.

Sept. 2008
Renovation details


Sept. 2008
Fountain improvements
outside City Hall


Sept. 2008
View north toward
University Avenue from Ninth Street

Work continues to move along on the $10 million renovation of the Main Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown Riverside. The project is the first major rehab of the mall, which opened in 1966* spanning the former "Main Street" between Tenth and Sixth streets.

Construction began this past Spring between Tenth Street and University Avenue as well as the sidewalks on Main Street between Sixth and Fifth streets. Completion is expected to be completed by Fall. Work on the remaining two sections (one | two) between University Avenue and Sixth Street will begin after the first of the year with completion not likely until mid-2009.

So far, we like what we see, especially the interlocking pavers, which helps give the newness a rustic feel. Though not 100% complete, the look and feel between Ninth and Tenth streets is clean and crisp (maybe too much so) and even compliments City Hall. However, we're a bit unsure how the style will look in the more historic areas, particularly adjacent to portions of the Mission Inn. Truth be told, this portion of the mall -- with the most mature trees and park-like feel -- is least in need of complete renovation.

Included in the overall project is the reopening of Ninth Street through the mall. As a result, the city uprooted one of the mall's long-standing art fixtures, the Riverside Tripod. Designed by noted artist James Rosati, the sculpture sat alongside City Hall since 1976 before being replanted at the city's recently-built Fire Station No. 5.

In a fitting tribute, the Tripod was rededicated earlier this month as part of Sept. 11th observances. The new location is meant to commemorate both Rosati -- whose famed "Ideogram"** sculpture was destroyed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center -- and Riverside Fire personnel who responded to New York City in the aftermath.

Check out a recent report on the pedestrian mall project by Doug Haberman of The Press-Enterprise as well as more on the rededication of the Tripod at its new location.

Related

• Photo Gallery: Main Street Pedestrian Mall


• Riverside Renaissance - Main Street Pedestrian Mall rehab

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Pedestrian mall renovation begins (March 2008)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Then & Now - Main at Mission Inn (March 2007)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Then & Now - Main at Ninth (May 2006)

* Photo courtesy of Ruhnau, Ruhnau, Clarke
** Photo courtesy of Mary Ann Sullivan at Bluffton University

A small curbside swath of University Avenue in downtown Riverside was turned into an impromptu park earlier today as part of National Park(ing) Day.

Trust for Public Land

What began in San Francisco in 2005 aimed at bringing awareness to the need for more parks and open space, particularly within urban environments, has grown into a nationwide event. For one day each year, a few parking spaces in cities across the nation are temporarily replaced with tiny "public parks."

The local event was sponsored by Community Works Design Group in Riverside and, to our knowledge, is the first time Inland Southern California has participated in the 3-year-old event.

Related

• Riverside Press-Enterprise - Temporary parks spring up in downtown Riverside parking stalls | Photos | Video


• Official Site - National Park(ing) Day


• Trust for Public Land - National Park(ing) Day


• Flickr - National Park(ing) Day

Riverside Greater Downtown
Fine Dining Group

This week, eight downtown area restaurants are rolling out the red carpet to showcase the city's growing collection of unique, award-winning dining establishments as part of the first-ever Riverside Restaurant Week.

Sponsored by the Riverside Greater Downtown Fine Dining Group, patrons will be able to experience upscale culinary delights and one-of-a-kind atmospheres not found at the major "chain" restaurants. For the event, each restaurant will offer specially prepared, three-course meals for $25 (lunch) and $35 (dinner).

The eight participating restaurants are Café Sevilla, Ciao Bella Ristorante, Mario's Place, Mission Inn Restaurant, Olio Ristorante, Restaurant Omakase, Saffron and Via Veneto Trilussa.

The event, which kicked off Sunday with "The Overture," a fund-raising event benefiting the Riverside Arts Council, is a lead-in of sorts to Saturday night's 30th Annual "Mayor's Ball for the Arts" at White Park.

So, make plans this week to try out at least one of the participating restaurants. Indeed, Riverside is fortunate to have a wide-ranging assortment of independent fine dining establishments, all in or near the heart of downtown.

