The Buzz: Why 2021 brings new possibilities for Redding's riverfront

Come the new year, the major leases the McConnell Foundation holds on Park Marina Drive, including the shuttered Budgetel River Inn and adjoining restaurant, expire and control goes back to the Kutras family, which has owned the property since the Great Depression.

But any redevelopment along the Sacramento River-front corridor could take years to happen.

Look at how long it took to synchronize major change in downtown Redding.

I recently spoke to Chris Kutras, a political science teacher at Shasta College.

He told me his family is talking with the city about the possibilities along Park Marina Drive. While nothing specific has been offered, Kutras said he envisions some sort of mixed-use development.

“You know those leases are pretty old, done in the '50s and '60s,” Kutras said. “So transitioning from that environment, that’s one layer (of the process).”

Another layer of the process is the city’s plan to redevelop Park Marina Drive to make the area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Those changes would likely affect future development along the corridor.

Kutras told me he listened to the first community workshop the city of Redding conducted via Zoom in November during which preliminary ideas to make Park Marina a not-so-busy vehicle thoroughfare were discussed.

Essentially, the city is looking to reduce Park Marina Drive from two vehicle travel lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction and keep the center turn lane.

At the workshop, Realtor Cameron Middleton, vice chair of the Redding Planning Commission, said the Kutras family wants to cooperate with the city on the corridor project, preferably by working in concert with any future family proposals.

“I haven’t had time to absorb everything,” Kutras said of the community workshop. “It’s something I need to look at and get into, and I think that is going to take a while.”

A second community meeting is scheduled in January, and the city is expected to prepare a final traffic plan for Park Marina Drive in April.

The Kutras family doesn't own all the property along the Park Marina corridor.

The McConnell Foundation owns the Park Marina Apartments and the Ethan Allen/Davita Redding Dialysis shopping center along Park Marina Drive.

Talk of redeveloping Park Marina Drive to take advantage of Redding’s prime riverfront area has been going for years.

Many envision a San Antonio River Walk, a park-like network of walkways with restaurants and other retail complementing it.

But up until now, it’s just been talk because of the leases that are in place.

“I would say it’s an obvious place for restaurants, I know that,” Kutras said.

Kutras’ grandfather, Christ Kutras, a restaurateur, bought the riverfront property in 1935 for a dairy.

“He was very practical, and he was a good businessman and he had a lot of good people around him. He was a fun guy,” Kutras said.

Kutras’ father, George Kutras, spent 40 years at Shasta College as a full-time instructor, coach and president. George Kutras died in January 2018. He was 89.

Kutras is optimistic that something will get done along Park Marina Drive. But at this point he can’t give a timeline.

“I think it will come together in a coordinated manner,” he said.

Stay tuned.

Cleaning up the future Costco property

Is the lawsuit challenging the city of Redding’s approval of the new Costco holding up the cleanup of the freeway frontage property?

When I spoke to police Lt. Brian Cole recently for my story about Costco putting up a fence around the property to keep campers out, he told me the court challenge makes going in there and removing all the trash “a little complicated.”

Cole also said the wet weather can make it difficult to get heavy equipment back there to help with the hauling.

So, I emailed City Attorney Barry DeWalt for his take on the issue.

He said going in there and just picking up trash shouldn’t be a problem.

“However, the site is very difficult to access for that purpose and may need to have some grubbing of brush and smaller trees. If that can’t be avoided, then we have to cross reference the EIR (environmental impact report) to make sure that we are within its allowances,” DeWalt said.

Costco purchased the property at the northeast corner of South Bonnyview Road and Bechelli Lane in late October.

Cole said the company put up the chain-link fence on Dec. 11.

The property had been one of the largest homeless encampments before it was cleared out earlier this month, Cole said.

‘Buzz’ off

This is my last column for 2020.

It’s been quite a year and here’s hoping that 2021 will bring some sense of normalcy to everybody’s lives.

As I mentioned recently, it’s a privilege bringing you the news and updates of things happening in the North State.

“Buzz on the Street” will return the weekend of Jan. 9.

Stay safe, everybody, and Happy New Year!

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David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.