Related

• Riverside Greater Downtown Fine Dining Group


• InstantRiverside.com - Several downtown chefs to serve up bargain prices


• Riverside Press-Enterprise - Riverside restaurants put themselves on the menu


• PE.com video - Riverside Restaurant Week Sept 15 -19 | Ciao Bella Ristorante | Mario's Place | Mission Inn Restaurant | Olio Ristorante | Restaurant Omakase | Saffron

Neighborhood community center opens

2008
Orange Terrace Community Center

Riverside unveiled the latest project from the city's "Riverside Renaissance" initiative as the Orange Terrace Community Center opened to the public early Saturday.

Located on the grounds of the Orange Terrace Community Park, the $11 million facility includes a gymnasium, banquet hall and multipurpose room. Also included -- and scheduled to open October 25th -- is the city's seventh branch library.

The 28,000 sq. ft. center is the latest improvement to the park located in the city's fast-growing Orangecrest neighborhood in southeastern Riverside. Recent additions include additional ballfields, basketball courts and children's playground equipment.

Read more on the opening of the community center from The Press-Enterprise here.

60/91/215 project completion delayed

Dec. 2007
60/91/215 interchange

Caltrans recently announced another delay in finishing the $381 million rebuilding of the 60/91/215 interchange in downtown Riverside and nearly 8 miles of Interstate 215 from downtown eastward to Moreno Valley.

The project, which used a new method of "design sequencing," was originally expected to be completed in January 2007 at a cost of $317 million. When finished later this Fall, the project will be nearly 2 years past due and at least $63 million over budget.

The good news is that 20 years after the first serious plans for rebuilding the interchange began, motorists will finally be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief once work is finished. Let's just hope it doesn't take nearly as long on the region's next major transportation project -- whatever that might turn out to be.

A recent article in The Press-Enterprise provides more details on the delay.

Preserving Riverside's mid-century modern architecture

2004
Downtown Fire Station No. 1

For those who may have missed it, check out our friend Tanya Sorrell of ModernRiverside.com, who recently talked to The Press-Enterprise regarding the need to preserve portions of Riverside's mid-century modern architecture -- before it's too late.

In particular, Tanya is focusing initial efforts on protecting the downtown fire station located at the corner of Mission Inn Avenue and Lime Street. The building is an excellent example of mid-century, "form follows function" design, where the outward shape of the building is determined by its interior functions.

Overall, we're glad to see someone, not only taking the time and effort to bring attention to this truly under-appreciated architectural style, but working to preserve it as well. No doubt, architecture is a highly subjective area. Moreover, it's much more difficult to appreciate current and/or more-recent styles. But, as we've said before (here and here), some of Riverside's most striking mid-century architecture -- facing similar circumstances as the once-despised, but now cherished Victorian movement -- may very well vanish before people realize its significance.

Be sure to check out The Press-Enterprise article as well as Tanya's blog entry addressing the downtown fire station.

Riverside County is in negotiations to buy the 10-story Regency Tower currently under construction in downtown Riverside. If the sale goes as planned, the privately-developed building will house the District Attorney's office, which is currently scattered in as many as 10 offices around town.

Aug. 2008
Regency Tower
Orange at Tenth streets

Though the reported purchase price of $128 million will no doubt save the county money relative to last year's $216 million proposal for a new DA office building, the cost to Riverside could be significant. The city would lose new high-end office space aimed at attracting more professional clientele downtown. It would also mean lost property taxes for the city as government buildings are typically off the tax rolls.

With or without the purchase by the county, however, the city is likely to see more office buildings constructed as local real estate experts say demand is high for Class A office space downtown:

In fact, developer Moshe Silagi -- who is building Regency Tower on spec -- says the sale may spur another building of his downtown. This comes on the heels of a recent proposal by another developer for a $40 million, 6-story office building at the corner of University Avenue and Lime Street, on the former Brown's Engine site adjacent to the 91 Freeway.

Related

• Riverside Press-Enterprise - DA's office plan would save Riverside County money, but at what cost to city? (Sept. 4, 2008)


• Riverside Press-Enterprise - Riverside County in talks to buy unfinished building for DA's office (Aug. 26, 2008)

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Update: Regency Tower - July 2008


• RaincrossSquare.com - Ground broken for downtown office building (Feb. 2008)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Site cleared for downtown office building (April 2007)

Yellow Polkadots by Pasticcino

Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

Got a great photo of downtown Riverside or the city in general? Add it to the Raincross Square photo pool. Or view what others have uploaded.

This entry kicks off a semi-occasional feature we'll be calling "Road Trip" -- a chance to explore other cities and areas within California, particularly those outside the three major metropolitan regions: Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. Everyone knows these places, but what about the likes of Fresno, Stockton and Bakersfield? The latter three are relatively large cities that in many states would be the largest and most dominant city. But in California, they are but one of at least a dozen cities in excess of 300,000 residents.

Our aim will be to spotlight these lesser-known, mid-major cities. In some cases, we'll toss in a smaller city (such as Visalia) or a larger city essentially hidden within one of the major metropolitan areas (such as Chula Vista). From a basic urban/civic planning perspective, we'll take a somewhat cursory look at their urban form, and in particular, their downtown cores -- if there is one -- and see what's there and what isn't. We'll then compare and contrast them relative to Riverside, looking for what makes them unique -- or not.

Our hope is to gain better appreciation for these somewhat overlooked places and possibly learn a thing or two along the way about how to improve and strengthen our own city.

____________________

Road Trip: Fresno

Flash: Road Trip: Fresno slideshow


Flash: Fresno Fashion Fair Mall
(with interior views reminiscent of
The Broadway dept. store in Riverside)

For being a city located at the center of California's dusty, but agriculturally rich "Central Valley," Fresno belies expectations. Many Californian's simply assume the worst and never really give the place a chance, making it a good candidate in which to start this series.

First impression: Fresno is a big city -- 470,000 according to 2007 Census estimates -- that feels somewhat smaller than it is. The downtown core, though not overly large for a city of its size, is a mixture of old and new. And, as with every major California city, Fresno is surrounded by expansive, suburban housing tracts. Thanks to numerous trees lining many major streets, particularly those in the more recent developments and newer commercial areas, Fresno appears much greener than one might expect. Looming in the distance to the east is the Sierra Nevada mountain range, including Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks (with 14,494-foot Mt. Whitney on the backside). Located about an hour to the northeast is Yosemite.

How it's similar: Fresno and Riverside actually share much in common. Both support a major university and are seats of county government with the various civic and cultural institutions inherent therein. Physically, downtown Fresno also contains a classic street grid pattern and a 1960s-era pedestrian mall. Likewise, Fresno's post-war growth has taken on a predominantly suburban form -- partly to the detriment of downtown. Geographically, the metropolitan region is partially hemmed in by mountains. And, as with the majority of California's valleys, summers can get a bit toasty and the air does get somewhat stagnant at times.

How it's different: Unlike Riverside, Fresno is unquestionably the dominant city within the Fresno-Madera metropolitan region. As such, it has it's own television market. Fresno's moderate skyline is dominated by mostly older and slightly taller buildings. Though both cities have modern convention centers, the latter also has a mid-sized arena and an adjacent concert hall/civic theater. And although Fresno has a passenger airport with an Air National Guard unit, the city does not have a major military base the likes of March Field near Riverside. Once outside Fresno, the landscape turns into mile upon mile of farmland.

Biggest surprise: Parts of downtown appear to be in a time warp of sorts, with a small, but impressive collection of pre-WWII "Renaissance Revival" styled towers (one | two | three | four). Arguably downtown's most unique aspect, the outdoor Fulton Mall (1964) offers a nice respite from California's car-dominated landscape. Though not overly vibrant, the pedestrian mall has a lot of potential. A recent addition is a minor league baseball stadium located at the mall's southern end. Interestingly, the landscape design of Fresno's Fulton Mall is very similar to the one in downtown Riverside, which opened two years after Fresno's. Both malls contain elements (Fresno | Riverside) designed by landscape architect Garrett Eckbo of Eckbo, Dean, Austin and Williams. One key difference is the amount of public art situated along Fresno's mall, at least double of that found at Riverside's version.

Biggest disappointment: As a predominantly low-rise campus (one | two) with several large parking lots and no overly distinctive buildings, the campus of California State University at Fresno felt more like an overgrown high school. In fact, one can easily drive past the campus without even realizing. However, the university is a major player in local sports and includes a football stadium, a recently built arena/rec center, and separate stadiums for both baseball and softball.

What can Riverside learn? One aspect of Fresno that Riverside can take note of is that city's long-term commitment to the larger civic/regional entities, such as the sports arena, civic theater and even the new minor league baseball stadium. And although Riverside's own pedestrian mall is currently undergoing its first major renovation, the city should keep tabs on Fresno's similarly designed outdoor mall. In particular, Riverside should take note of the amount of public art dotting Fresno's mall.

Related

• HistoricFresno.org


• DowntownFresno.org


• DowntownFresno.org - Fulton Mall


• City of Fresno


• Fresno Convention & Visitors Bureau

Four area colleges -- including three in Riverside -- received high marks in the latest college rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

2001
Carillon Tower - UC Riverside


2005
California Baptist University

UC Riverside, California Baptist University, La Sierra University, all located in Riverside, and the University of Redlands, were each ranked within their respective categories, including:

• UC Riverside -- 86th in "Best National Universities" and 9th in "Up-and-Coming Schools"
• Univ. of Redlands -- 8th "Best Universities -- Master's (West)" and 2nd "Great Schools, Great Prices, Universities -- Master's"
• California Baptist Univ. -- 41st in "Best Universities -- Master's (West)"
• La Sierra Univ. -- 1st in "Racial Diversity, Universities -- Master's (West)"

For UCR, the "Up-and-Coming" ranking validates what many on campus already know, but yet hasn't quite translated into off-campus circles. For example, the newly-appointed dean of UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Thomas Baldwin, told the following to The Press-Enterprise:

Indeed, the ranking should come as no real surprise to those close to UCR, as the campus has consistently ranked among the top universities nationwide over the past decade in receiving Fellows from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinguished honors in the scientific community. In several recent years, UCR has received the most appointments, beating out such stalwarts as MIT, Princeton, Yale, Harvard and UC Berkeley.

Related

• UC Riverside


• University of Redlands


• California Baptist University


• La Sierra University

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - UCR moves up in rankings (Oct. 2007)


• RaincrossSquare.com - UC Riverside given high marks (Aug. 2006)

Spitting Gargoyle by CollegeRocker

Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

Got a great photo of downtown Riverside or the city in general? Add it to the Raincross Square photo pool. Or view what others have uploaded.

Last Tuesday, the Riverside City Council approved in concept the recommendations for the future expansions of downtown's Main Library and Riverside Metropolitan Museum as outlined by a community task force.

The recommendations, which have also been endorsed by the governing boards of both institutions, call for the library to double in size to 120,000 square feet and the museum expansion to total 70,000 square feet. The task force also recommended the final proposal should provide adequate parking facilities and retain the Chinese Pavilion in its current spot.

The approvals come after several months of public hearings that began following a public meeting held in January on the original joint-use expansion proposal. Public opposition to the plan led to the formation of a 22-member task force that was given the job of revising the original proposal.

Next up will be two workshops -- an October meeting to formalize actual space needs and a second set for November to discuss design and funding aspects.

Related

• Riverside Press-Enterprise - Riverside City Council OKs museum/library task force advice (Aug. 13)

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Committee finalizes expansion guidelines (June 2008)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Task force favors separate library, museum expansions (June 2008)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Library-museum task force convenes (April 2008)


• RaincrossSquare.com - Library should remain downtown (July 2007)

Over the past 96 years, downtown Riverside has seen 2 main post offices built, the first in 1912 and the second in 1939.

U.S. Post Office
Late 1950s - 2008
Flash: View photo overlay

First came the 1912 Federal Building located on Seventh Street (Mission Inn Avenue). Sporting Italian-Renaissance architecture, the building served as the city's main post office for nearly 30 years. Afterward, the building became the headquarters for the 4th Air Force during World War II. Later uses included housing the city's police department*, and currently, the Riverside Metropolitan Museum.

The second downtown post office, located a few blocks away on the northeast corner of Ninth and Orange streets, came online just as World War II was beginning. Built at a cost of $175,900, this later version sports Spanish-Mission architecture with Art Deco/Moderne-influenced designs inside.

Seen in photos approximately 50 years apart, this second post office remains an architectural gem in downtown today. Note in the 1950s photo the lack of trees but a hedge which still remains today. Note also that Orange Street is a two-way street as opposed to today's one-way between University Avenue and Fourteenth Street.

Finally, visible in the far right background of the earlier photo is the First Baptist Church. Located at the northeast corner of Ninth and Lemon, the church site today is home to a 5-story building constructed in the late 1980s.

Flash: Downtown Post Office - Late 1950s - 2008

* Photo courtesy of RPD Remembers